Fy ea tee £ é: . SAN Nee PAS fi fs ee ke ‘ ese SS ae dele TONKA ieee) (eee ‘ Dig etsy 4 ae Che Pat GEA 7 tee et, yeaa) WY; a FEAL awat ho UF che k- tiked ty oP LE a Se an’ ? SEAS Phe 12) E ir F Wh DM eis Les Poe Ka! arent el x TNO ‘~ tes Lore y nd Cation wh 4 Ferns ‘ Te SES Pp eseNy FE ane SOP EN ONTOS PROT Se GL gaa Sy hy tress eibee ot FOSS. ah Se . thee Ce eae kn ieee nase LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON, N. J. PRESENTED BY The eve Division.......... baw} er ( ine) PECHON: 1 ct ee Nee daby bs f ae het wi 5 A be nd 7 43 ak ea —— = Sas = = = Discourses . of = Brigham Young SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS “I am called to preach the Gospel of Life and Salvation.”’ —Fournal of Discourses, Vol. 8, p. 11 Selected and Arranged a | JQHN A. WIDTSOE DESERET BOOK COMPANY Salt Lake City, Utah Copyrighted 1925 By HEBER J. GRANT for the CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA By tHE Deseret News Press PREFACE RIGHAM YOUNG, second President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and first Gov- ernor of Utah, was the founder and chief builder of the Great Intermountain West of the United States of Amer- ica. He is recognized as one of the foremost colonizers and empire builders of all time. His unsurpassed methods of conquering for human use the Great American Desert, have been adopted to some degree by all who, since his day, have been engaged in the reclamation and settlement of unoccupied lands, especially under a low rainfall. States- men, scholars and business men have acclaimed the lead- ership, organizing power and sound philosophy which brought social and economic happiness to the people who were led into the wilderness by Brigham Young. He not only brought contentment to the people, gathered from many lands, but he guided the Church over which he pre- sided, until, at his death, it was larger in numbers and more firmly established than ever before. _ The tremendous world significance of the labors of Brigham Young, and the universal applicability of his meth- ods, under modern conditions, make it certain that the work he accomplished was not due, primarily, to the gigantic personality of the man. Rather, the success achieved must have been due to the possession of a life philosophy of sufficient depth and extent to meet varying human needs. Another man, of less dominant personality, armed with the same principles, would have won success. As he, himself, would say, it was the possession of the Gospel of Life and Salvation that enabled him and his associates iV . PREFACE to do the work so well. In fact, Brigham Young was first a spiritual teacher and secondly a material leader. The re- ligion that he professed made him the man that he became; its principles were used in guiding the people in all their affairs. Books enough to fill a library have been written about the history, character and accomplishments of Brigham Young. Few of these books attempt to analyze the sys- tem of doctrine and practice that brought unbounded suc- cess to the Latter-day Saints. Many display such extreme religious partisanship that even the sympathetic reader can’ place no reliance upon their statements. Something harsher might be said about the large number of books written about Brigham Young and his times that manifestly aim to secure popularity by appealing to the sensational and the lurid, at the expense of truth. Even recently, when the years have given perspective, some writers have set up hypotheses concerning Brigham Young, and have pro- ceeded to argue the case—as if that were history! It is amazing that intelligent people, knowing the high order of accomplishments of the Latter-day Saints, give credence to the weird and crude stories, appealing to the baser emo- tions of mankind, which fill the pages of anti-“Mormon” literature. In this book Brigham Young is allowed to speak for himself. Excerpts have been made from his many dis- courses, and these have been arranged to show the co- herent system of faith which he continuously taught. his people and by which he was enabled to win success for his followers. The philosophy thus set forth is clear and un- mistakable in its purpose. It reveals Brigham Young as a man who applied the simple principles of the Gospel of PREFACE ¥ Jesus Christ to the everyday affairs of men; and who proved the efficacy, in common life, among common men, of the Gospel of the Son of God. This book was made possible because Brigham Young secured stenographic reports of his addresses. As he trav- eled among the people, reporters accompanied him. All that he said was recorded. Practically all of these dis- courses (from December 16, 1851 to August 19, 1877) were published in the Journal of Discourses, which was widely distributed. The public utterances of few great historical figures have been so faithfully and fully preserved. Clearly, this mass of material, covering nearly thirty years of in- cessant public speaking could not be presented with any hope of serving the general reader, save in the form of selections of essential doctrines. The discourses, from which this volume has been culled, were spoken extemporaneously. The state papers of Gov- ernor Brigham Young, and the epistles signed by him and his counselors in the Presidency of the Church, have not been used in this collection. The excerpts here presented came from his lips under the inspiration, at the moment, of the Power that guided his life. The corrections for the printer, as shown by existing manuscripts, were few and of minor consequence. The discourses are a remarkable self- revelation of the character and moving impulses of a man who accomplished huge tasks for his generation. It is marvelous that the enemies of Brigham Young, with this wealth of material before them, have found so little to use to his disadvantage. But, a dishonest or insincere man would not have had his public utterances reported and pub- lished all over the world. ‘The consistency of the views pre- sented, from the first to the last discourse, would be Vi PREFACE astounding, were it not for the fact that he clung constantly for interpretation to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as he had been taught it by the Prophet Joseph Smith. His devotion to his teacher and predecessor, the Prophet, is tenderly beautiful. The school education of Brigham Young was very lim- ited, but his discourses show a wide knowledge of men and affairs and an excellent power to use the English language clearly and forcefully. Often, his simple eloquence rises to great heights. Those who heard him speak have de- clared that they were held in tense attention, however long the address might be. His vivid imagination, dramatic power and unquestioned sincerity made him a natural orator. He seldom confined himself to one subject in his - discourses. The needs of the day were the themes about which he wound his teachings. No liberties have been taken, in this book, with the words of Brigham Young. In a few instances, errors in language or spelling, which should have been caught by the printer, have been corrected. All distinct sentiments, as expressed in the discourses, are represented by one or more quotations, except such as refer to conditions now no longer existing. ‘The excerpts are confined to the principlés of the Gospel. The mass of historical and autobiographical de- tail could not be included without making this volume too large for popular use. As it is, severe pruning and elimin- ation have been employed to enable the inclusion of the message of each of the 363 addresses in the Journal of Dis- courses, and the many others printed in the Deseret News, the Millennial Star and other periodicals. The many sum- maries of Brigham Young’s discourses, appearing in the Deseret News have not been used. The excerpts con- PREFACE Vil tained in this volume are from verbatim reports. The fig- ures at the end of each excerpt indicates the volume and page of the Journal of Discourses. These discourses are Brigham Young’s witness to the existence of God, the divine mission of Jesus the Christ, the restoration of the Gospel in its fulness by Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and the possibility of securing happiness here and hereafter by obedience to the requirements of the Gos- pel. This volume is but another testimony that the Lord continues to speak through his prophets. * PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION The reception of this book far surpassed the hopes of the publishers. The first edition of fifteen thousand was soon exhausted. The second edition of ten thousand is the same as the first edition except for some minor letter corrections. THE PUBLISHERS. Feb. 15, 1926. ix* ‘! = {i ode ~ a> aie fat he ee c , S ° ‘ Flies "opin oe hf 7 ¢ aS, ‘ | pn te CONTENTS Clr Lrowet THE GOSPEL DEFINED Composed of Eternal Laws—Embraces all Truth—Increasing Knowledge of Gospel—Holds Power of Priesthood—The Gos- pel of Life and Salvation—Offers Salvation to All—A Guide in Daily Life—A Fountain of Truth—We Need a Practical Religion—Temporal Labors are Necessary—We Need a Present, Everyday Religion—We Must Learn to Support Ourselves........ 1 CHAPTER “Tt THE GODHEAD Our Father in Heaven—Personality and Fatherhood of God— miter ONTO tL. CrOd-—~tile ILOly 2 Ghost tikes ec secures csc otoeatte es as 27 CHAPTER vit THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN The Spirit of God—Revelation—Angels—Prayet....0.........2.20c2-c0e000-- 49 CHAPTER IV PRE-EXISTENCE, THE PLAN OF SALVATION Time—The Organized Universe—Man and Matter Eternal— Man the Offspring of God—The Spirit of Man—The Council fee eoven-ine lan ofsoal vation von,.. sti hanes coeds ah eeteme ? ZZ CHAPTER V FREE AGENCY CEE TLS ye re, (te ie, OE Re RO ee te SEN IR REA aaah cir a 95 CHAPTER VI 7 THE POWER OF EVIL Lucifer—False Spirits—Priestcraft—Sin and Wickedness— ee ea POler A DO STASY Oi) Asp ee teen Sa Sec a dee ccd 104 CHARTER. Vit THE LAW OF ETERNAL PROGRESSION Object of Mortal Life—Man to Endure Fotever—The Business of life—Prepare to Live—Eternal Increase—Blessings are Pro- ne eet meMi tr (4 DACit ya a... 8 sian big se ncecta tore wth ce tabs 133 ~ x CONTENTS CHAPTER VHUI THE DESTINY OF MAN The Gift of Eternal Life—Eternal Increase—The Celestial World—Opposition to Death CHAPTER IX DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL _ The Earth—Adam and Eve—Enoch and Moses—Jesus on Earth —The Apostasy—The Restoration—The Book of Mormon............ CHUAPTE REX THE LAST DAYS Confusion of the Last Days—Ultimate Triumph of Righteous- ness—Return to Jackson County—Coming of Christ—The Millennium—Rapid Movements in the Last Days—Zion—The Land of Zion—The City of Zion—Purpose of Gathering—The Jews and Jerusalem—The Indians or ‘Lamanites..............----..----..-+-+ CHAPTER XI THE SCRIPTURES The Bible—the Standard Church Works—The Use of the Ad gE nf oll by opis eer oe ARR aE NE Lo EA a ae Me Speen nF | eta ae Ee CHAPTER Obl THE PRIESTHOOD The Priesthood—The First Presidency—The Apostle and Melchizedek Priesthood—The Bishop and the Aaronic Priest- hood—Church Organization and Government CHAPTER XIII THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL Importance of the- Principles of the Gospel—Need of Ordin- ances—Faith—Repentance—Baptism—The Gift of the Holy Ghost—Healing the Sick 147 153 170 191 201 CONTENTS Ci A ERE APY THE SABBATH; MEETINGS; THE SACRAMENT How to Spend the Sabbath Day—Worship on Every Day— Preaching and Listening in Meetings—Testimony Meetings— x1 Pucmmut alent Orie lord SUPP er nanntin. Ae atl tuaign ee. 254 CHAPTER XV TITHING; THE UNITED ORDER The Law of Tithing—The Lord has Given All—People Not Compelled to Pay Tithing—Use of the Tithing—The United eae eae tie te nn ag ene PS ee ee SRR EN Fe 269 ; CHAPTER XVI THE WORD OF WISDOM Moderation—The Word of Wisdom—Live Long—Eating for Health—Living Out-of-Doors—Exercise and Mental Vigor— Physiological Differences—Feeding Children—The Giving of the DBP adore. tien kee ee ee hae SAS Pe te reg 282 CHAPTER XVII THE FAMILY Virtue—Marriage—Do. Not Marry Unbelievers—Birth Control— The Husband—The Wife—Children—Family Life—Importance of Early Training—Influence of the Mother—Teach Children the Gospel—Parents Should Teach by Example—Guides for Child Training—Need of Parent Training -.......0.00.1....-.... Sia eer a eo oe 300 _ CHAPTER XVIII SOME WOMANLY DUTIES The Housewife—Woman’s Fashions—Some Duties of the Relief PR Ue Let eas setae 0 TT PMI i Me igh RAPE RI eRe ll CAO See te RE 329 CHAPTER XIX OBEDIENCE Counsel—Obedience—Effect of Obedience—Obedience and Free Pemency——Fftects ot Disobedience . oiisch eben ben tice ncscne-dactesendsoo dead pocutquche 338 Xil : CONTENTS CHAPTER XX GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, DEVOTION, LIBERALITY, HONESTY Gratitude—Humility—Devotion to the Gospel—Give Freely— Be Honest—Honest in ‘Labor—Consistency and Sincerity............ Bey CHAPTER Ax HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENTS Saints Should be Happy—Social Amusements—Dancing—The heater Excursions” owes eee ee ee ee 362 CHAPTER XXII EDUCATION Knowledge and Intelligence—A Religion: of Improvement— Knowledge to be Sought—Continuous Education—Effects of [I-ducation—Educate Our Children—Establish Schools—What to Study—Religious Education—Science and Religion—the Body and the Mind—Studies in Sunday Schools 2... eeeeeceeceeeesenee 347, CHAPTER XXIIl SELF CONTROL The Will of Man—Self-Control Necessary—Check your Words —Cease your Anger—Learn to Know Ourselves—Let us Mind OULaO Wn BS BUSINESS- 6 cg eee ee ee ira gle ty tN Reese Se pa 406 CHAPTER XXIV OUR FELLOW-MEN Love Each Other—Let us be Merciful—Show Charity—Establish Confidence—Avoid Contention—Do not Deal Judgment—Respect | for Neighbors—Lady and Gentleman Defined—The Negro— Thre: Generous WN ature eos. cae oo ee A, ee 417 CHAPTER XXV UNITY AND CO-OPERATION Be of One Mind and One Heart—Perfect Oneness will Save a People—Unity in God’s Work, the Strength of Zion—Ad- vantage of Temporal Unity—Unity Does not Mean Individual Uniformity—the Co-operative Movement .2...2.....c..cceccteeeeccseeeeneeeeeeee 433 CONTENTS CHAPTER XXVI THRIFT AND INDUSTRY Faith and Works—Time Should be Spent Wisely— Labor In- dispensable—Let Nothing go to Waste—We Must be a Self- sustaining People—The Elements of Wealth are Around Us— Agriculture—Manufacturing—Commerce—Capital and Labor— See Houses and Beautiful Cities—Accumulate Property —DVebt CHAPTER XXVII WEALTH Wealth Belongs to the Lord—Uncertainty of Temporal Posses- sions—The Sin of Covetousness—True Riches—Gold is not Wealth—How to Become Wealthy—Wealth Must be Used— Wealth Brings Happiness Only When Used for the Gospel— somesWangers of Wealth—The Poor 22.832. (occ cen CHAPTER XXVIII MISSIONARY WORK. The Gospel to be Preached to all Men—Help to Save Every Person—Words to Departing Missionaries—Advice to Mission- aries in the Field—The Returned Missionary—The Gospel is Preached with Authority—The Spirit, not Logic or Debate, Makes Converts—Humility and Devotion, the Essentials— Preach only that which is Known—Hints to Teachers.................... CHAPTER XXIX VISIONS, MYSTERIES AND MIRACLES Visions of a Persona] Matter—Leave Alone Mysteries—Provi- dences of God, all Miracles—Miracles for Believers—Faith* not Pe eerenten Ur Ctr sli TAC IOS) oe eed ce We tle es oe CHAPTER XXX ‘TRIALS AND PERSECUTION Trials are Necessary—Purpose of Persecution—Persecution May be Expected—Meet Trials Cheerfully—Cause of Persecu- tion—Disobedience Causes Persecution—Result of Persecution —Cannot Overtake Falsehood—Danger of Persecuting the Saints—Persecution Comes from Efforts of Few...........0.....2.2--+- Xili 446 468 489 519 XIV CONTENTS CHAPTER XXXI POLITICAL GOVERNMENT Theocratic Government—Republican Government—God and Governments—Fitness of Rulers—Labor and Politics—Saints and Politics—The Constitution of U. S. an Inspired Document —The Saints Will Yet Save the Constitution—Religious Liberty Should be Observed—Opposed to Corrupt Administrators of Law—The President of the U. S.—Political Parties—States’ Rights—Forebodings of the Civil War—War—Woman Suffrage CHAPTER XXXII DEATH AND RESURRECTION The Body Must Return to Mother Earth—Man Should Live out His Days—We Should Not Mourn for the Righteous Dead—Our Identity will be Preserved—Our Bodies will be Resurrected— Jesus, the First Fruits of the Resurrection—The Resurrected Body—Resurrection Necessary to Full Salvation........2:..0.000.......- CHAPTER XXXIII THE SPIRIT WORLD All C6 to the Spirit World—Where is the Spirit World—Labors in the pet World—Life in the Spirit World -0000.22.0...e eee CHAPTER XXXIV ETERNAL JUDGMENT Judgment According to Works—Honesty in Action Will Tem- per Judgment—Hell Defined—The Second Death—Measure of Human Judgment CHAPTER XXXV SALVATION Universal Salvation—The Way to Salvation—Salvation an In- dividual Work—Many Degrees of Salvation—Exaltation Pro- portioned to Capacitvy—The Celestial Kingdom............--..----...0--+--- CHAPTER XXXVI - TEMPLES AND SALVATION FOR THE DEAD Saints Always Commanded to Build Temples—Temples Indis- pensable for Higher Ordinances—Endowments Given in Tem- ples—Vicarious Work for the Dead in Temples—Who Should Represent the Dead—Saviors on Mount Zion—Powers of Evil Opposed to Temple Building—The Salt Lake Temple—Address at the Laying of the Corner Stone of the Salt Lake ORD See Georgec Temple? : snd ka a eae ee ee ee 60 543 564 576 584 592 CONTENTS XV CHAPTER XXXVII *“MAN’S SEARCH FOR TRUTH AND SALVATION Man Desires Salvation—Humanity Loves Truth and Righteous- ness—Human Family Alike in Sentiments—A Variety of Hu- man Gifts—Man’s Powers are Limited—Man Must have Confi- dence in Himself—Man Always Dependent—We Must Fight Our Battles—How to Know Oneself—Our Good Character Must be Cherished—The Need of Leaders—Duty and Responsi- Retreat te ek fe ys ees Angee aN i ee tN 645 CHAPTER XXXVIII TESTIMONY OF THE TRUTH All Latter-day Saints May Know the Gospel is True—How a Witness of the Truth is Won—Why Some Men Reject the Gos- pel_Testimony Not Built Upon a Man—Joseph Smith a Wit- ness of the Truth—A Duty to Listen to the Truth... 657 CHAPTER XXXIX THE CHURCH AND KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH Israel—The Church and the Kingdom—An Object of the Church—The Kingdom of God to Develop Gradually—The Ef- fect of the Kingdom of God—It Will Continue—The Business of Latter-day Saints—Individual Labor Required in the King- dom of God—The Kingdom of God or Nothing.....0220222..20.02222..-2.--- 669 GHAPTER XE | SOME EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL The Nature of the Gospel—Some of the Effects of the Gospel— His Personal Joy in the Gospel—Blessings Continued Upon Good Works—Increasing Blessings—Personal Blessings Upon CE PAS eb eSB Aa ER OI I oe Mit ig 0 SR a ey ni 682 CHAPTER XLI JOSEPH SMITH THE PROPHET Joseph Smith, a Prophet of God—Joseph Called and Directed by God—The Development of the Prophet—What Joseph Taught —Results of the Prophet’s Labors—Persecutions of the Prophet —The Prophet Harassed by Law-suits—Joseph of Good Char- acter—Why'‘the Prophet was Killed—Joseph’s Work in the Spirit World—Nature of the Prophet and His Family—The Twelve, the Miecessrs of the Prophet—Some Sayings of the CEI PS ot ESS oy apt A age aa Site SW Nee aor Sea 700 CHAPTER XLII THE SETTLEMENT IN, THE WEST The Journey Across the Plains—The Mormon Battalion—Set- fHléement in thesGreat Salt Lake Valley..-2u.2... et 722 Discourses of Brigham Y oung CHAPTER 1 THE GOSPEL DEFINED Composed of Eternal Laws—The Gospel of the Son of God that has been revealed is a plan or system of laws and ordinances, by strict obedience to which the people who inhabit this earth are assured that they may return again into the presence of the Father and the Son. 13:233.* The laws of the Gospel are neither more nor less than a few of the principles of eternity revealed to the people, by which they can return to heaven from whence they came. We delight in the heavenly law—in that law that will preserve us to all eternity. 8:208. The laws and ordinances which the Lord has revealed in these latter days, are calculated to save all the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve who have not sinned against the Holy Ghost, for all will be saved in a kingdom of glory, though it may not be in the celestial kingdom, for there are many mansions. 15:122. Our religion is nothing more nor less than the true order of heaven—the system of laws by which the gods and the angels are governed. Are they governed by law? Certainly. There is no being in all the eternities but what is governed by law. Who desires to have liberty and no law? "They who are from beneath. 14:280. *The numbers at the end of each excerpt refer to the volume and page of the Journal of Discourses. Where the excerpt occurs thus, 13 :233, it means Journal of Discourses, volume 13, page 233. fu DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Our religion, in common with everything of which God is the Author, is a system of law and order. He has in- stituted laws and ordinances for the government and bene- fit of the children of men, to see if they would obey them and prove themselves worthy of eternal life by the law of the celestial worlds. This holy Priesthood that we talk about is a perfect system of government. By obedience to these laws we expect to enter the celestial kingdom and to be exalted. 14:95. The principles of truth and goodness, and of eternal lives and the power of God are from eternity to eternity. The principle of falsehood and wickedness, the power of the Devil and the power of death are also from eternity to eternity. These two powers have ever existed and always will exist in all the eternities that are yet to come. 11:234. Embraces All Truth—Our religion measures, weighs, and circumscribes all the wisdom in the world—all that God has ever revealed to man. God has revealed all the truth that is now in the possession of the world, whether it be scientific or religious. The whole world are under obligation to him for what they know and enjoy; they are indebted to him for it all, and I acknowledge him in all things. 8:162. I want to say to my friends that we believe in all good. If you can find a truth in heaven, earth or hell, it belongs to our doctrine. We believe it; it is ours; we claim it. 15%335: In a word, if “Mormonism” is not my life, I do not know that I have any. I do not understand anything else, for it embraces everything that comes within the range of the understanding of man. If it does not circumscribe every- THE GOSPEL DEFINED 3 thing that is in heaven and on earth, it is not what it purports to be. 2:123. Our religion is simply the truth. It is all said in this one expression—it embraces all truth, wherever found, in all the works of God and man that are visible or invisible to mortal eye. 10:251. The Gospel is simple, it is plain. There is no mystery throughout the whole plan of sal- vation, only to those who do not understand. 3:367. “Mormonism” embraces all truth that is revealed and that is unrevealed, whether religious, political, scientific, or philosophical. 9:149. It comprehends all true science known by man, angels, and the gods. ‘There is one true system and science of life; all else tends to death. That system emanates from _ the Fountain of life. 8:70. ‘True science, true art and true knowledge comprehend all that are in heaven or on the earth, or in all the eternities. By these all beings exist, whether they be celestial, terres- tial or telestial ; or whether they are from beneath and dwell with the devils among the damned. All truth is ours. 14:281. “Where is your code, your particular creed?” says one. It fills eternity; it is all truth in heaven, on earth or in hell. This is “Mormonism.” It embraces every true sci- ence; all true philosophy. 14:280. The philosophy of the heavens and the earth of the worlds that are, that were, and that are yet to come into existence, is all in the Gospel that we have embraced. Every true philosopher, so far as he understands the prin: ciples of truth, has so much of the Gospel, and so far he is a Latter-day Saint, whether he knows it or not. Our 4 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Father, the great God, is the author of the sciences, he is the great mechanic, he is the systematizer of all things, he plans and devises all things, and every particle of knowl- edge which man has in his possession is the gift of God, whether they consider it divine, or whether it is the wisdom of man; it belongs to God, and he has bestowed it upon us, his children dwelling here upon the earth. 18:359. A fact is a fact, all truth issues forth from the Fountain of truth, and the sciences are facts as far as men have proved them. 14:117. \ “Mormonism,” so-called, embraces every principle per- taining to life and salvation, for time and eternity. No matter who has it. If the infidel has got truth it belongs to “Mormonism.” ‘The truth and sound doctrine possessed by the sectarian world, and they have a great deal, all belongs to this Church. As for their morality, many of them are, morally, just as good as weare. All that is good, lovely, and praiseworthy belongs to this Church and Kingdom. “Mormonism” includes all truth. There is no truth but what belongs to the Gospel. It is life, eternal life; it is bliss; it is the fulness of all things in the gods and in the eternities of the gods. 11:375. We wish to frame, fashion and build after the pattern that God has revealed; and in doing so we take all the laws, rules, ordinances and regulations contained in the Scrip- tures and practice them as far as possible, and then keep learning and improving until we can live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 13:238. The Lord reveals a little here and a little there, line upon line, and he will continue to do so until we can reach into eternity and embrace a fulness of his glory, excellency and power. 13:241. THE GOSPEL DEFINED 5 Truth will endure for ever and for ever, and every man that preaches the Gospel of salvation may take the old text that some of us took in the commencement of the building up of the Kingdom of God upon the earth in the last days. I took truth for my text, salvation for my subject, and the whole world for my circuit, to go as far as I could and talk all I could about it. It takes every truth from every sect and party. What! in a civil capacity also? Yes. All law, all powers, all kingdoms, and all thrones,—in fine, all things are under the control of God. 7:148. When the Gospel of the Son of God is introduced among the children of men, it comes with light and intelli- gence, with pure and holy principles. It embraces all morality, all virtue, all light, all intelligence, all greatness, and all goodness. It introduces a system of laws and ordinances and a code of moral rectitude which, if obeyed by the human family, will lead them back to the presence Ol Gods. 118235. For me, the plan of salvation must be a system that is pure and holy in all its points; it must reveal things that no other church or kingdom can reveal; it must circum- scribe the knowledge that is upon the face of the earth, or it is not from God. Such a plan incorporates every system of true doctrine on the earth, whether it be eccle- siastical, moral, philosophical, or civil; it incorporates all good laws that have been made from the days of Adam until now; it swallows up the laws of nations, for it ex- ceeds them all in knowledge and purity, it circumscribes the doctrines of the day, and takes from the right and the left, and brings all truth together in one system, and leaves the chaff to be scattered hither and thither. That is the proof to me, and has been from the beginning, that the 6 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG principles are pure and holy; and every person living to them will attain through them sanctification. 7:148. I will tell you who the real fanatics are: they are they who adopt false principles and ideas as facts, and try to establish a superstructure upon a false foundation. ‘They are the fanatics; and however ardent and zealous they may be, they may reason or argue on false premises till dooms- day, and the result will be false. 13:271. Increasing Knowledge of Gospel—I want to say that we are for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the .truth; we are pursuing the path of truth, and by and by we expect to possess a great deal more than we do now; but to say that we shall ever possess all truth, I pause; I do not know when. 14:196. The laws that the Lord has given are not fully perfect, because the people could not receive them in their perfect fulness; but they can receive a little here and a little there, a little today and a little tomorrow, a little more next week, and a little more in advance of that next year, if they make a wise improvement upon every little they receive; if they do not, they are left in the shade, and the light which the Lord reveals will appear darkness to them, and the king- dom of heaven will travel on and leave them groping. Hence, if we wish to act upon the fulness of the knowledge that the Lord designs to reveal, little by little, to the in- habitants of the earth, we must improve upon every little as it is revealed. 2:314. We know enough to damn us; and when we know enough for that, we know enough to save us, if that knowl- edge is improved upon. 6:198. Holds Power of Priesthood—The Gospel which we preach is the Gospel of life and salvation. The Church THE GOSPEL DEFINED 7 which we represent is the Church and Kingdom of God, and possesses the only faith by which the children of men can be brought back into the presence of our Father and God. The Lord has set his hands to restore all things as in the beginning, and by the administration of his holy Priesthood, save all who can be saved, cleanse from the world the consequences of the Fall and give it to the hands of his Saints. The Gospel of salvation—the Priesthood of the Son of God—is so ordered and organized, in the very nature of it, being a portion of that law of heaven by which worlds are organized, that it is calculated to enlighten the children of men and give them power to save themselves. It is of the same nature as the further principles of eternal existence by which the worlds are and were, and by which they will endure; and these principles are pure in their nature, from the fact that they are of God, who is pure; but, without the revelation of the Spirit of God, no man can understand them. That is the peculiarity there is about this mysteri- ous work. 7:54. The power of all truth dwells in the bosom of our Father and God, which he dispenses to his children as he will, by the means of his eternal Priesthood. He is en- throned in the light, glory and power of truth. He has abided the truth, and is thereby exalted, and his power, light and glory are eternal. The Gospel and the Priest- hood are the means he employs to save and exalt his obedi- ent children to the possession with him of the same glory and power to be crowned with crowns of glory, immortal- ity and eternal lives. 9 :330. Now, ‘we say to the people of the nineteenth century, and we speak the truth and lie not, whosoever believes that 8 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Joseph Smith, Junior, was a Prophet sent of God, and was ordained by him to receive and hold the keys of the holy Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of God, . and power to build up the Kingdom of God upon the earth, to gather the House of Israel, to guide all who believe and obey to redemption, to restore that which has been lost through transgression—whosoever believes this, believing in the Lord, and obeying his commandments to the end of their lives, their names shall not be blotted out of the Lamb’s book of life, and they shall receive crowns of glory, immortality, and eternal life. This is for the nineteenth century, for the generation of people now living. 12:101. The Gospel of Life and Salvation—We have something more than morality alone to teach the people. What is it? It is how to redeem the human family. 19:47. I will now say to my friends,—and I call you all, and all mankind, friends, until you have proved yourselves, enemies,—you who do not belong to this Church, that we have got the Gospel of life and salvation. I do not say that we have a Gospel, but I say that we have the definite and only Gospel that ever was or ever will be that will save the children of men. 12:313. . It Takes the Whole Man to Make a Saint—There are no exceptions in “Mormonism.” Learn so to think and direct your acts in every transaction of life, that we may over- come the evil that is sown within us. Overcome the inward enemy; then we can overcome the Devil’s kingdom. And while others choose evil principles and build upon a founda- tion which leads to destruction, let us build upon the prin- ciples of eternal salvation, as we have striven to do all the day long. 7:66. The doctrines of salvation are the same now as they THE GOSPEL DEFINED 9 were in the days of Adam, or Elijah, or Jesus, when he was upon the earth. 5:229. We have brought the doctrine of life and salvation to you, that you may exchange your low, narrow, contracted, selfish dispositions for the ennobling Spirit of the Lord, for the Spirit of the Gospel, which gives joy and peace. If you enjoy that, your food will be sweet to you, your sleep will be refreshing, and your days will pass away in usefulness. Oo 1! We have as good a right to adopt tenets in our religion as the Church of England, or the Methodists, or Baptists, or any other denomination have in theirs. Our doctrine is a Bible doctrine, a patriarchal doctrine, and is the doctrine of the gods of eternity, and of the heavens, and was re- vealed to our fathers on the earth, and will save the world atelastes 2 3167; The revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ are sweeter than honey or the honeycomb. We can eat, and continue to eat; drink, and continue to drink. Is there durable satis- faction? Yes. I am in the height of my.enjoyment. All the pleasure and all the joy that can be bestowed upon a finite being is in the Gospel of salvation, through the Spirit of revelation, upon the creature—upon the Saint of God— old or young, male or female. Not that this comparison fully conveys the idea; for the language of mortals fails to fully portray the joys of the Gospel of life everlasting. $2139. We have the Gospel of life and salvation, to make bad men good and good men better. We are to preach, exhort expound, continue in our duty, be fervent in spirit, bearing and forbearing with our brethren, being filled with love and kindness. 8:130. 10 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG There is no freedom ‘anywhere outside the Gospel of salvation. 5:52. Offers Salvation to All—A few here and a few there will receive the truth, and the Lord will empty the earth of the wickedness that now dwells upon it. 8:195. ‘The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the opening avenue— the open gate in the road or way from earth to heaven, through which direct revelation comes to the children of men in their various capacities, according to their callings and standing in the society in which they live. The Gospel of salvation is a portion of the law that pertains to the kingdom where God resides; and the ordinances pertain- ing to the holy Priesthood are the means by which the children of men find access to the way of life, wherein they can extend their travels until they return to the presence of their Father and God. 8:159. _ “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to continue to be the sons of God.” Instead of receiving the Gospel to become the sons of God, my language would be—to receive the Gospel that we may continue to be the sons of God. Are we not all sons of God when we are born into this world? Old Pharaoh, King of Egypt, was just as much a son of God as Moses and Aaron were his sons, with this difference—he rejected the word of the Lord, the true light, and they received it. For “this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.” Then we receive not the Gospel that we may become the sons of God but that we may remain the sons of God without rebuke. Inasmuch as all had apostatized, they had to become the sons of God by adoption, still, originally, all were the sons of God. We receive the Gospel, not that we > THE GOSPEL DEFINED 11 may have our names written in the Lamb’s book of life, but that our names may not be blotted out of that book. “For,” saith the Lord, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed jin white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.” Why? Because he had overcome through his faithfulness. My doctrine is—that there never was a son and daughter of Adam and Eve born on this earth whose names were not already written in the Lamb’s book of life, and there they will remain until their conduct is such that the angel who keeps the record is authorized to blot them out and record them elsewhere. 12:100-101. In conversation not long since with a visitor who was about returning to the Eastern States, said he, “You, as a people, consider that you are perfect?’ “Oh, no;” said I, “not by any means. Let me define to you. The doctrine that we have embraced is perfect; but when we come to the people, we have just as many imperfections as you can ask for. We are not perfect; but the Gospel that we preach is calculated to perfect the people so that they can obtain a glorious resurrection and enter into the presence of the Father and the Son.” 11:304. Our motive is to make every man and woman to know “just as much as we do; this is the plan. of the Gospel, and this is what I would like to do. I would like all the Latter- day Saints to come up to this standard, and know as much as I do, and then just as much more as they can learn, and if they can get ahead of me, all right. 19:96. We declare it to all the inhabitants of the earth from the valleys in the tops of these mountains that we are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—not a church but the Church—and we have the doctrine of life and sal- vation for all the honest-in-heart in all the world. 12:173. 12 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG This Gospel will save the whole human family; the blood of Jesus will atone for our sins, if we accept the terms he has laid down; but we must accept those terms or else it will avail nothing in our behalf. A Guide in Daily Life—I reduce the Gospel to the pres- ent time, circumstances and condition of the people. 10:1. That system that brings present security and peace is the best to live by, and the best to die by; it is the best for doing business; it is the best for making farms, for building cities and temples, and that system is the law of God. But it requires strict obedience. The rule of right, and the line which God has drawn for the people to walk by insures peace, comfort, and happiness now and eternal glory and exaltation; but nothing short of strict obedience to God’s law will do this. 13:241. We do not allow ourselves to go into a field to plough without taking our religion with us; we do not go into an office, behind the counter to deal out goods, into a count- ing house with the books, or anywhere to attend to or trans- act any business without taking our religion with us. If we are railroading or on a pleasure trip our God and our religion must be with us. We are the most religious people in the world; but we are not so enthusiastic as some are. We have seen plenty of enthusiasm, but we do not care about it. Said I, “This shouting and singing one’s self away to everlasting bliss, may be all very well in its place, © but this alone is folly to me; my religion is to know the will of God and do it.” 14:118. With God, and also with those who understand the principles of life and salvation, the Priesthood, the oracles of truth and the gifts and callings of God to the children of men, there is no difference in spiritual and temporal THE GOSPEL DEFINED 13 labors—all are one. If I am in the line of my duty, I am doing the will of God, whether I am preaching, praying, laboring with my hands for an honorable support; whether I am in the field, mechanic’s shop, or following mercantile business, or wherever duty calls, 1 am serving God as much in one place as another; and so it is with all, each in his place, turn and time. 13:260. Our religion descends to the whole life of man, although some, sometimes, say, there is divine law, there is human law, and there are principles which pertain to our religion and there are principles which pertain to the philosophy of the world. But let me here say to you, that the philosophy. of the religion of heaven incorporates every truth that there is in heaven, on earth, or in hell. 15:125. My mission to the people is to teach them with regard to their every-day lives. I presume there are many here who have heard me say, years and years ago, that I cared very little about what will take place after the Millennium. Elders may preach long discourses concerning what took place in the days of Adam, what occurred before the crea- tion, and what will take place thousands of years from now, talking of things which have occurred or that will occur yet, of which they are ignorant, feeding the people on wind; but that is not my method of teaching. My desire is to teach the people what they should do now, and let the Mil- lennium take care of itself. To teach them to serve God and to build up his Kingdom is my mission. I have taught faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost. We are to be taught with regard to our every-day life in a tem- poral point of view. 12:228. Our religion incorporates every act and word of man. 14 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG No man should go to merchandising unless he does it in God; no man should go to farming or any other business unless he does it in the Lord. No man of council should sit to judge the people but what should judge in the Lord, that he may righteously and impartially discern between right and wrong, truth and error, light and darkness, jus- tice and injustice. Should any legislature sit without the Lord? If it do, sooner or later it will fall to pieces. No nation ever did live that counseled and transacted its na- tional affairs without the Lord, but what sooner or later went to pieces and came to naught. The same is true of all the nations that now live or ever will live. 13:60. This Gospel is full of good sense, judgment, discretion ~ and intelligence. 14:17. ‘No matter how true and beautiful truth is, you have to take the passions of the people and mould them to the law Diarotl= 7 399: A Fountain of Truth—The Gospel is a fountain of truth, and truth is what we are after. We have embraced the truth—namely, the Gospel of the Son of God. Its first prin- ciples are to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, to repent of our sins, then go down into the waters of baptism for the remission of our sins, and have hands laid upon us for the reception of the Holy Ghost, which will lead us into all truth? 12.268. Truth will abide when error passes away. Life will remain when they who have rejected the words of eternal life are swallowed up in death. I like the truth because it is true, because it is lovely and delightful, because it is so glorious in its nature, and so worthy the admiration, faith and consideration of all intelligent beings in heaven or on the earth. Should I be hated and my name cast out as THE GOSPEL DEFINED | 15 evil because I love the truth? Yes, or the words of Jesus could not be fulfilled, for he said, “Ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.” He told his disciples to rejoice evermore and to pray without ceasing when they were held in derision by their enemies, and to lift up their heads and rejoice when all men spoke evil of them, for “behold your redemption draweth nigh.” 13:216. To me it is more rational for an intelligent being to embrace truth, than it is to mix up a little truth with a great deal of error, or to embrace all error and undertake to follow a phantom. 13:235. Some who call themselves Christians are very tenacious with regard to the Universalians, yet the latter possess many excellent ideas and good truths. Have the Catholics? Yes, a great many very excellent truths. Have the Protest- ants? Yes, from first to last. Has the infidel? Yes, he has a good deal of truth; and truth is all over the earth. The earth could not stand but for the light and truth it contains. "The people could not abide were it not that truth holds them. It is the Fountain of truth that feeds, clothes, and gives light and intelligence to the inhabitants of the earth, no matter whether they are saints or sinners. Do you think there is any truth in hell? Yes, a great deal, and where truth is there we calculate the Lord has a right to be. You will not find the Lord where there is no truth. 12:70. If you love the truth you can remember it. 3:358. Again, what do you love truth for?’ Is it because you can discover a beauty in it, because it is congenial to you; or because you think it will make you a ruler, or a Lord? If you conceive that you will attain to power upon such a motive, you are much mistaken. It is a trick of the unseen power, that is abroad amongst the inhabitants of the earth, 16 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG that leads them astray, binds their minds, and subverts their understanding. Suppose that our Father in heaven, our Elder Brother, : the risen Redeemer, the Savior of the world, or any of the gods of eternity should act upon this principle, to love truth, knowledge, and wisdom, because they are all power- ful, and by the aid of this power they could send devils to hell, torment the people of the earth, exercise sovereignty over them, and make them miserable at their pleasure; they would cease to be Gods; and as fast as they adopted and acted upon such principles, they would become devils, and be thrust down in the twinkling of an eye; the extension of their kingdom would cease, and their Godhead come to an end. No man can disprove a truth. 8:132. What do you know on natural principles? I do not say natural philosophy, because my religion is natural philos- ophy. You never heard me preach a doctrine but what has a natural system to it, and, when understood, is as easy to comprehend as that two and two equal four. All the revelations of the Lord Almighty to the children of men, and all revealed doctrines of salvation are upon natural principles, upon natural philosophy. When I use this term, I use it as synonomous with the plan of salvation; natural philosophy is the plan of salvation, and the plan of salva- tion is natural philosophy. 4:202. Our doctrine*and practice is, and [ have made it mine through life—to receive truth no matter where it comes from. 14:160. When we demonstrate a truth, we demonstrate a por- tion of the faith, law, or power by which all intelligent be- ings exist, whether in heaven or on earth, consequently THE GOSPEL DEFINED 17 when we have truth in our possession we have so much of the knowledge of God. I delight in this, because truth is calculated to sustain itself; it is based upon eternal facts and will endure, while all else will, sooner or later, perish. 143115. All truth is worthy and worth possessing. 19:39. How easy it is to live by the truth. Did you ever think of it, my friends? Did you ever think of it, my brethren and sisters? In every circumstance of life, no matter whether among the humble or lofty, truth is always the surest guide and the easiest to square our lives by. 14:76. Be willing to receive the truth, let it come from whom it may; no difference, not a particle. Just as soon receive the Gospel from Joseph Smith as from Peter, who lived in the days of Jesus. Receive it from one man as soon as another. If God has called an individual and sent him to preach the Gospel that is enough for me to know; it is no matter who it is, all I want is to know the truth. 14:136. All truth is for the salvation of the children of men— ~ for the benefit and learning—for their furtherance in the principles of divine knowledge; and divine knowledge is any matter of fact—truth; and all truth pertains to divinity. 7 :284. We Need a Practical Religion—I am preaching to you practical religion. 13:155. I am decidedly in favor of practical religion—of every- day useful life. And if I today attend to what devolves upon me to do, and then do that which presents itself to- morrow, and so on, when eternity comes I will be prepared to enter on the things of eternity. But I would not be prepared for that sphere of action, unless I could manage 2 18 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG the things that are now within my reach. You must all learn to do this. 5:3. I still feel to urge upon the Latter-day Saints the neces- sity of a close application of the principles of the Gospel in our lives, conduct and words and all that we do; and it requires the whole man, the whole life to be devoted to improvement in order to come to knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. Herein is the fulness of perfection. It was couched in the character of our Savior; although but a scanty portion of it was made manifest to the people, in consequence of their not being able to receive it. All they were prepared to receive he gave them. All we are pre- pared to receive the Lord gives us; all that the nations of the earth are prepared to receive he imparts unto them. 12825 5-290: On reading carefully the Old and New Testaments we can discover that the majority of the revelations given to mankind anciently were in regard to their daily duties; we follow in the same path. The revelations contained in the Bible and the Book of Mormon are examples to us, and the book of Doctrine and Covenants contains direct revelation to this Church; they are a guide to us, and we do not wish to do them away; we do not want them to become obsolete and to set them aside. We wish to continue in the revela- tions of the Lord Jesus Christ day by day, and to have his Spirit with us continually. If we can do this, we shall no more walk in darkness but we shall walk in the light of life. 10:284. If we wish to enjoy the Spirit of Zion, we must live for it. Our religion is not merely theory; it is a practical religion, to bring present enjoyment to every heart. 8:33. At times when I think of addressing you, it occurs to THE GOSPEL DEFINED 19 me that strict sermonizing upon topics pertaining to the distant future, or reviewing the history of the past, will doubtless please and highly interest a portion of my hearers; but my judgment and the spirit of intelligence that is in me teach that, by taking such a course, the people would not be instructed pertaining to their every-day duties. For this reason, I do not feel impressed to instruct you on duties to be performed a hundred years hence, but rather to give those instructions pertaining to the present, to our daily walk-and conversation, that we may know how to benefit ourselves under the passing time, and present priv- ileges, and be able to lay a foundation for future happiness. Suet The work of building up Zion is in every sense a prac-— tical work; it is not a mere theory. A theoretical religion amounts to very little real good or advantage to any person. To possess an inheritance in Zion or in Jerusalem only in theory—only in imagination—would be the same as having no inheritance at all. It is necessary to get a deed of it, to make an inheritance practical, substantial and profit- able. Then let us not rest contented with a mere theoreti- cal religion, but let it be practical, self-purifying and self- sustaining, keeping the love of God within us, walking by every precept, by every law, and by every word that is given to lead us. 9:284. The religion of Jesus. Christ is a matter-of-fact religion, and taketh hold of the every-day duties and realities of this ite 1:133; I am in the hands of the Lord, and never trouble my- self about my salvation, or what the Lord will do with me hereafter. It is for me to do the will of God today, and when tomorrow comes, to inquire what is his will con- 20 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG cerning me; then do the will of my Father in the work he has appointed me to do, and that is enough for me. I am serving a God who will give me all I merit, when I come to receive my reward. ‘This is what I have always thought; and if I still think so, it is enough for me. 6:276. Temporal Labors are Necessary—In the mind of God there is no such a thing as dividing spiritual from temporal, or.temporal from spiritual; for they are one in the Lord. 11:18. The brethren have been talking about temporal things. We cannot talk about spiritual things without connecting with them temporal things, neither can we talk about tem- poral things without connecting spiritual things with them. They are inseparably connected. 10:329. I cannot, however, define any difference between tem- poral and spiritual labors. I call it spiritual to accommo- date my language to the ideas of the people. Anything that pertains to the building up of the Lord’s kingdom on earth, whether it be in preaching the Gospel or building temples to his name, we have been taught to consider a spiritual work, though it evidently requires the strength of the nat- ural body to perform it. 2:95. | Be wise: be as wise as the generations of this world. In the days of Jesus, those who received the kingdom and ~ the spirit of the kingdom seemed to lose all sight of a tem- poral salvation; and Jesus said to his disciples, “The chil- dren of this world are wiser in their generations than the children of light.” The children of light did not know how to sustain themselves; they did not understand how to pre- serve themselves and the kingdom with them. 4:343. If you cannot provide for your natural lives, how can you expect to have wisdom to obtain eternal lives? God / THE GOSPEL DEFINED 21 has given you your existence—your body and spirit, and has blest you with ability, and thereby laid the founda- tion of all knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, and all glory and eternal lives. If you have not attained ability to provide for your natural wants, and for a wife and a few children, what have you to do with heavenly things? 8:68. We cannot even enter the temple when it is built, and perform those ordinances which lead to spiritual blessings, ‘ without performing a temporal labor. Temporal ordinances must be performed to secure the spiritual blessings the Great Supreme has in store for his faithful children. Every act is first a temporal act. The Apostle says, faith comes by hearing. What should be heard to produce faith? The preaching of the Word. For that we must have a preacher; and he is not an invisible spirit, but a temporal, ordinary man like ourselves, and subject to the same regulations and rules of life. To preach the Gospel is a temporal labor, and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is the result of a tem- poral labor. To be baptized is a temporal labor, both to the _ person administered to and the administrator. I dm a liv- ing witness to the truth of this statement, for I have made my feet sore many a time, and tired myself out traveling and preaching, that by hearing the Gospel the people might have faith. The blessings we so earnestly desire will come to us by performing the manual labor required, and thus preparing all things necessary to receive the invisible bless- ings Jehovah has for his children. 9:240. . There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. All things are natural, and all are spiritual. Every duty of life, no matter what it is, every requirement necessary to sustain and exalt man, is incorporated in the Kingdom of God and in the ordinances of his house—in the duties God 22 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG requires of his children. It is all in the Church and King- dom of our God. “What! our labor?” Yes. I sometimes take the liberty of preaching upon economy to this people. Perhaps some are inclined to think that in so doing I tran- scend my own duties and obligations. I do not. I instruct the husbandman how to till his farm, because I know and | understand the nature of the elements that produce grain better than he does. I know how he should prepare the elements for the seed to produce the increase which he desires in the things necessary to sustain himself and fam- ily. It is my duty to instruct my brethren, if I understand my branch of business better than they do. If I understand how to make myself comfortable—if I understand better than others do the organization of the elements God has given us ability to operate with for our benefit, it is my duty to instruct them. Here are the elements. They are not made in vain, but are made for the benefit, comfort, convenience, and happiness of God’s children. The principles of eternity and eternal exaltation are of no use to us, unless they are brought down to our capacities so that we practice them in our lives. 4:28. We Need a Present, Every-day Religion—My religion must be with me from one Monday morning to the next, the year around, or it will not answer me. 1:338. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is given in the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, the book of Doc- trine and Covenants, and in the experience of every true Christian who has lived and still lives upon the earth, teaches that it is the privilege of every Saint so to live and walk before their God, as to enjoy the light of the spirit of truth-from day to day, from week to week, and from year to year, through their whole lives. Without this privilege THE GOSPEL DEFINED - 23 in the Gospel, connected with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, I should be inclined to believe that the religion that is taught in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon, would amount to nothing more than a mere phantom—an imag- inary thing. It would be inadequate to satisfy, in any de- gree, the mind of man, as it is now organized. 1:233. Were it not that our bodies have to be fed and clothed, I would propose that we tarry here a few months, to give all a chance to speak, to exhort, to pray, to prophesy, to sing, to speak in tongues, or to do whatsoever the Spirit should manifest unto them. But our work is a work of the present. The salvation we are seeking is for the pres- ent, and sought correctly, it can be obtained, and be con- tinually enjoyed. If it continues to-day, it is upon the same principle that it will continue to-morrow, the next day, the next week, or the next year, and, we might say, the next Seregiitys = tol: It is present salvation and the present influence of the Holy Ghost that we need every day to keep us on saving eround. When an individual refuses to comply with the further requirements of Heaven, then the sins he had form- erly committed return upon his head; his former righteous- ness departs from him, and is not accounted to him for righteousness; but if he had continued in righteousness and obedience ta the requirements of Heaven, he is saved all the time, through baptism, the laying on of hands, and obey- ing the commandments of the Lord and all that is required . of him by the heavens—the living oracles. He is saved now, next week, next year, and continually, and is pre- ' pared for the celestial kingdom of God whenever the time comes for him to inherit it. 8:124. _ There is no life more precious than the present life which 24 ‘DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG we enjoy; there is no life that is worth any more to us than this life is. It may be said that an eternal life is worth more. We are in eternity, and all that we have to do is to take the road that leads into the eternal lives. Eternal life is an inherent quality of the creature, and nothing but sin can put.a termination to it. The elements in their nature are as eternal as are the gods. Let us learn, under the guid- ance and direction of Heaven, how to use these eternal ele- ments for the building up, establishment and sending forth, of the Kingdom of God, gathering up the poor in heart to begin with, and the further things we will learn as we progress... 10:22. I wish to urge upon the people the necessity of know- ing what to do with their present life, which pertains more particularly to temporalities. The very object of our ex- istence here is to handle the temporal elements of this world and subdue the earth, multiplying those organisms of plants and animals God has designed shall dwell upon it. When we have learned to live according to the full value of the life we now possess, we are prepared for eternal advance- ment in the scale of eternal progression—for a more glo- rious and exalted sphere. 9:168. Tradition has taught us that the great purpose of relig- ion is to prepare people to die; that when they have passed through a change of heart, become converted, then they are ready for glory at any moment and to dwell with the Father and the Son in the heavens to all eternity. 'This is a mis- take; for they have to improve, become substantially changed from bad to good, from sin to holiness, here or somewhere else, before they are prepared for the society they anticipate enjoying. They would not be nearly so well prepared for the society of the sanctified in heaven as a per- THE GOSPEL DEFINED 25 son brought up in the lowest classes of society would be prepared to present properly and conduct himself among the highest and most polished grades of mankind. Those who are counted worthy to dwell with the Father and the Son have previously received an education fitting them for that society; they have been made fully acquainted with every pass-word, token and sign which has enabled them to pass by the porters through the doors into the celestial kingdom. 10:172. I want present salvation. I preach, comparatively, but little about the eternities and Gods, and their wonderful works in eternity; and do not tell who first made them, nor how they were made; for I know nothing about that. Life is for us, and it is for us to receive it today, and not wait for the Millennium. Let us take a course to be saved today, and, when evening comes, review the acts of the day, repent of our sins, if we have any to repent of, and say our pray- ers; then we can lie down and sleep in peace until the morning, arise with gratitude to God, commence the labors ' of another day, and strive to live the whole day to God and nobody else. 8:124. We Must Learn to Support Ourselves—I am under ob- ligation to take a course which will sustain life within my- self and others, on rational principles, without any special manifestation from God. 14:111. I have tried continually to get this people to pursue a course that will make them self-sustaining, taking care of their poor, the lame, the halt and the blind, lifting the igno- rant from where they have no opportunity of observing the ways of the world, and of understanding the common knowl- edge possessed among the children of men, bringing them together from the four quarters of the world, and making 26 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG of them an intelligent, thrifty and self-sustaining people. 123195. | My warfare is, and has been for years, to get the people to understand that if they: do not take care of themselves they will not be taken care of; that if we do not lay the foundation to feed and clothe and shelter ourselves we shall perish with hunger and with cold; we might also suffer in the summer season from the direct rays of the sun upon our naked and unprotected bodies. . 10:200. I see more and more that there are but very few men and women that are even capable of taking care of them- selves temporally. 4:314. CHAPTER. II THE GODHEAD Our Father in Heaven—Let every person be the friend of God. 4:372. Some believe or conceive the idea that to know God would lessen him in our estimation; but I can say that for me to understand any principle or being, on earth or in heaven, it does not lessen its true value to me, but on the contrary, it increases it; and the more I can know of God, the dearer and more precious he is to me, and the more exalted are my feelings towards him. 13:57. There is a Power that has organized all things from the crude matter that floats in the immensity of space.i He has given form, motion and life to this material world; has made the great and small lights that bespangle the firma- ment above; has allotted to them their times and their sea- sons, and has marked out their spheres. He has caused the air and the waters to teem with life, and covered the hills and plains with creeping things, and has made man to be -a ruler over his creations. All these wonders are the works of the Almighty Ruler of the universe, in whom we believe and whom we worship. 11:120. All the creations are his work, and they are for his elory and for the benefit of the children of men; and all things are put into the possession of man for his comfort, improvement and consolation, and for his health, wealth. beauty and excellency. 13:151. . He is a God of system, order, law, ‘science, and art; a God of knowledge and of power. 13:309. He is the Father, God, Savior, Maker, Preserver, and — 28 - DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Redeemer of man. He holds in his hands the issue of all things and will judge every man according to his works. 3 :259-260. God is the source, the fountain of all intelligence, no matter who ‘possesses it, whether man upon the earth, the spirits in the spirit-world, the angels that dwell in the eter- nities of the Gods, or the most inferior intelligence among the devils in hell. All have derived what intelligence, light, power, and existence they have from God—from the same - source from which we have received ours. 8:205. Every good and perfect gift cometh from God. Every discovery in science and art, that is really true and useful to mankind has been given by direct revelation from God, though but few acknowledge it. It has been given with a view to prepare the way for the ultimate triumph of truth, and the redemption of the earth from the power of sin and Satan. We should take advantage of all these great dis- coveries, the accumulated wisdom of ages, and give to our children the benefit of every branch of useful knowledge, to prepare them to step forward and efficiently do their part in the great work. 9:369. He is our Heavenly Father; he is also our God, and the Maker and upholder of all things in heaven and on earth. He sends forth his counsels and extends his provi- dences to all living. He is the Supreme Controller of the universe. At his rebuke the sea is dried up, and the rivers become a wilderness. He measures the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meteth out heaven with a span, and com- prehendeth the dust of the earth in a measure, and weigheth the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance; the na- tions to him are as a drop in a bucket, and he taketh up the isles as a very little thing; the hairs of our heads are num- ~ THE GODHEAD . 29 bered by him, and not a sparrow falleth to the ground with-_ out our Father; and he knoweth every thought and intent of the hearts of all living, for he is everywhere present by the power of his Spirit—his minister, the Holy Ghost. He is the Father of all, is above all, through all, and in you all; he knoweth all things pertaining to this earth, and he knows all things pertaining to millions of earths like this. 11:41. Whether they make good or bad use of it, all power is ordained of God and is in his hand. He sets up a king- dom here, and pulls down another there at his pleasure. He breaks the nations like a potter’s vessel; he forms a nucleus, and around it builds up a kingdom or nation, per- mitting the people to act upon their own agency, that they may do wright, or corrupt themselves, as did the Children of Israel; and after they have become ripe for destruction. they will be scattered to the four winds. If the people of God in ancient days had continued holy they would have continued in power and authority to this day. 7:148. If there is anything that is great and good and wise among men, it cometh from God. If there are men who possess great ability as statesmen, or as philosophers, or who possess remarkable scientific knowledge and skill, the credit thereof belongs to God, for he dispenses it to his children whether they believe in him or not, or whether they sin against him or not; it makes no difference; but all will have to account to him for the way and manner in which they have used the talents committed unto them. If we believe the plain, broad statements of the Bible, we must believe that Jesus Christ is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world; none are exempt. 143123: 30 ' DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG The fulness of the heavens and the earth is the Lord’s— the gold and the silver, the wheat, the fine flour, and the cattle upon a thousand hills; and when we fully under- stand his works, we shall know that he is in all the earth. and fulfils his will among the children of men, exalting and debasing them according to his pleasure, for the systems, creeds, thrones, and kingdoms of the world are all under his control. 1:49. We believe that God is round about all things, above all things, in all things, and through all things: To tell about empty space is to tell of a space where God is not, and where the wicked might safely hide from his presence. There is not such a thing as empty space. 1:276. He is compassionate to all the works of his hands, the plan of his redemption, and salvation, and mercy is stretched out over all; and his plans are to gather up, and bring together, and save all the inhabitants of the earth, with the exception of those who have received the Holy Ghost, and sinned against it. With this exception, all the world besides shall be saved. 3:92. When the Lord fights the battles of the Saints, he does it so effectually that nobody gets nervous but the enemy. BEOeny No person deceives the Lord. 16:163. It is written that God knows all things and has all power. He has the rule and command of this earth, and is the Father of all the human beings that have lived, do live and will live upon it. If any of his children become heirs to all things, they in their turn can say, by-and-by, that they know all things, and they will be called Supreme, Almighty, King of kings, Lord of lords. All this and more that cannot enter into our hearts to conceive is promised to - THE GODHEAD . Jk the faithful, and are but so many stages in that ceaseless progression of eternal lives. This will not detract anything from the glory and might of our Heavenly Father. For he will still remain our Father, and we shall still be subject to him, and as we progress in glory and power, the more it enhances the glory and power of our Heavenly Father. This principle holds good in either state, whether mortal or immortal. 10:5. All that the Lord requires of us is a perfect submission in our hearts to his will. 18:238. The Lord gives us little by little and is ever willing to give us more and more, even the fulness, when our hearts are prepared to receive all the truths of heaven. This is what the Lord desires, what he would delight in doing, for his children. 18:217. Our Father in heaven wishes us to preserve that which he gives to us. 9:169. He presides over the worlds on worlds that illuminate this little planet, and millions on millions of worlds that we cannot see; and yet he looks upon the minutest object of his creations; not one of these creatures escapes his notice; and there is not one of them but his wisdom and power has produced. 1:39. I believe in a God who has power to exalt and glorify all who believe in him, and are faithful in serving him to the end of their lives, for this make them Gods, even the sons of God, and in this sense also there are Gods many, but to us there is but one God, and one Lord Jesus Christ— one Savior who came in the meridian of time to redeem the earth and the children of men from the original sin that was committed by our first parents, and bring to pass the resto- ration of all things through his death and suffering, open S2F DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG wide to all believers the gates of life and salvation and exaltation to the presence of the Father and the Son to dwell with them for evermore. 11:122. As I said once to my brethren in the School of the Prophets, I have not asked you, I dare not ask you to fulfil almost the first requirement of the Kingdom of Heaven, almost the simplest principle, and one of the first things that should be observed. I have not asked the people to perform this great labor, I will say it is a great labor, and - if I were to refer it to you, you would say the same. You may ask what it is? It is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself. Now, is this not almost one of the first requirements that God has made of his peeple? And I have not yet required it of the people. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and then speak evil of thy neighbor? No! No! Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and speak that which is not true? No, oh, no! Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and take that which is not thy own? No, no, no! Love the Lord thy God with | all thy heart, and seek after the riches of the world and for- sake your religion? No! Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and take his name in vain, curse and swear? No, never! If the love of God was really in the hearts of all who call themselves Latter-day Saints, there would be no more swearing, no more lying, no more deceiving, no more speaking evil of one another, no more running after the un- godly nor dealing with the enemies of Zion, no more run- ning after the gold mines; nothing would be sought after, only to build up the Kingdom of God. This we have not yet asked. But we do ask some things. Let us forsake those sins that are so grievous, and let us try to do right before the Heavens and with each other. 12:229. THE GODHEAD 3a He has not committed the keys of the results of the acts of the nations of the earth to any man on the earth; but that power he retains to himself. 8:31. What is commonly termed idolatry has arisen from a few sincere men, full of faith and having a little knowledge, urging upon a backsliding people to preserve some cus- toms—to cling to some fashions or figures, to put them in mind of that God with whom their fathers were acquainted, without designing or wishing the people to worship an idol —to worship stocks, stones, beasts, and birds. Idols have been introduced, which are now worshiped, and have been for centuries and thousands of years; but they were not in- troduced at once. They were introduced to preserve among the people the idea of the true God. 6:194. We are nothing, only what the Lord makes us. 5 :343. Cease bringing the names of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ into disrespect and learn to reverence those names. 7:147, The Lord operates upon the principles of continuing to organize, of adding to, gathering up, bringing forth, in- creasing and spreading abroad; while the opposite power does not. It shows the nature of his opposition to that peculiar trait of Christianity, based upon the principles of eternal duration, increase, power, glory, and exaltation; and points out the difference between the two adverse powers. 1:117. Unless God blesses our exertions we shall have nothing. It is the Lord that gives the increase. 3:331. The God that I serve is progressing eternally, and so are his children: they will increase to all eternity, if they are faithful. 11:286. It is written, “Prove all things, hold fast that which is 34 - DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG good.” Refuse evil, choose good, hate iniquity, love truth. All this our fathers have done before us; I do not particu- larly mean Father Adam, or his Father; I do not particularly mean Abraham, or Moses, the Prophets, or Apostles, but I mean our fathers who have been exalted for millions of years previous to Adam’s time. They have ail passed through the same ordeals we are now passing through, and have searched all things, even to the depths of hell. 9:243. The great architect, manager and superintendent, con- troller and dictator who guides this work is out of sight to our natural eyes. He lives on another world; he is in an- other state of existence; he has passed the ordeals we are now passing through; he has received an experience, has suffered and enjoyed, and knows all that we know regard- ing the toils, sufferings, life and death of this mortality, for he has passed through the whole of it, and has received his crown and exaltation and holds the keys and the power of this Kingdom; he sways his scepter, and does his will among the children of men, among Saints and among sinners, and brings forth results to suit his purpose among kingdoms and nations and empires, that all may redound to his glory and to the perfection of his work. 11:249. How many Gods there are, I do not know. But there never was a time when there were not Gods and worlds, and when men were not passing through the same ordeals that we are now passing through. That course has been from all eternity, and it is and will be to all eternity. You cannot comprehend this but when you can, it will be to you. a matter of great consolation. 7 :333. Wherever the human family dwell upon the face of the earth, whether they are savage or civilized, there is a desire implanted within them to worship a great Supreme Ruler, THE GODHEAD 35 and not knowing him they suppose that through offering worship and sacrifice to their idols they can conciliate his anger which they think they see manifested in the thunder, in the lightning, in the storm, in the floods, in the reverses of war, in the hand of death, etc., etc.; thus they try to woo his protection and his blessing for victory over their en- emies, and at the termination of this life for a place in the heaven their imaginations have created, or tradition has handed down to them. I have much charity for this portion of the human family called heathens or idolators; they have made images to represent to their eyes a power which they cannot see, and desire to worship a Supreme Being through the figure which they have made. 11:120. We believe in one God, one Mediator and one Holy Ghost. We cannot believe for a moment that God 1s desti- tute of body, parts, passions, or attributes. Attributes can be made manifest only through an organized personage, All attributes are couched in and are the results of organized existence. 10:192, The Lord is perfectly independent. He has received his glory, he reigns supreme and omnipotent. He is not de- pendent upon you and me. If every one of us should apos- _ tatize and go down to hell, it would neither add to nor di- minish from his glory. He would mourn at our folly in turning away from the holy commandments and suffering the wrath of the Almighty to come upon us; the heavens would weep over us, but still the Lord has his glory, and you and I are not laboring for his benefit. For whose benefit are we laboring? For our own. All my preaching, laboring and toils in this Kingdom have been for myself, to get into the Celestial Kingdom of God. I have been labor- ing for that and nothing else, 13:315. 36 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Read the history of any kingdom or nation, and trace through all the channels from the history of nations and kingdoms to that of families and individuals who have not known God nor observed his commandments, and you will find that sorrow and disappointment have been intimately mingled in all the gaiety, luxuries, and pretended enjoy- ments of their mortal lives. They have found a bitter sting in their happiest moments and a deadly poison in their cups. 6:39, There is no influence, truth, or righteousness in the world, only what flows from God our Father in the heavens. 52/8: Personality and Fatherhood of God—Some would have us believe that God is present everywhere. It is not so. He is no more everywhere present in person than the Father and Son are one in person. 6:345. God is considered to be everywhere present at the same moment; and the Psalmist says, “Whither shall I flee from thy presence?” He is present with all his creations through his influence, through his government, spirit and power, but he himself is a personage of tabernacle, and we are made after his likeness. 10:319. Our God and Father in Heaven, is a being of tabernacle, or, in other words, he has a body, with parts the same as you and I have; and is capable of showing forth his works to organized beings, as, for instance, in the world in which we live, it is the result of the knowledge and infinite wis- dom that dwell in his organized body. His Son Jesus Christ has become a personage of tabernacle, and has a body like his Father. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Lord, and issues forth from himself, and may properly be called God’s minister to execute his will in immensity ; {HE GODHEAD 37 being called to govern by his influence and power; but he is not a person of flesh as we are, and as our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ are. 1:50. The Kingdom of God on earth is a living, moving, effec- tive institution, and is governed, controlled, dictated and led by the invisible God whom we serve who is an exalted, living being, possessing body, parts and passions, who lis- tens to the prayers of his Saints, is a reasonable, merciful and intelligent being, who is filled with knowledge and wis- dom, who is full of light and glory, and the foundations of whose throne are laid in eternal truth; whose personal form is perfect in proportion and beauty. He loves the good, and is angry with the wicked every day as it is written in the Scriptures. He hates the evil that is done by evil doers, and is merciful to the repenting sinner. He is beloved by, all who know him for the attributes he possesses in and of him- self, in common with all glorified beings who now dwell with him, and who will yet be glorified and crowned with crowns of glory, immortality and eternal lives. 11:251. It must be that God knows something about temporal things, and has had a body and been on an earth. Were it not so, he would not know how to judge men righteously, according to the temptations and sin they have had to con- tend with. 4:271. Our Father in Heaven begat all the spirits that ever were, or ever will be, upon this earth; and they were born spirits in the eternal world. Then the Lord by his power and wisdom organized the mortal tabernacle of man. We were made first spiritual, and afterwards temporal. 1:50. He is our Father; he is our God, the Father of our spirits; he is the framer of our bodies, and set the machine in successful operation to bring forth these tabernacles that 38 | _ DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG I now look upon in this building, and all that ever did or ever will live on the face of the whole earth. 13:250. The Apostles and Prophets, when speaking of our rela- tionship to God,-say that we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone, God is our Father, and Jesus Christ is our Elder Brother, and both are our everlasting friends. 6:332. The kingdoms he possesses and rules over are his own progeny. Every man who is faithful and gets a salvation and glory, and becomes a King of kings and Lord of lords, or a Father of fathers, it will be by the increase of his own progeny. Our Father and God rules over his own chil- dren. Wherever there is a God in all the eternities possess- ing a kingdom and glory and power it is by means of his own progeny. 11 :262. | Many have tried to penetrate to the First Cause of all things; but it would be as easy for an ant to number the grains of sand on the earth. It is not for man, with his limited intelligence, to grasp eternity in his comprehension. There is an eternity of life, from which we were composed by the wisdom and skill of Superior Beings. It would be as easy for a gnat to trace the history of man back to his origin as for man to fathom the First Cause of all things, lift the veil of eternity, and reveal the mysteries that have been sought after by philosophers from the beginning. What then, should be the calling and duty of the children of men? Instead of inquiring after the origin of Gods—instead of trying to explore the depths of eternities that have been, that are, and that will be, instead of endeavoring to discover the boundaries of boundless space, let them seek to know the object of their present existence, and how to apply, in the most profitable manner for their mutual good and sal- vation, the intelligence they possess. JI.et them seek to 2 THE GODHEAD Rie) know and thoroughly understand things within their reach. and to make themselves well acquainted with the object of their being here, by diligently seeking unto a super-power for information and by the careful study of the best books. 7 :284-5., | God has given this great variety of intelligence. He has also given this great variety of forms—that eternal variety which we see upon this earth, not only among hu- man beings, but in every class of all the creations of God; and they are all designed to be preserved to all eternity. None of them were made to be destroyed, except those that do not abide the law given them. 8:8. I now see before me beings who are in the image of those heavenly personages who are enthroned in glory and crowned with eternal lives in the very image of those beings who organized the earth and its fulness, and who constitute the Godhead. 9:246. } The Son of God—Our faith is concentrated in the Son of God, and through him in the Father; and the Holy Ghost is their minister to bring truths to our remembrance, to re- veal new truths to us, and teach, guide, and direct the course of every mind, until we become perfected and pre- pared to go home, where we can see and converse with our Father in Heaven. 6:98. The Latter-day Saints believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, who came in the meridian of time, performed his work, suffered the penalty and paid the debt of man’s original sin by offering up himself, was res- urrected from the dead, and ascended to his Father; and as Jesus descended below all things, so he will ascend above all things. We believe that Jesus Christ will come again, as it is written of him: “And while they looked AO DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” 11:123. Jesus is our captain and leader; Jesus, the Savior of the world—the Christ that we believe in. 14:118. I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Re- deemer of the world; I have obeyed his sayings, and real- ized his promise, and the knowledge I have of him, the wis- dom of this world cannot give, neither can it take away. 12503 My faith is placed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and my knowledge I have received from him. 3:155. Our Lord Jesus Christ—the Savior, who has redeemed the world and all things pertaining to it, is the Only Be- gotten of the Father pertaining to the flesh. He is our Elder Brother, and the Heir of the family, and as such we worship him. He has tasted death for every man, and has paid the debt contracted by our first parents. 12:69. None of them have power to produce themselves. Jesus Christ is the Heir of this vast family. He said that he had power to lay down his life and take it up again; but he had no more power to produce his life, in the beginning of his existence, than we have. Every human being is en- dowed, more or less, with eternal intelligence, with the germ of life everlasting, of glory immortal. 8:153. He did nothing of himself. He wrought miracles and performed a good work on the earth; but of himself he did nothing. He said, “As I have seen my Father do, so do I.” “T came not to do my will, but the will of him that sent me.” We must come to the conclusion that the Son of THE GODHEAD 41 God did not suggest, dictate, act, or produce any manifesta- tion of his power, of his glory, or of his errand upon the earth, only as it came from the mind and will of his Father. 6:96. The Lord has revealed to us a plan by which we may be saved both here and hereafter. God has done everything we could ask, and more than we could ask. The errand of Jesus to earth was to bring his brethren and sisters back into the presence of the Father; he has done his part of the work, and it remains for us to do ours. ‘There is not one thing that the Lord could do for the salvation of the human family that he has neglected to do; and it remains for the children of men to receive the truth or reject it; all that can be accomplished for their salvation, independent of them, has been accomplished in and by the Savior. It has been justly remarked this afternoon that “Jesus paid the debt; he atoned for the original sin; he came and suf- fered and died on the cross.” He is now King of kings and Lords of lords, and the time will come when every knee will bow and every tongue confess, to the glory of God the Father, that Jesus is the Christ. That very character that was looked upon, not as the Savior, but as an outcast, who was crucified between two thieves and treated with scorn and derision, will be greeted by all men as the only Being through whom they can obtain salvation. 13:59. Jesus was appointed, from the beginning, to die for our redemption, and he suffered an excruciating death on the BrOssapoet Lo: . He has died to redeem it, and he is the lawful heir per- taining to this earth. Jesus will continue to reign with his Father, and is dictated by his Father in all his acts and ruling and governing in the building up and overthrow of 42 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG nations, to make the wrath of man praise him, until he brings all into subjection to his will and government. And when he has subdued all his enemies, destroyed death and him that hath the power.of death, and perfected his work, he will deliver up the kingdom spotless to his Father. 7 :144. The character we have been hearing of is our Savior and Redeemer, the Savior of the whole world of mankind, and ‘of all creatures pertaining to the earth, and the earth itself, for all will be redeemed by the blood of the Son of God. 14 :130. The moment the atonement of the Savior is done away, that moment, at one sweep, the hopes of salvation enter- tained by the Christian world are destroyed, the founda- tion of their faith is taken away, and there is nothing left for them to stand upon. When it is gone all the revelations God ever gave to the Jewish nation, to the Gentiles, and to us are rendered valueless, and all hope is taken from us at one sweep. 14:41. The knowledge of the character of the Only Begotten of the Father comes to us through the testimony, not of dis- interested witnesses, but of his friends, those who were most especially and deeply interested for their own welfare, and the welfare of their brethren. We have no testimony concerning the Savior’s character and works, only from those who were thus interested in his welfare and success, and in the building up of his kingdom. It has been often said, if a disinterested witness would testify that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, many might believe his testi- mony; but no person could be believed, by any intelligent person, who would testify to a matter of such importance, and who would still view it as a thing in which he had no interest. But they who are interested, who know the THE GODHEAD : 43 worth of that man and understand the spirit and the power of his mission, and the character of the Being that sent and ordained him, are the proper persons to testify of the truth of his mission, and they are the most interested of any living upon the earth. So it was with those who bore wit- ness of the Savior, and of his mission on the earth. 11:41. The Latter-day Saints and every other person who is entitled to salvation, and all except those who have sinned against the Holy Ghost, may know that Jesus is the Christ in the same way that Peter knew it. Miracles-do not give this knowledge to mankind, though they may serve as col- lateral evidence to strengthen the believer. The miracles of Jesus were known to the Jews, yet they suffered him to be put to death as a deceiver of mankind and one possessed of a devil. 10:193, Who are the Saints? All those who believe in Jesus Christ and keep his commandments. And who may be Saints? All the inhabitants of the earth, for Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved.” 10 :305. All the Lord has called us to do is to renovate our own hearts, then our families, extending the principle to neigh- borhoods, to the earth we occupy, and so continue until we drive the power of Satan from the earth and Satan to his own place. That is the work Jesus is engaged in, and we will be co-workers with him. 10:173. “T and my Father are one,”.says Jesus; what, one body? No,-it never entered the Savior’s mind that such a render- ing of this saying would ever enter into the minds of per- sons holding the least claim to good sense. They are no more one person than I and one of my sons are one person. If my son receives my teaching, will walk in the path I 44 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG mark out for him to walk in, if his faith is the same as mine, his purpose is the same, and he does the work of his father as Jesus did the work of his Father, then is my son one with me in the scriptural sense. 10:192. Inasmuch as the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one, the desire of the Savior, as manifested in his sayings and teachings, is, that his people should also be one, even as he and his Father are one. 6:97. All the works of mankind amount to but little, unless they are performed in the name of the Lord and under the direction of his Spirit. Let every man seek to learn the things of God by the revelations of Jesus Christ to himself. 18 hat Jesus undertook to establish the Kingdom of God upon the earth. He introduced the laws and ordinances of the Kingdom. 15:125. Jesus Christ will draw all men unto him, except those who contend against the power of God and against his Kingdom until they have sealed their own damnation. 102238: Jesus fulfilled the obligations he had entered into as the heir of all things pertaining to this earth. 8:115. We, the Latter-day Saints, certainly believe that Christ will accomplish all that he undertook to do, but he never yet said he would save a sinner in his sins, but that he would save him from his sins. He has instituted laws and ordinances whereby this can be effected. The “Mormon” Elder says that he will save all who come to him, all who hearken to his word and keep his commandments, and Jesus has said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” The “Mormon” says, “I love Jesus, and in proof of it I keep his commandments.” 13 :237. THE GODHEAD 45 Jesus will redeem the last and least of the sons of Adam, except the sons of perdition, who will be held in reserve for another time. They will become angels of the Devil. ~—68:154. , Christ will not cease his labors pertaining to this earth until it is redeemed and sanctified, ready to be presented spotless to the Father. 10:18. We believe that Jesus Christ will descend from Recene to earth again even as he ascended into heaven. “Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” He will come to receive his own, and rule and reign king of nations as he does king of Saints; “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” He will banish sin from the earth and its dreadful consequences, tears shall be wiped from every eye and there shall be nothing to hurt or destroy in all God’s holy mountain. 11:123. The Savior has not finished his work, and cannot receive the fulness of his glory until the influence and power of the wicked are overcome and brought into subjection. When the wicked inhabitants of the earth, the beasts of the field, fowls of the air, fish of the sea, all mineral substances, and all else pertaining to this earth, are overcome, then he will take the kingdom, present it to the Father, and say, “Here ~ is the work you gave me to do—you made the appointment —I have wrought faithfully, and here are my brethren and sisters who have wrought with me. We have wrought faith- fully together; we have overcome the flesh, hell and the Devil. I have overcome, they have followed in my foot- steps, and here are all thou hast given me; I have lost none, except the sons of perdition.” 8:118. 46 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG When he again visits this earth, he will come to thor- oughly purge his kingdom from wickedness, and, as ruler of the nations, to dictate and administer to them as the heir to the kingdom; and the Gentiles will be as much mistaken in regard to his second advent as the Jews were in relation to the first. 8:115. Take a pride in acknowledging the Savior. Train and educate yourselves until you will take a pride in acknowl- edging God, the Author of all. Take a pride in the religion that makes you pure and holy, and that produces in the heart of every individual who embraces it a feeling to be truthful in every word he speaks, to be honest in every act he performs, in all his dealings with his neighbors. Take ‘a pride in this and fear not the wicked. 12:326. The Latter-day Saints believe in the Gospel of the Son of God, simply because it is true. They believe in baptism for the remission of sins, personal and by proxy; they be- lieve that Jesus is the Savior of the world; they believe that all who attain to any glory whatever, in any kingdom, will do so because Jesus has purchased it by his atonement. E3323. The Holy Ghost—The Holy Ghost, we beliéve, is one of the characters that form the Trinity, or the Godhead. Not one person in three, nor three persons in one; but the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one in essence, as the hearts of three men who are united in all things. He is one of the three characters we believe in, whose office it is to administer to those of the human family who love the truth. I have stated that they are one, as:the hearts of three men might be one. Lest you should mistake me, I will say that I do not wish you to understand that the Holy Ghost is a personage having a tabernacle, like the Father and the Son; THE GODHEAD 47 but he is God’s messenger that diffuses his influence through all the works of the Almighty. 6:95. Not a desire, act, wish, or thought does the Holy Ghost ~ indulge in contrary to that which is dictated by the Father. 6:95. Now ask yourselves whether you believe that the Holy Ghost ever commenced to produce a work or an effect be- fore it was in the heart and mind of'that Being we call our Heavenly Father. Do you think that the Holy Ghost ever thought of dictating that Being we call our God? This whole people have learned enough’ upon this subject to answer at once, that we do not believe that the Holy Ghost ever dictated, suggested, moved, or pretended to offer a plan, except that which the Eternal Father dictated. 6:95. Though a man should say but a few words, and his sen- tences and words be ever so tungrammatical, if he speaks by the power of the Holy Ghost, he will do good. 8:120. I have proven to my satisfaction, according to the best knowledge I can gather, that man can be deceived by the sight of the natural eye, he can be deceived by the hearing of the ear, and by the touch of the hand; that he can be deceived in all of what is called the natural senses. But there is one thing in which he cannot be deceived. What is that? It is the operations of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit and power of God upon the creature. It teaches him of heavenly things; it directs him in the way of life; it affords him the key by which he can test the devices of man, and which recommends the things of God. Not only the Saints who are present, and who gathered to Zion, but those of every nation, continent, or island who live the religion taught by our Savior and his Apostles, and also by Joseph Smith; they also bear the same testimony, their eyes have 48 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG been quickened by the Spirit of God, and they see alike, their hearts have been quickened, and they feel and under- stand alike, and there are no disputations among them with regard to the doctrines of the Savior. 18:230. Again it is asked:—“Is the Holy Ghost given in this age of the world?” Yes, but they could not send men to Joppa for Peter, for behold there was no Peter, or men possess- ing the holy Priesthood, to send for, neither has there been since the church lost the holy Priesthood, until it was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Cornelius did not belong to the House of Israel, yet he received the Holy Ghost. Continue this history, and what does it give to us? It gives to us the key of knowledge with regard to receiving the Holy Ghost through the ordinances of the Gospel, that it is free to all, Jew and Gentile, as Peter exclaimed when Cornelius had related to him how he was instructed to send men to Joppa: “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him.” 10:322. Without the power of the Holy Ghost a person is liable to go to the right or the left from the straight path of duty; they are liable to do things they are sorry for; they are liable to make mistakes; and when they try to do their best, behold they do that which they dislike. 10:289. I want to see men and women breathe the Holy Ghost in every breath of their lives, living constantly in the light of God’s countenance. 9:288-289. imtoo 52 seul EM THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN The Spirit of God—God is here: his influence fills im- mensity. He has his messengers throughout all the works of his hands. He watches every one ofthis creatures; their acts, their affections, and thoughts are all known to him; for his intelligence and power fill immensity. Not that his _person does, but his Spirit does; and he is here teaching, guiding and directing the nations of the earth. 7:159. The Spirit of the Lord enlightens every man that comes into the world. There is no one that lives upon the earth but what is, more or less, enlightened by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. It is said of him, that he is the light of the world. He lighteth every man that comes into the world and every person, at times, has the light of the spirit of truth upon him. 14:201. I do not believe for one moment that there has been a man or woman upon the face,of the earth, from the days of Adam to this day, who has not been enlightened, in- structed, and taught by the revelations of Jesus Christ. “What! the ignorant heathen?’ Yes, every human being who has possessed a sane mind. I am far from believing that the children of men have been deprived of the privilege of receiving the Spirit of the Lord to teach them right from wrong. No matter what the traditions of their fathers were, those who were honest before the Lord, and acted up- rightly, according to the best knowledge they had, will have an opportunity to go into the Kingdom of God. I be- live this privilege belonged-to the sons and daughters of 3 50 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Adam, and descended from him, and his children who were contemporary with him, throughout all generations. 2:139. All who would understand the things of-God must un- derstand them by the Spirit of God. 8:115. I will, in the commencement of my remarks, take up a subject upon which much has been said in the pulpit and in the chimney corner. It is regarding the Spirit of the Lord manifesting his will to his. children. There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the revelations given to God’s people, he may have the Spirit of the Lord to sig- nify to him his will, and to guide and to direct him in the discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spirit- ual exercises. J am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live far beneath our privileges. If this is true, it is nec- essary that we become more fervent in the service of God— in living our religion—and more truthful and honest with one another, that we be not slack in the performance of any duty, but labor with a right good will for God and truth. If this people, called Latter-day Saints, live beneath their privileges in the holy Gospel of the Son of God, are they justified in every respect before him? They are not. If we do not live in the lively exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus, possessing his Spirit always, how can we know when he speaks to us through his servants whom he has placed to lead us? 12:104. The light of the Spirit upon the hearts and understand- ings of some Latter-day Saints, is like the peeping of the stars through the broken shingles of the roof over our heads, when we are watching through the silent watches of the night and behold the glimmer of a twinkling star. Ge pte No man can gain influence in this Kingdom, and main- COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN age tain himself in it, or magnify his calling, without the power of God being with him. Persons must so live that they can enjoy the light of the Holy Spirit, or they will have no confidence in themselves, in their religion, or in their God, and will sooner or later turn from the faith. 8:65. You need the Spirit of the Almighty to look through a man and discern what is in his heart, while his face smiles upon you and his words flow as smoothly as oil. 3:225. Thrust a man into prison and bind him with chains, and then let him be filled with the comfort and with the glory of eternity, and that prison is a palace to him. Again, let a man be seated upon a throne with power and dominion in this world, ruling his millions and millions and without that peace which flows from the Lord of Hosts—without that contentment and joy that comes from. heaven, his pal- ace is a prison; his life is a burden to him; he lives in fear, in dread, and in sorrow. But when a person is filled with the peace and power of God, all is right with him. 5:1-2. There are men of talent, of thought, of reflection, and knowledge in all cunning mechanism; they are expert in that, though they do not know from whence they receive their intelligence. The Spirit of the Lord has not yet en- tirely done striving with the people, offering them knowl- edge and intelligence; consequently, it reveals unto them, instructs them, teaches them, and guides them even in the way they like to travel. Men know how to construct rail- roads and all manner of machinery; they understand cun- ning workmanship, etc.; but that is all revealed to them by - the Spirit of the Lord, though they know it not. 5:124. I rejoice in the-privilege of meeting with the Saints, in hearing them speak, and in enjoying the influence that is within and around them. That influence opens to my 52 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG understanding the true position of those who are endeavor- ing to serve their God. I do not require to hear them speak to enable me to know their feelings. Is it not also your experience that, when you meet persons in the streets, in your houses, in your offices, or in your workshops, more or less of an influence attends them which conveys more than words can? By this the Father knows his children, Jesus knows his brethren, and the angels are acquainted with those who delight to associate with them and with those who hate them. This knowledge is-obtained through that invisible influence which attends intelligent beings, and betrays the atmosphere in which they delight to live. 8:57. Without the light of the Spirit of Christ, no person can truly enjoy life. 8:66. ; Now, my friends, brethren and sisters, ladies and gentle- men, how do you know anything? Can you be deceived by the eye? You can, you have proved this; you all know that there are men who can deceive the sight of the eye, no matter how closely you observe their movements. Can you be deceived in hearing? Yes; you may hear sounds but not understand their import or whence they come. Can you be deceived by the touch of the finger? Youcan. The nervous system will not detect everything.- What will? The revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ, the spirit of truth will detect everything, and enable all who possess it to understand truth from error, light from darkness, the things of God from the things not of God. It is the only thing that will enable us to understand the Gospel of the Son of God, the will of God, and how we can be saved. Follow it, and it will lead to God, the Fountain of light, where the gate will be open, and the mind will be enlightened so that we shall see, know and understand things as they are. 13:336. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN 53 There is not a man upon the earth who can magnify even an earthly office, without the power and wisdom of God to aid him. 10:42. The eloquence of angels never can convince any person that God lives and makes truth the habitation of his throne. independent of that eloquence being clothed with the power of the Holy Ghost; in the absence of this, it would be a combination of useless sounds. What is. it that convinces man? It is the influence of the Almighty, enlightening his mind, giving instruction to the understanding, when that which inhabits this body, that which came from the regions of Glory, is enlightened by the influence, power and Spirit of the Father of light, it swallows up the organization which pertains to this world. 1:90. ‘Those who love righteousness and possess the Spirit of God, those who delight to do good can remember good. They can remember every good principle and every good ACT oO 0G, What causes this people to-do as they do? It is written, “But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” It is a spirit that causes this people to do what they do—to leave their native countries, to leave their fathers and mothers, brethren and sisters, and take up their line of march and travel thousands of miles to this distant country; and then, when selected for missions, again to leave their fathers, mothers, and friends, and travel back to their native lands, or to some other place, wherever they are appointed to go. We can- not behold that spirit and influence with our natural eyes. The results alone are known. 8:174. You hearken to that still small voice that whispers eter- nal truth, that opens the visions of eternity to you that you 54 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG can discern, understand and follow, and the foul spirits that throng the air, and that fill our houses if we let them in, will not have power over you. 15:7. Every individual that lives according to the laws that the Lord has given to his people, and has received the bless- ings that he has in store for the faithful, should be able to . know the things of-God from the things which are not of God, the light from the darkness, that which comes from heaven and that which comes from somewhere else. This is the satisfaction and the consolation that the Latter-day Saints enjoy by living their religion; this is the knowledge which every one who thus lives possesses. 16:163. Now, I ask the wise, where did you get your wisdom? Was it taught you? Yes, I say it was taught you. By your professors in college? No, it was taught you by the - influence of the spirit that is in man, and the inspiration of the Spirit of God giveth it understanding; and every crea- ture can thus add intelligence to intelligence. 13:172. | Revelation—No person can receive a knowledge of this work, except by the power of revelation. 8:315. _ The spirit of revelation, even the spirit of eternal life, is within that person who lives so as to bear properly the yoke of Jesus. The heavens are open to such persons, and — they see and understand things that pertain to eternity, and also the things that pertain to this earth. 8:206. The spirit of revelation attends the Gospel, and without that spirit no man can understand it. 8:130. Many of the first revelations given to Joseph were of a temporal character, pertaining to a literal kingdom on the earth. And most of the revelations he received in the early part of his ministry pertained to what the few around him should do in this or in that case—when and how they should COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN 55 perform their duties; at the same time calling upon them to preach the Gospel and diffuse the spirit and principles of the Kingdom of God, that their eyes might be open to see and gather the people together that_they might begin and organize a literal, temporal organization on the earth. G71: How can you know the Latter-day work to ‘be true? You can know it only by the spirit of revelation direct from heaven. What proved this work true to you in England, Ire- land, Scotland, Germany, France, the United States, etc.? Was it not the spirit of revelation that rested upon you? Then why should you lose the spirit? You should add to it day by day; you should add as the Lord'gives—a little here and a little there, and treasure up truth in your faith and understanding, until you become perfect before the Lord and are prepared to receive the further things of the Kingdom of God. . 7:159-160. This principle we are in possession of, and it should be nourished and cherished by us; it is the principle of revela- tion, or, if you like the term better, of foreseeing. There are those who possess fore-knowledge, who do not believe as we believe with regard to the establishment of the King- dom of God on the earth. Take the statesman, for instance: he has ‘a certain degree of knowledge with regard to the results of the measures which he may recommend, but does he know whence he derived that knowledge? No. He may say: “I foresee if we take this course we shall perpetuate our government and strengthen it, but if we take the oppo- site course we will destroy it.” But can he tell whence he has received that wisdom and fore-knowledge? He cannot. Yet that is the condition of the statesmen in the nations of 56 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG the earth. If the philosopher can gaze into the immensity of space, and understand how to fashion and make glasses that will magnify a million times, that knowledge comes from the Fountain of knowledge. A man of the world may say: “I can foresee, I can understand, I can frame an en- gine, make a track, and run that engine upon it, bearing along a train of loaded cars at the rate of forty, fifty, or sixty miles an hour.” Another may say: “I can take the lightning, convey it on wires, and speak to foreign nations.” But where do they get this wisdom? From the same source where you and I get our wisdom and our knowledge of God and godliness. 12:112-13. But we should all live so that the Spirit of revelation could dictate and write on the heart and tell us what we should do, instead of the traditions of our parents and teach- ers. But to do this we must become like little children; and Jesus says if we do not we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. How simple it is! Live free from envy, malice, wrath, strife, bitter feelings, and evil speaking in our fam- ilies and about our neighbors and friends and all the inhab- itants of the earth, wherever we meet them. Live so that our consciences are free, clean and clear. 14:16]. No man can know Jesus the Christ except it be revealed from heaven to him. 14:199, No earthly argument, no earthly reasoning can open the minds of intelligent beings and show them heavenly things; that can only be done by the Spirit of revelation. 18:249. When the Spirit of revelation from God inspires a man, his mind is opened to behold the beauty, order, and glory of the creation of this earth and its inhabitants, the object of its creation, and the purpose of its Creator in peopling it with his children. He can then clearly understand that COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN 57. our existence here is for the sole purpose of exaltation and restoration to the presence of our Father and God, where we may progress endlessly in the power of godliness. After the mind has thus been illuminated, the ignorance and blind- ness of the great mass of mankind are more apparent. Yet there is no son or daughter of Adam and Eve who has not incorporated in his organization the priceless gem of end- less life, for the endless duration and endless lives which they are approaching. 9:256. Without the revelations of God we know not who we are, whence we came, nor who formed the earth on which we live, move and have our being. Did I bring the particles of matter together and form the earth? No. Did you, Mr. Philosopher? No? Did you Mr. Infidel, or you Mr. Chris- tian, Pagan or Jew? No, not any of us. We know that we are here, but who brought us here, or how we came are questions the solution of which depends upon a power su- perior to ours. The ideas of the inhabitants of the earth with regard to the destiny of the earth, are very crude and vague. But we must all acknowledge that some individual, being, power or influence superior to ourselves produced us and the earth and brought us forth and holds us in exist- ence, and causes the revolutions of the earth and of the planetary system. These are facts that neither we nor all mankind can controvert; the whole Christian and even the heathen world will acknowledge all this; but what do they know about it? Who understands the modus operandi by which all this was brought about and continued? Who is able to leap forth into the immensity of thought, space, con- templation and research, and search out the principles by which we are here and by which we are sustained? The strangest phenomenon to the inhabitants of the earth to- 58 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG day is that God, the maker and preserver of the earth and all it contains, should speak from heaven to his creatures, the works of his hands here. What would there be strange in the mechanician, after constructing the most beautiful and ingenious piece of mechanism it is possible to conceive of, speaking to it and admiring the beauty, regularity and order of its motions? Nothing whatever. Well, to me it is not at all strange that he who framed and fashioned this beautiful world and all the myriads and varieties of organ- izations it contains, should come and visit them; to me this is perfectly natural, and when we remember and compare the belief of this people with that of the rest of the world we need not be surprised at being considered “a strange people.” 13:234, How do we know that prophets wrote the word of the Lord? By revelation. How do we know that Joseph Smith was called of God to establish his Kingdom upon the earth? By revelation. How do we know that the leaders of this people teach the truth? By revelation. How do we know the doctrine of baptism for the remission of sins to be true? It is written in the Bible; but the Christian world deny it, because it is not manifested to them by the revelations of the Lord Jesus. 14:209. Without revelation direct from heaven, it is impossible for any person to understand fully the plan of salvation. We often hear it said that the living oracles must be in the Church, in order that the Kingdom of God may be estab- lished and prosper on the earth.” I will give another ver- sion of this sentiment. I say that the living oracles of God, or the Spirit of revelation must be in each and every in- dividual, to know the plan of salvation and keep in the path that leads them to the presence of God. 9:279. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN 59 This people believe in revelation. This people did be- lieve and do believe that the Lord has spoken from the heavens. They did believe and do believe that-God has sent angels to proclaim the everlasting Gospel, according to the testimony of John. It was this that gave rise to the malice, hatred and vindictive feelings that have been so often made manifest against them. 12:282. When a revelation is given to any people, they must walk according to it, or suffer the penalty which is the punishment of disobedience, but when the word is, “will you do thus and so?” “it is the mind and will of God that you perform such and such a duty;” the consequences of disobedience are not so dreadful, as they would be if the word of the Lord were to be written under the declaration, “Thus saith the Lord.” 12:127. Instead of considering that there is nothing known and understood, only as we know and understand things nat- urally, I take the other side of the question, and believe positively that there is nothing known except by the rev- elation of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether in theology, sci- ence,-or.att; = 12207. It pleases me a little to think how anxious this people are for new revelation. I wish to’ask you a question: Do this people know whether they have received any revela- tion since the death of Joseph, as a people? I can tell you that you receive them continually. 6:282. All the revelations of God teach simply this—son, daughter, you are the workmanship of mine hands; walk and live before me in righteousness; let your conversations be chaste; let your daily deportment be according to my law; let your dealings one with another be in justice and equity; let my character be sacred in your mouth, and do 60 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG not profane my holy name and trample upon my authority ; do not despise any of my sayings, for I will not be dis- graced. 6:284-85. It has been observed that the people want revelation. This is a revelation; and were it written, it would then be written revelation, as truly as the revelations which are contained in the book of Doctrine and Covenants. I could give you revelation upon the subject of paying your tith- ing and building a temple to the name of the Lord; for the light is in me. I could put these revelations as straight to the line of truth in writing as any revelation you ever read. I could write the mind of the Lord, and you could put it in your pockets. But before we desire more written revelation, let us fulfil the revelations that are already written, and which we have scarcely begun to fulfil. 6:319. In every part and portion of the revelations of God as given to the children of men, or to any individual in heaven or on earth, to understand them properly, a man needs the Spirit by which they were given—the Spirit that reveals such matters to the understanding, and makes them famil- jar to the mind. 8:27. There are revelations, wisdom, knowledge, and under- standing yet to be proclaimed. 8:59. “Well, Brother Brigham, have you had visions?” Yes, I have. “Have you had revelations?” Yes, I have them all the time, I live constantly by the principle of revelation. I never received one iota of intelligence, from the letter A to what I now know, I mean that, from the very start of my life to this time, I have never received one particle of in- telligence, only by revelation, no matter whether father or mother revealed it, or my sister, or neighbor. No person receives knowledge, only upon the principle COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN 61 of revelation, that is, by having something revealed to them. “Do you have the revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ?” I will leave that for others to judge. If the Lord requires anything of this people, and speaks through me, I will tell them of it; but if he does not, still we all live by the prin- ciple of revelation. Who reveals? Everybody around us; we learn of each other. I have something which you have not, and you have something which I have not; I reveal what I have to you, and you reveal what you have to me. I believe that we are revelators to each other. Are the heav- ens opened? Yes, to some at times, yet upon natural prin- ciples upon the principle of natural philosophy. “Do you know the will and mind of the Lord?” Yes, concerning this people, and concerning myself. Does every one of my breth- ren and sisters know the will of the Lord? Let me say to the Latter-day Saints, if they will take up their cross and follow the Lord Jesus Christ in the regeneration, many of them will receive more, know more, and have more of the Spirit of revelation than they are aware of; but the revela- tions which I receive are all upon natural principles. 3:209. I am so far from believing that any government upon this earth has constitutions and laws that are perfect, that I do not even believe that there is a single revelation, among the many God has given to the Church, that is perfect in its fulness. The revelations of God contain correct doc- trine and principle, so far as they go; but it is impossible for the poor, weak, low, grovelling, sinful inhabitants of the earth to receive a revelation from the Almighty in all its perfections. He has to speak to us ina manner to meet the extent of our capacities, as we have to do with these be-— nighted Lamanites; it would be of no benefit to talk to them as I am now speaking to you. Before you can enter into 62 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG conversation with them, give them your ideas, you are un- der the necessity of condescending to their low estate, so far as communication is concerned, in order to exalt them. 23314, . ‘The construction of the electric telegraph and the. method of using it enabling the people to send messages from one end of the earth to the other, is just as much a revelation from God as any ever given. The same is true with regard to making machinery, whether it be a steam- boat, a carding machine, threshing machine, or anything else, it makes no difference—these things have existed from all eternity and will continue to all eternity, and the Lord has revealed them to his children. 13 :305. Many are pleading for revelations; do you suppose that Saints lack revelations? They have plenty of them, and they are stored in the archives of those ;who have under- standing of the principles of the Priesthood, ready to be brought forth as the people need. 3:337. Men who know nothing of the Priesthood receive revel- ation and prophecy, and yet these gifts belong to the Church, and those who are faithful in the Kingdom of God inherit them and are entitled to them; and all ought to live so as to enjoy the spirit of these gifts and callings con- tinually. -LL:325: | Should you receive a vision or revelation from the AIl- mighty, one that the Lord gave you concerning yourselves, or this people, but which you are not to reveal on account of your not being the proper person, or because it ought not to be known by the people at present, you should shut it up and seal it as close, and lock it as tight as heaven is to you, and make it as secret as the grave. The Lord has no COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN 63 confidence in those who reveal secrets, for he cannot safely reveal himself to such persons. .4:288. Take a course to open and keep open a communication with your Elder Brother or file-leader—our Savior. Were I to draw a distinction in all the duties that are required of the children of men, from first to last, I would place first and foremost the duty of seeking unto the Lord our God until we open the path of communication from heaven to earth—from God to our own souls. Keep every avenue of your hearts clean and pure before him. 8:339. That man who cannot know things without telling any other living being upon the-earth, who cannot keep his secrets and those that God reveals to him, never can receive the voice of his Lord to dictate him and the people on this earth. 4:287. It was asked me by a gentleman how I guided the peo- ple by revelation. I teach them to live so that the Spirit of revelation may make plain to them their duty day by day that they are able to guide themselves. To get this revela- tion it is necessary that the people live so that their spirits are as pure and clean as a piece of blank paper that lies on the desk before the inditer, ready to receive any mark the writer may make upon it. 11:240. Yes, my brethren and sisters here, both men and women, have revelation, and I can say with Moses of old—“Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets.” 1:242. Angels—There is a difference of opinion as to getting the word of the Lord; but if you will read and cultivate the Spirit of God, you will understand how it is obtained. The Lord is not everywhere in person; but he has his agents speaking and acting for him. His angels, his messengers. his apostles and servants are appointed and authorized to 64 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG c act in his name. And his servants are authorized to coun- sel and dictate in the greatest and what might be deemed the most trifling matters, to instruct, direct and guide his Saints. 12:245. The Lord is here with us, not in person, but his angels are around us, and he takes cognizance of every act of the children of men, as individuals and as nations. He is here ready by his agents, the angels, and by the power of his Holy Spirit and Priesthood, which he has restored in these last days, to bring most perfect and absolute deliverance unto all who put their trust in him, when they are ready totrecéive its; 11:14. When an angel is appointed to perform a duty, to go to the earth, to preach the Gospel, or to do anything for the advancement of his Father’s kingdom jin any part of the great domain of heaven, the vision of that angel is opened to see and understand the magnitude of the work that is expected of him to perform, and the grand results which will grow out of, it. That is the reason why the angels are of one heart and of one mind, in their faithfulness and obedi- ence to the requirements of their Father and God. They can desire and ask for nothing that will make them happy, good and great that is withheld from them; and life eternal is theirs. Why, then, should they not be of one heart and of one mind? They see alike, understand alike, and know alike, and all things are before them, and, as far as their knowledge and experience extend, they see the propriety of all the works of God, and the harmony and beauty thereof. RisLS, What is the difference between Saints of God and an angel of God? One is clothed upon with mortality, the other has passed through mortality and has received the COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN 65 celestial glory of our Heavenly Father, and is free from the contaminating influences of sin that we have to contend with. 19:66. There is much in my presence besides those who sit here, if we had eyes to see the heavenly beings that are in our presence. 8:207. | When the Lord commands those invisible beings, shall I say, those who have had their resurrection?—yes, mil- lions and millions more than the inhabitants of this earth, they can fight your battles. 2:255. Prayer—Let all persons be fervent in prayer, until they know the things of God for themselves and become certain that they are walking in the path that leads to everlasting life; then will envy, the child of ignorance, vanish and there will be no disposition in any man to place himself above another; for such a feeling meets no countenance in the order of heaven. Jesus Christ never wanted to be different from his Father. They were and are one. Ifa people are led by the revelations of Jesus Christ, and they are cog- nizant of the fact through their faithfulness, there is no fear but they will be one in Jesus Christ, and see eye to: eye: -9::150. If we draw near to him, he will draw near to us; if we seek him early, we shall find him; if we apply our minds faithfully and diligently day by day, to know and under- stand the mind and will of God, it is as easy as, yes, I will say easier than, it is to know the minds of each other, for to know and understand ourselves and our own being is to know and understand God and his being. 13:312. Practice your religion today, and say your prayers faithfully. 16 :28. The duty of the Latter-day Saints is to pray without 66 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG ceasing, and in everything to give thanks, to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all things, and to be subject to his requirements. 15:63. Let every man and every woman call upon the name of the Lord, and that, too, from a pure heart, while they are at work as well as in their closet; while they are in public as well as while they are in private, asking the Father in the name of Jesus, to bless them, and to preserve and guide in, and to teach them, the way of life and salvation and to enable them so to live that they will obtain this eterna] salvation that we are after. 15:63. The Lord says, I will be sought unto by my people for the blessings that they need. And instead of our classing prayer among the duties devolving upon us as Latter-day Saints, we should live so as to deem it one of the greatest privileges accorded to us; for were it not for the efficacy of prayer what would have become of us both as a people and as individuals? 19:222. You know that it is one peculiarity of our.faith and re- ligion never to ask the Lord to do a thing without being willing to help him all that we are able; and then the Lord will do the rest. 5:293. I shall not ask the Lord to do what I am not willing | to do. 8:143. Do not ask God to give you knowledge, when you are confident that you will not keep and rightly improve upon that knowledge. 3:338. I pray both for my friends and for my enemies, that, if they will not repent, the earth may be speedily emptied of the ungodly. 4:346. If I ask him to give me wisdom concerning any require- ment in life, or in regard to my own course, or that of my COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN 67 friends, my family, my children, or those that I preside over, and get no answer from him, and then do the very best that my judgment will teach me, he is bound to own and honor that transaction, and he will do so to all intents and purposes. 3:205. When you approach the throne of grace and petition the Father, in the name of the Savior who has redeemed the world, do you use the name as the name of a stranger? If you understand your own religion, you petition that Per- sonage as you would one of your brethren in the flesh. Is this strange to you? It should bring near to you things that pertain to eternity, give your reflections and views a more exalted cast, stamp your daily actions with truth and honesty, and cause you to be filled with the Spirit and power of God. 7:274-5. Your prayers cannot prevail if there is disunion among VO, So S31: I do not know any other way for the Latter-day Saints than for every breath to be virtually a prayer for God to guide and direct his people, and that he will never suffer us to possess anything that will be an injury to us. I am satisfied that this should be the feeling of every Latter-day Saint in the world. If you are making a bargain, if you are talking in the house, visiting in the social party, going forth in the dance, every breath should virtually be a prayer that God will preserve us from sin and from the effects of Shela tO bs § kek | Let us be humble, fervent, submissive, yielding ourselves to the will of the Lord, and there is no danger but that we shall have his Spirit to guide us. If we will open our lips and call upon our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, we will have the spirit of prayer. I have proved this to be 68 | DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG the best way. If we do everything in the season thereof, attending to our prayers and daily labors in their prOper order and at the right time, all will go well. 13:155. When you get up in the morning, before you suffer your- selves to eat one mouthful of food, call your wife and chil- dren together, bow down before the Lord, ask him to for- give your sins, and protect you through the day, to preserve you from temptation and all evil, to guide your steps aright, that you may do something that day that shall be beneficial to the Kingdom of God on the earth. Have you time to do this? Elders, sisters, have you time to pray? 15:36. Say your prayers always before going to work. Never forget that. A father—the head of the family—should never miss calling his family together and dedicating him- self and them to the Lord of Hosts, asking the guidance and direction of his Holy Spirit to lead them through the day—that very day. Lead us this day, guide us this day, preserve us this day, save us from sinning against thee or any being in heaven or on earth this day! If we do this every day, the last day we live we will be prepared to en- joy a higher glory. 12:261. We may say that our work drives us and that we have not time to pray, hardly time to eat our breakfasts. Then let the breakfasts go, and pray; get down upon our knees and pray until we are filled with the spirit of peace. 10:174. It matters not whether you or I feel like praying, when the time comes to pray, pray. If we do not feel like it, we should pray till we do. And if there is a heavy storm com- ing on and our hay is likely to be wet, let it come. You will find that those who wait till the Spirit-bids them pray, will never pray much on this earth. Such people would come to meeting and look at each other and then when they had COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN 69 stayed as long as they felt inclined, address their brethren with—“Goodbye, I am going home,” and then leave. But when the time comes to have prayers, let them be made, and there will be no danger. 13:155. ‘There are times and places when all should vocally re- peat the words spoken, but in our prayer meetings and in our family circles let every heart be united with the one who takes the lead by being mouth before the Lord, and let every person mentally repeat the prayers, and all unite in whatever is asked for, and the Lord will not withhold, but will give to such persons the things which they ask ‘for and rightly need. 3:53. Some of the brethren come to me and say, “Brother Brigham, is it my duty to pray when I have not one par- ticle of the spirit of prayer in me?” ‘True, at times, men are perplexed and full of care and trouble, their ploughs and other implements are out of order, their animals have strayed and a thousand things perplex them; yet our judg- ment.teaches us that it is our duty to pray, whether we are particularly in the spirit of praying or not. My doctrine is, it is your duty to pray; and when the time for prayer.comes, John should say, “This is the place and this is the ‘time to pray; knees bend down upon the floor, and do so at once.” But .John said, “I do not want to pray; I do not feel like . it.” Knees get down, I say; and down bend the knees, and he begins to think and reflect. Can you say anything? Can you.not say, God have mercy on me a sinner? Yes, he can do this, if he can rise up and curse his neighbor for some ill deeds. Now, John, open your mouth and say, Lord,, have mercy upon me. “But I do not feel the spirit of prayer.” That doesnot excuse you, for you know what your duty is. You have a passion, a will, a temper to overcome. You 7 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG are subject to temptation as other men; and when you are tempted, let the judgment which God has placed within you and the intelligence he has given you by the light of the Spirit be the master in this case. If I could not master my mouth, I tei), my knees, and make them bend until my mouth would speak. “But the cattle are in the corn.” Let them eat; you can attend to them when you have finished praying. Let the will of man be brought into subjection to the law of Christ—to all the ordinances of the house of God. What, in his darkness and depression? Yes; for that is the time to prove whether one is a friend of God, that the confidence of the Almighty may increase in his Son. We should so live that our confidence and faith may increase in him. _We must even go further than that. Let us so live that the faith and confidence of our Heavenly Father may increase towards us, until he shall know that we will be true to him under any and all circum- stances and at all times. When in our darkness and tempta- tion we are found faithful to our duty, that increases the’ confidence of our God in us. He sees that we will be his servants. 7:164. If the Devil says you cannot pray when you are angry, tell him it is none of his business, and pray until that species of insanity is dispelled and serenity is restored to the mind. 10:175. Let every Saint, when he prays, ask God for the things he needs to enable him to promote righteousness on the earth. If you do not know what to ask for, let me tell you how to pray. When you pray in secret with your families, if you do not know anything to ask for, submit yourselves to your Father in Heaven and beseech him to guide you by the inspirations of the Holy Ghost, and to guide this people, COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN 71 and dictate the affairs of his.Kingdom on the earth, and there leave it. Ask him to put you just where -he wants you, and to, tell you what he wants you to do, and feel that you are on hand to do it. 6:43. When you have labored faithfully for years, you will learn this simple fact—that if your hearts are aright, and you still continue to be obedient, continue to serve God, continue to pray, the Spirit of revelation will be in you like a well of water springing up to everlasting life. Let no person give up prayer because he has not the spirit of prayer, neither let any earthly circumstance hurry you while in the performance of this important duty. By bow- ing down before the Lord to ask him to bless you, you will simply find this result—God will multiply blessings on you temporally and spiritually. Let a merchant, a farmer, a mechanic, any person in business, live his religion faithfully, and he need never lose one minute’s sleep by thinking about his business; he need not worry in the least, but trust in God, go to sleep and rest. I say to this people—pray, and if you cannot do anything else, read a prayer aloud that your family may hear it, until you get a worshiping spirit, and are full of the riches of eternity, then you will be prepared at any time to lay hands on the sick, or to officiate in any of the ordinances of this religion. 12:103. If I did not feel like praying, and asking my Father in Heaven to give me a morning blessing, and to preserve me and my family and the good upon the earth through the day, I should say, “Brigham, get down here on your knees, bow- your body down before the throne of him who rules in the heavens, and stay there until you can feel to suppli- cate at that throne of grace erected for sinners.” 16:28. CHAPTER IV PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION Time— When was there a beginning? There never was one; if there was, there will be an end; but there never was a beginning, and hence there will never be an end; that looks like eternity. When we talk about the beginning of eternity, it is rather simple conversation, and goes far be- yond the capacity of man. 2:307. Here is time, where is eternity? It is here, just as much as anywhere in all the expanse of space; a measured space of time is only a part of eternity. 3:367. Every mind that thinks deeply upon the things of time and eternity, sees that time, which we measure by our lives, is like the stream from the mountains which gushes forth, yet we cannot tell from whence it comes, nor do we know naturally where it goeth, only it passes again into the clouds; so our lives are here, and this we are certain of. We do know that we live and that we have the power of sight. We do know and can realize that we possess the faculty of hearing. We can discern between that which we like and that which we dislike. This life that you and I possess is for eternity. Contemplate the idea of beings en- dowed with all the powers and faculties which we possess, becoming annihilated, passing out of existence, ceasing to be, and then try to reconcile it with our feelings and with our present lives. No intelligent person can do it. Yet it is only by the spirit of revelation that we can understand these things. By the revelations of the Lord Jesus we un- derstand things as they were, that have been made known unto us; things that are in the life which we now enjoy, and PRE-EXISTENCE ; THE PLAN OF SALVATION 73 things as they will be, not to the fullest extent, but all that the Lord designs that we should understand, to make it profitable to us, in order to give us the experience necessary in this life to prepare us to enjoy eternal life hereafter. 12:111-112. The present is that portion of time that more particularly concerns us, and the greatest and most important labor we have to perform is to cultivate ourselves. That man may know his fellow creatures, it is necessary that he should first know himself. When he,thoroughly knows himself, he measurably knows God, whom .to know is eternal life. 10:2. ‘As farvas we can compare eternal things with earthly things that le within the scope of our understanding, so far-we can understand them. 10:1. As to the word annihilate, as ‘we understand it, there is no such principle as to put a thing which exists, entirely out of existence, so that it does not exist in any form, shape, or place whatever. It would be as reasonable to say that endless, which is synonymous to the word eternity, has both a beginning and an end. 1:352. The Organized Universe—The creations of God—the worlds that are and the worlds that have been,—who can grasp in the vision of his mind the truth that there never has been a time when there have not been worlds like this, and that there never will be a time when there will not be worlds organized and prepared for intelligent beings to dwell upon? 8:81. There is an eternity of matter. Astronomers estimate that there is between us and the nearest fixed star matter enough from which to organize millions of earths like this. There is an eternity of matter, and it is all acted upon and 74 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG filled with a portion of divinity. Matter is to exist; it can- not be annihilated. Eternity is without bounds, and is filled with matter; and there is no such place as empty space. And matter is capacitated to receive intelligence. 7:2. Worlds are made of crude element which floats, with- out bounds in the eternities—in the immensity of space; an eternity of matter—no limits to it, in its natural crude state, and the power of the Almighty has this influence and wis- dom—when he speaks he is obeyed, and matter comes together and is organized. 13:248. . According to all that the world has ever learned by the researches of philosophers and wise men, according to all the truths now revealed by science, philosophy and relig- ion, qualities and attributes depend entirely upon their con- nection with organized matter for their development and visible manifestation. 11:121. Man and Matter Eternal—Mankind are organized of element designed to endure to all eternity; it never had a beginning and never can have an end. There never was a time when this matter, of which you and I are composed, was not in existence, and there never can be a time when it will pass out of existence; it cannot be annihilated. It is brought together, organized, and capacitated to — receive knowledge and intelligence, to be enthroned in glory, to be made angels, Gods—beings who will hold con- trol over the elements, and have power by their word to command the creation and redemption of worlds, or to extinguish suns by their breath, and disorganize worlds, hurling them back into their chaotic state. This is what you and I are created for. 3:356. - PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION 75 The elements with which we are surrounded are as eter- nal as we are, and are loaded with supplies of every kind for the comfort and happiness of the human race. 10:3. Earthly things will be decomposed and their reorgan- ization will be by the power of the resurrection; then we shall begin to understand the proper use of element. 7:65. “Immaterial substance.” It is like the center of a being everywhere and his circumference nowhere, or like being seated on the top of a topless throne. These are self-con- founding expressions, and there is no meaning to any of them. 16:31. If we could so understand true philosophy as to under- stand our own creation, and what it is for—what design and intent the Supreme Ruler had in organizing matter and bringing it forth in the capacity that I. behold you here today, we could comprehend that matter cannot be de- stroyed—that it is subject to organization and disorgan- ization; and could understand that matter can be organ- ized and brought forth into intelligence, and to possess more intelligence and to continue to increase in that intelli- gence; and could learn those principles that organized mat- ter into animals, vegetables, and into intelligent beings; and could discern the Divinity acting, operating, and diffusing principles into matter to produce intelligent beings and to exalt them—to what? Happiness. Will nothing short of that fully satisfy the spirits implanted within us? No. 7 :2-3. Gold and silver are composing, and so does every other kind of metal, the same as the hair upon my head, or the wheat in the field; they do not compose as fast, but they are all the time composing or decomposing. 1:219. There never was a time when man did not exist, and 76 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG there never will be a time when he will cease to exist. Eternity is without confines, and all things animate and in- animate have their existence in it. The Priesthood of God, that was given to the ancients and is given to men in the latter days, is co-equal in duration with eternity—is with- out beginning of days or end of life. It is unchangeable in its system of government and its Gospel of salvation. It gives to Gods and angels their supremacy and power, and offers wealth, influence, posterity, exaltations, power, glory, kingdoms and thrones, ceaseless in their duration, to all who will accept them on the terms upon which they are offered. 10:5. The life that is within us is a part of an eternity of life, and is organized spirit, which is clothed upon by taber- nacles, thereby constituting our present being, which is designed for the attainment of further intelligence. The matter composing our bodies and spirits has been organized from the eternity of matter that fills immensity. 7:285. Man is organized and brought forth as the king of the earth, to understand, to criticise, examine, improve, manu- facture, arrange, and organize the crude matter, and honor and glorify the works of God’s hands. This is a wide field for the operation of man, that reaches into eternity; and it is good for mortals to search out the things of this earth. 9 :242. Man the Offspring of God—No human being has had power to organize his own existence. ‘Then there is a greater than we. Are we our own in our bodies? Are we our Own in our spirits? We are not our own. We belong to our progenitors—to our Father and our God. 8:67. Things were first created spiritually; the Father actu- ally begat the spirits, and they were brought forth and PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN. OF SALVATION 77 lived with him. "'Thenshe commenced the work of creat- ing earthly tabernacles, precisely as he had been created in this flesh himself, by partaking of the coarse material that was organized and composed this earth, until his system was charged with it, consequently the tabernacles of his children were organized from the coarse materials of this earth. When the time came that his First-born, the Savior, should come into the world and take a tabernacle, the Father came himself and favored that Spirit with a taber- nacle instead of letting any other man do it. The Savior was begotten by the Father and his Spirit, by the same Being who is the Father of our spirits, and that is all the organic difference between Jesus Christ and you and me. And a difference there is between our Father and us con- sists in that he has gained his exaltation, and has ob- tained eternal lives. The principle of eternal lives is an eternal existence, eternal duration, eternal exaltation. End- less are his kingdoms, endless his thrones and his do- minions and endless are his posterity; they never will cease to multiply from this time henceforth and forever. 4:218. I want to tell you, each and every one of you, that you are well acquainted with God our Heavenly Father, or the great Elohim. You are all well acquainted with him, for there is not a soul of you but what has lived in his house and dwelt with him year after year; and yet you are seek- ing to become acquainted with him, when the fact is, you have merely forgotten what you did know. There is not a person here to-day but what is a son or a daughter of that Being. In the spirit world their spirits were first begotten and brought forth, and they lived there 78 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG with their parents for ages before they came here. This, perhaps, is hard for many to believe, but it is the greatest nonsense in the world not to believe it. If you do not believe it, cease to call him Father; and when you pray, pray to some other character. 4:216. We are the sons and daughters of celestial Beings, and the germ of the Deity dwells within us. When our spirits took possession of these tabernacles, they were as pure as the angels of God, wherefore total depravity cannot be a true doctrine. 10:192. Our spirits once dwelt in the heavens and were as pure and holy as the angels; but angels have tabernacles and spirits have none; and they come to the meanest, lowest and humblest of the human race to obtain one rather than run any risk of not doing so. I have heard that the cele- brated Mr. Beecher, of Brooklyn, once said that the great- est misfortune that could ever happen to man was to be born; but I say that the greatest good fortune that ever happened or can happen to human beings is to be born on this earth, for then life and salvation are before them; then they have the privilege of overcoming death, and of tread- ing sin and iniquity under their feet, of incorporating into their daily lives every principle of life and salvation and of dwelling eternally with the Gods. 13:145. When we look upon the human face we look upon the image of our Father and God; there,is a divinity in each person, male and female; there is the heavenly, there is the divine and with this is amalgamated the human, the earthly, the weaker portions of our nature, and it is the human that shrinks in the presence of the divine, and this accounts for our man-fearing spirit, and it is all there is of it. 9:291. The origin of thought was planted in our organization PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION 79 at the beginning of our being. ‘This is not telling you how ~ it came there, or who put it there. Thought originated with our individual being, which is organized to be as in- dependent as any being in eternity. 2:135. We were created upright, pure, and holy, in the image of our father and our mother, the image of our God. Wherein do we differ? In the talents that are given us, and in our callings. We are made of the same materials; our spirits were begotten by the same parents; in the be- getting of the flesh we are of the same first parents, and all the kindreds of the earth are made of one flesh; but we are different in regard to our callings. 3:365. We-have no true interest, only conjointly with our Father in Heaven. We are his children, his sons and daughters, and this should not be a mystery to this people, even though there are many who have been gathered with us but a short time. He is the God and Father of our spirits; he devised the plan that produced our tabernacles; the houses for our spirits to dwell in. 4:27. The Spirit of Man—The spirits that live in these taber- nacles were as pure as the heavens, when they entered them. They came to tabernacles that are contaminated, pertaining to the flesh, by the fall of man. The Psalmist says, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” This Scripture has established in the minds of some the doctrine of total depravity—that it is impossible for them to have one good thought, that they are altogether sinful, that there.is no good, no soundness, and no spiritual health im them. This is not correct, yet we have a warfare within us. We have to contend against evil passions, or the seeds of iniquity that are sown in the flesh through the fall. The pure spirits that occupy these 80 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG tabernacles are operated upon, and it is the-right of him that sent them into these tabernacles to hold the pre-emin- ence, and to always give the Spirit of truth to influence the spirits of men, that it may triumph and reign predominantly in our tabernacles, the God and Lord of every motion. We not only have this warfare continually, day by day, within ourselves, but we also have an outside influence or pressure to resist. Both the religious and the political world have influences to contend against that very much resemble each other; they are more or less exercised, governed and con- trolled by surrounding influences. We, Latter-day Saints, have an influence of this kind to contend against. 10:105. We see life spring into existence all around us. Where is its fountain? And how is it originated? It exists for a day, a night, a year, or an age, and it is gone; and who can say where? Who can tell what has become of the life that dwelt in that tabernacle, causing it to think,—that lit up the eye with living fire, and caused the mouth to utter forth wisdom? Can mortal man tell? Not unless he is inspired by the Almighty, and understands eternal things. The origin of all things is in eternity. Like a cloud passing across a clear sky—like a bird that suddenly flits across our path—like a pure gushing stream from a hidden fountain, that soon sinks in some mountain chasm, so, apparently, life flashes into this mortal existence, and passes away. 7:173. Intelligence is given unto us to improve upon. 8:81. The origin of thought and reflection is in ourselves. We think, because we are, and are made susceptible of external influences, and to feel our relationship to external objects. Thus thoughts of revenge, and thoughts of blessing will arise in the same mind, as it is influenced by external cir- cumstances. 2:135. PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION 81 There is just as much difference in the spiritual organ- ization, as you see in the temporal organization. You can see that eternal variety in both. 9:125. I see a man grow up from the infant stage to be a scholar, and by and by he has an empire, and can give laws to the people, that can equalize them, and bring them to a state of happiness and excellency,’and give them all the advantages that man can possess upon the earth, and make every man happy and comfortable. This is the work that we have upon our hands. Teach the people the faith of the Gospel. Teach them what God is, and what his work is, and that there never was a time such as many of our _ philosophers speak of, who drift back and back, and come to this theory and that theory, and go back, and back to the time when we were all reptiles. When was there a time when there was not a God? But, say they, there must have been a time. Then you declare to me, do you, that there was a time when there was no time? And this is the philosophy of a great many of the scientific in this day. ‘They see the heavens stretched out, but they comprehend them not. And why do they not say, if there was a time when there was no time, there will be a time again when there will be no time. What a condition for man to be in! Can we look onward and upward through the immensity of space, and behold the worlds on worlds that we call stars, and imagine that they will be blotted out forever? What an idea! 19:49. Everything in heaven,.on earth, and in hell is organized for the benefit, advantage. and exaltation of intelligent be- ings; therefore there is nothing that is out of the pale of our faith. There is nothing, I may say, good or bad, light or darkness, truth or error, but what is to be controlled 4 82 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG by intelligent beings; and we should learn how to take into our possession every blessing and every privilege that God has put within our reach, and know how to use our time, our talents, and all our acts for the advancement of his Kingdom upon the earth. 6:145. We are all his children. We are his sons and daughters naturally, and by the principles of eternal life. We are brethren and sisters. What is it that makes the dis- tinctions we see in the classes of the children of men? We see the low and the degraded, like the aborigines of our country; what is the cause of their being in their present condition? It is because of the rejection by their fathers of the Gospel of the Son of God. ‘The Gospel brings in- telligence, happiness, and glory to all who obey it and live according to its precepts. It will give them intelligence that comes from God. Their minds will be open so as to understand things as they are; they will rejoice in being blessed themselves and in blessing their fellow beings, and in being prepared to re-enter the presence of the Father and the Son. This will be their delight. 13:178. The Council.in Heaven—The Council in heaven said, “Let there be an earth, and let there be a firmament above and beneath it,” and it was so. They said, “Let there be heat and cold,’ and it was so. They said, “Let there be spring and summer, autumn and winter,” and it was so. 9 :254. “Who will redeem the earth, who will go forth and make the sacrifice for the earth and all things it contains?” The Eldest Son said: “Here am I;” and then he added, “Send me.’ But the second one, which was “Lucifer, Son of the Morning,” said, “Lord, here am I, send me, I will redeem every son and daughter of Adam and Eve that lives on the : ; os PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION 83 earth, or that ever goes on the earth.” “But,” says the Father, “that will not answer at all. I give each and every individual his agency; all must use that in order to gain exaltation in my kingdom; inasmuch as they have the power of choice they must exercise that power. They are my children; the attributes which you see in me are in my children and they must use their agency. If you undertake to save all, you must save them in unrighteousness and cor- ruption. You will be the man that will say to the thief on the cross, to the murderer on the gallows, and to him who has killed his father, mother, brothers, and sisters and little ones, ‘Now, if you will say, I repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, or on the Savior of the world, you shall be saved.’” This is what all the religious sects of the day are saying now, but Jesus did not say any such thing. 13:282. When there was rebellion in heaven, judgment was laid to the line and righteousness to the plummet, and the evil were cast out. Yet there was a portion of grace allotted to those rebellious characters. But they must go from heaven, they could not dwell there, they must be cast down to the earth to try the sons of men, and to perform their labor in producing an oppo- site in all things, that the inhabitants of the earth might _ have the privilege of improving upon the intelligence given to them, the opportunity for overcoming evil, and for learning the principles which govern eternity, that they may be exalted therein. 3:256. The Lord Almighty suffered this schism in heaven to see what his subjects would do preparatory to their coming to this earth. 14:93. In regard to the battle in heaven, that Brother Truman O. Angell referred to, how much of a battle it was I have 84 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG forgotten. I cannot relate the principal circumstances, it is so long since it happened; but I do not think it lasted very long; for when Lucifer, the Son of the Morning, claimed the privilege of having the control of this earth, and redeem- ing it, a contention arose; but I do not think it took long to cast down one-third of the hosts of heaven, as it is writ- ten in the Bible. But let me tell you that it was one-third part of the spirits who were prepared to take tabernacles upon this earth, and who rebelled against the other two- thirds of the heavenly host; and they were cast down to this world. It is written that they were cast down to the earth. They were cast down to this globe—to this terra firma that you and I walk upon, and whose atmosphere we breathe. One-third part of the spirits that were prepared for this earth rebelled against Jesus Christ, and were cast down to the earth, and they have been opposed to him from that day to this, with Lucifer at their head. He is their | general—Lucifer, the Son of the Morning. He was once a brilliant and influential character in heaven, and we will know more about him hereafter. 5 :54-55. From the spirit and tenor of the ancient Scriptures and Tevelations which we have received, it is plainly set forth that there are men preappointed to perform certain works in their lifetime, and bring to pass certain ends and pur- poses in the economy of heaven. 11:253. Do you not think that the Lord has his eye upon a great many? ‘There is a passage of Scripture that reads thus: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren,” etc. Whom did he not foreknow? I do not think there is anybody now on the earth, that has lived before us, or that will come after us, PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION 85 but what he knew. He knew who would be his anointed; he had his eye upon them all the time, as he had’ upon Moses, Pharaoh, Abraham, Melchizedek, and Noah, who was a chosen vessel to build the ark and save a remnant from the flood. 8:229. It is a mistaken idea that God has decreed all things . whatsoever that come to pass, for the volition of the crea- ture is as free as air. You may inquire whether we believe in foreordination; we do, as strongly as any people in the world. We believe that Jesus was foreordained before the foundations of the world were built, and his mission was appointed him in eternity to be the Savior of the world, yet when he came in the flesh he was left free to choose or re- fuse to obey his Father. Had he refused to obey his Father, he would have become a son of perdition. We also are free to choose or refuse the principles of eternal life. God has decreed and foreordained many things that have come to pass, and he will continue to do so; but when he decrees great blessings upon a nation or upon an individual they are decreed upon certain conditions. When he de- crees great plagues and overwhelming destructions upon nations or people, those decrees come to pass because those nations and people will not forsake their wickedness and turn unto the Lord. It was decreed that Nineveh should _ be destroyed in forty days, but the decree was stayed on the repentance of the inhabitants of Nineveh. God rules and reigns, and has made all his children as free as himself, to choose the right or the wrong, and we shall then be judged according to our works. 10:324. You cannot give any persons their exaltation unless they know what evil is, what sin, sorrow, and misery are, for no person could comprehend, appreciate and enjoy an exalta- 86 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG tion upon any other principle. The Devil with one-third part of the spirits of our Father’s Kingdom got here before us, and we tarried there with our friends, until the time came for us to come to the earth and take tabernacles, but those spirits that revolted were forbidden ever to have tabernacles of their own. You can now com- prehend how it is that they are always trying to get pos- session of the bodies of human beings; you read of a man’s being possessed of a legion, and Mary Magdalene had seven. Spesielee : Foreordination, for instance, and free grace are both true doctrines; but they must be properly coupled together and correctly classified, so as to produce harmony between these two apparently opposite doctrines. 6:291. The Plan of Salvation—The great plan called the plan of salvation—the system of doctrine, ideas, and practices that pertain to all the intelligence that exists in eternity. Sage, Elevation, exaltation and glory are the objects of the Father in peopling this earth with his progeny. 10:191. This is the plan of salvation. Jesus will never cease his work until all are brought up to the enjoyment of a king- dom in the mansions of his Father, where there are many kingdoms and many glories, to. suit the works and faithful- | ness of all men that have lived on the earth. Some will obey the celestial law and receive of its glory, some will abide the terrestrial and some the telestial, and others will receive no glory. 13:76. When you understand the Gospel plan, you will com- prehend that it is the most reasonable way of dealing with the human family. You will discern that purity, holiness, PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION 87 justice, perfection, and all that adorns the character of the Deity are contributing to the salvation of men. 8:115. Our mortal existence is a school of experience. 9:29. Our mortal bodies are all important to us; without them we never can be glorified in the eternities that will be. We are in this state of being for the express purpose of obtain- ing habitations for our spirits to dwell in, that they may be- come personages of tabernacle. 9:286. Our bodies are all important to us, though they may be old and withered, emaciated with toil, pain, and sickness, and our limbs bent with rheumatism, all uniting to hasten dissolution, for death is sown in our mortal bodies. The food and drink we partake of are contaminated with the seeds of death, yet we partake of them to extend our lives ‘ until our allotted work is finished, when our tabernacles, in a state of ripeness, are sown in the earth to produce im- mortal fruit. Yet, if we live our holy religion and let the spirit reign, it will not become dull and stupid, but as the body approaches dissolution the spirit takes a firmer hold on that enduring substance behind the veil, drawing from the depths of that eternal Fountain of Light sparkling gems of intelligence which surround the frail and sinking tabernacle with a halo of immortal wisdom. 9:288. Until the last spirit that has been designed to come here and take a tabernacle has come upon the earth, the winding- up scene cannot come. 8:352. Can you save all? Yes, you can save all that will be saved. If people are not saved, it is because they are not disposed to be saved. They act for themselves, and act from choice. 9:125. The whole object of the creation of this world is to exalt the intelligencies that are placed upon it, that they may live, 88 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG endure, and increase for ever and ever. We are not here to quarrel and contend about the things of this world, but we are here to subdue and beautify it. Let every man and woman worship their God with all their heart. Let them pay their devotions and sacrifices to him, the Supreme, and the Author of their existence. Do all the good you can to your fellow-creatures. You are flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone. God has created of one blood all the nations and kingdoms of men that dwell upon all the face of the earth: black, white, copper-colored, or whatever their color, customs, or religion, they have all sprung from the same origin; the blood of all is from the same element. 7 :290. The Lord created you and me for the purpose of becom- ing Gods like himself; when we have been proved in our present capacity, and have been faithful with all things he puts into our possession. How many will become thus privileged? Those who honor the Father and the Son; those who receive the Holy Ghost, and magnify their calling, and are found pure and holy; they shall be crowned in the presence of the Father and the Son. 43:93; The great and grand secret of salvation, which we should continually seek to understand through our faithfulness, is the continuation of the lives. 18:260. We are all the children of our common Father, who has placed us on the earth to prove ourselves, to govern, con- trol, educate and sanctify ourselves, body and spirit, unto him, according to his will and pleasure. When all that class of spirits designed to take bodies upon this earth have done so, then will come the winding-up scene of this particular department of the works of God on this earth. It is his will that we should prepare ourselves to build up his -PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION 8&9 Kingdom, gather the House of Israel, redeem and build up Zion and Jerusalem, revolutionize the world, and bring back that which has been lost through the fall. 10:2. _ The Lord has given the earth to the children of men, that by the union of mind and matter, inspired and directed by the power of eternal Priesthood, all may be made sub- ject to the Great Supreme Ruler of the universe. 9:255. The very laws which govern eternity are planned to sus- tain an eternal growth, gathering together and increasing; so that the true servant of God cannot possibly suffer loss, but will reap eternal gain, though he, for the cause of truth, is poor and needy through the whole of this short life. He has made truth his theme; and what is it? I will say it is that which endures; it is eternity, and its power is to grow, increase, and expand, adding life to life, and power to power, worlds without end. 2:129., You may ask, “What is meted out to us?” I answer the ordinances, the sacraments that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted for the salvation of the Jews, for all the House of Israel, and then for the Gentiles. This is the Gospel—the plan of salvation the Lord has given to us. This is the Kingdom the Lord has presented to us; the same he pre- sented to the Apostles in the days of Jesus. 3:90. It is the wish of our Heavenly Father to bring all his — children back into his presence. The spirits of all the human family dwelt with him before they took tabernacles of flesh and became subject to the fall and to sin. He is their spiritual Father, and has sent them here to be clothed with flesh, and to be subject, with their tabernacles, to the ills that afflict fallen humanity. When they have proved themselves faithful in all things, and worthy before him, they can then have the privilege of returning again to his 90 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG presence, with their bodies, to dwell in- the abodes of the blessed. If man could have been made perfect in his double capacity of body and spirit, without passing through the ordeals of mortality, there would have been no necessity of our coming into this state of trial and suffering. Could the Lord have glorified his children in spirit, without a body like his own, he no doubt would have done so. 11:43. We had an existence before we came into the world. Our spirits came here pure to take these tabernacles; they came to occupy them as habitations, with the understand- ing that all that had passed previously to our coming here should be taken away from us, that we should not know anything about it. 3:367. The plan by which God works is rational, and meets the capacity of his children. This earth is the home he has prepared for us, and we are to prepare ourselves and our habitations for the celestial glory in store for the faithful. None will be destroyed except those who receive the oracles of truth and reject them. None are condemned except those who have the privilege of receiving the words of eternal life and refuse to receive them. 8:294, He governs by law. He has also provided means and, in connection with the attributes he has implanted within us, has instituted ordinances which, if we will receive and improve upon, will enable us to return back into his presence: cl3ti/ 1, Is there a debt contracted between the Father and his children? There is. Our first parents trans- gressed the law that was given them in the garden; their eyes were opened. This created the debt. What is the na- ture of this debt? It is a divine debt. What will pay it? PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION 91 I ask, Is there anything short of a divine sacrifice that can pay this debt? No; there is not. A divine debt has been contracted by the children, and the Father demands recompense. He says to his children on this earth, who are in sin and transgression, it is im- possible for you to pay this debt; I have prepared a sacri- fice; I will send my Only Begotten Son to pay this divine debt. Was it necessary then that Jesus should die? Do we understand why he should sacrifice his life? The idea that the Son of God, who never committed sin, should sacrifice his life is unquestionably preposterous to the minds of many in the Christian world. But the fact exists that the Father, the Divine Father, whom we serve, the God of the Uni- verse, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Father of our spirits, provided this sacrifice and sent his Son to die for us; and it is also a great fact that the Son came to do the will of the Father, and that he has paid the debt, in fulfilment of the Scripture which says, “He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Is this easy to understand? It is perfectly easy to me; and my advice to those who have queries and doubts on this subject is, when they reason and philosophize upon it, not to plant their position in falsehood or argue hypothetically, but upon the facts as they exist, and they will come to the conclusion that unless God provides a Savior to pay this debt it can never be paid. Can all the wisdom of the world devise means by which we can be redeemed, and return to the presence of our Father and Elder Brother, and dwell with holy angels and celestial beings? No; it is beyond the power and wisdom of the inhabitants of the earth that now live, or that ever did or ever will live, to prepare or create a sacrifice that will pay this divine debt. But God 92 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG provided it, and his Son has paid it, and we, each and every one, can now receive the truth and be saved in the King- dom of God. Is it clear and plain? It is to me, and if you have the Spirit of God, it is as plain to you as HS else in the world. 14:71. Has the Lord cast an obstacle in the way of any indi- vidual, to deprive him of the privilege of being exalted? No, not one; but every thing that could be done has been done, every provision that could be made has been made, every law that could be instituted to encourage and elevate the people, to increase their faith, their knowledge, their under- standing, and to lead them to life and salvation, the Lord has brought to this people. 4:196. The world is before us, eternity is before us, and an in- exhaustible fountain of intelligence for us to obtain. 8:8. It seems to be absolutely necessary in the providence of him who created us, and who organized and fashioned all things according to his wisdom, that man must descend below all things. It is written of the Savior in the Bible that he descended below all things that he might ascend above all. Is it not so with every man? Certainly it is. It is fit, then, that we should descend below all things and come up gradually, and learn a little now and again, receive “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a ttle. eal 323. We know the design of our Father in Heaven in creat- ing the earth and in peopling it, and bringing forth the myriads of organizations which dwell upon it. We know. that all this is for his glory—to swell the eternities that are before him with intelligent beings who are capable of enjoying the height of glory. But, before we can come in possession of this, we need large experience, and its acquisi- PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION 93 tion is a slow process. Our lives here are for the purpose of acquiring this, and the longer we live the greater it should be. 14:229. It has also been decreed by the Almighty that spirits, upon taking bodies, shall forget all they had known prey- iously, or they could not have a day of trial—could not have an opportunity for proving themselves in darkness and temptation, in unbelief and wickedness, to prove themselves worthy of eternal existence. 6:333. Recollect the saying of one of the Apostles, when speak- ing about getting into the kingdom of heaven, that “if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?’ The best man that ever lived on this earth only just made out to save himself through the grace of God. The best woman that ever lived on the earth has only just made her escape from this world to a better one, with a full assurance of enjoying the first resurrection. It requires all the atonement of Christ, the mercy of the Father, the pity of angels and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to be with us always, and then to do the very best we possibly can, to get rid of this sin within us, so that we may escape from this world into the celestial kingdom. 11 :301. Millions of them have passed away, both in the Christian and in the heathen worlds, just as honest, virtuous and up- right as any now living. The Christian world say they are lost; but the Lord will save them, or, at least, all who will receive the Gospel. The plan of salvation which Jesus has revealed, and which we preach, reaches to the lowest and most degraded of Adam’s lost race. Is he going to save all in the same glory and bring all the same state of felicity? Will they who refuse to obey the Gospel of the Son of God 4 94 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG be saved and exalted in the same kingdom and glory as they who have obeyed? No, never, never! It is impossi- Dieeial oeo2a: Darkness and sin were permitted to come on this earth. Man partook of the forbidden fruit in accordance with a plan devised from eternity, that mankind might be brought in contact with the principles and powers of darkness, that they might know the bitter and the sweet, the good and the evil, and be able to discern between light and darkness, to enable them to receive light continually. 7:158. The greatest desire in the bosom of our Father Adam, or of his faithful children who are co-workers with God, our Father in Heaven, is to save the inhabitants of the earth. 8:174. CHAPTER V FREE AGENCY All rational beings have an agency of their own; and ac- cording to their own choice they will be saved or damned. O24, The volition of the creature is free; this is a law of their existence and the Lord cannot violate his own law; were he to do that, he would cease to be God. He has placed life and death before his children, and it is for them to choose. If they choose life, they receive the blessing of life; if they choose death, they must abide the penalty. This is a law which has always existed from all eternity, and will continue to exist throughout all the eternities to come. Every intelligent being must have the power of choice, and God brings forth the results of the acts of his creatures to promote his Kingdom and subserve his pur- poses in the salvation and exaltation of his children. 11 :272. My independence is sacred to me—it is a portion of that same Deity that rules in the heavens. There is not a being upon the face of the earth who is made in the image of God, who stands erect and is organized as God is, that would be deprived of the free exercise of his agency so far as he does not infringe upon others’ rights, save by good advice and a good example. 10:191. When the Lord made man, he made him an agent ac- countable to his God, with liberty to act and to do as he pleases, to a certain extent, in order to prove himself. There is a law that governs man thus far; but the law of the celes- \ “O06 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG tial kingdom, as I have frequently told you, is, and always will be, the same to all the children of Adam. 2:139. He has given them the privilege of choosing for them- selves, whether it be good or evil; but the result of our choice is still in his hand. All his children ‘have the right of making a path for themselves, of walking to the right or to the left, of telling the truth or that which is not true. This right God has given to all people who dwell on the earth, and they can legislate and act as they please; but God holds them in his hands, and he will bring forth the re- sults of his glory, and for the benefit of those who love and serve him, and he will make the wrath of men to praise him. All of us are in the hands of that God. 13:178. We possess no ability; only that which.is given us of God. He has endowed us with glorious faculties, with God- like attributes like those which are incorporated in his own nature, and he has placed us upon this earth to honor them, and to sanctify ourselves and the earth preparatory to enjoying it in its celestial state. We are not, in any- thing, independent of God. We inherit what we possess from him. Yet it is so ordained, in the fathomless wisdom of God, that we should be agents to ourselves to choose the good or the evil, and thereby save and exalt our existence, or lose it. 10:265. Our Father controls the results of our acts at his own pleasure, and we cannot prevent it. Man can’ produce and control his own acts, but he has no control over their re- sults. God causes even the wrath of man to praise him, to © redound to his glory and the salvation of his children. 8:18. The Lord has not established laws by which I am com- pelled to have my shoes made in a certain style. He has never given a law to determine whether I shall have a FREE AGENCY 97 square-toed boot or a peaked-toe boot; whether I shall have a coat with the waist just under my arms, and the skirts down to my heels; or whether I shall have a coat like the one I have on. Intelligence, to a certain extent, was be- stowed both upon Saint and sinner, to use independently, aside from whether they have the law of the Priesthood or not, or whether they have ever heard of it or not. 2:139. We cannot all do just as we please, because a great many times we want to and cannot, and that is what pro- duces misery, which is called hell. 13:33. How far does our agency extend? There are certain bounds to it. What we have witnessed in thirty years’ ex- perience teaches us that man can appoint, but God can dis- appoint. Man can load his gun to shoot his neighbor, but he cannot make the ball hit him, if the Lord Almighty see fit to turn it away. He can draw the sword to hew down his fellow-man ; but instead of that, he may fall upon it him- Seltny O: 3). There are limits to agency, and to all things and to all beings, and our agency must not infringe upon that law. A man must choose life or death, and if he chooses death he will find himself abridged, and that the agency which is given to him is so bound up that he cannot exercise it in opposition to the law, without laying himself liable to be corrected and punished by the Almighty. A man can dispose of his agency or of his birth-right. as did Esau of old, but when disposed of, he cannot again obtain it; consequently, it behooves us to be careful, and not forfeit that agency that is given to us. The difference between the righteous and the sinner, eternal life or death, happiness or misery, is this, to those who are exalted there are no bounds or limits to their privileges, their blessings 98 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG have a continuation, and to their kingdoms, thrones, and dominions, principalities, and powers there is no end, but they increase through all eternity ; whereas, those who re- ject the offer, who despise the proffered mercies of the Lord, and prepare themselves to be banished from his presence, and to become companions of the devils, have their agency abridged immediately, and bounds and limits are put to their operations. 3:267. The Lord does not compel any person to embrace the Gospel, and I do not think he will compel them to live it after they have embraced it. 10:282. Our religion will not permit us to command or force any man or woman to obey the Gospel we have embraced. And we are under no obligation to do this, for every crea- ture has as good a right, according to his organization, to choose for himself as the Gods. 14:94. Not that the diverse creeds are right, but the agency of the believers therein. demands protection for them, as well as for us. 3:257. Do you suppose that the Lord would have ever given a king to Israel, if they had not required one of his hands? No, he would have been their king and ruler, and there would have been a prophet to guide them, had it not been for their rebellion. They made choice of a king, and God gave them one in his anger. Their rebellion against the law, the agency given to them allowing their free choice, induced them to ask for a king, and God gave them one. 3:257. : When I contemplate the endless variety in the disposi- tions, understandings, temperaments, countenances, and or- ganizations of people, I am not surprised that there are those who do not understand things as I do. I expect peo- FREE AGENCY 99 ple to have their own peculiar views, forms, principles, and notions. In consequence of this great variety, we should not be astonished if all do not believe the Gospel—do not love the truth. 8:131. It is as much my right to differ from other men, as it is” theirs to differ from me, in points of doctrine and principle, when our minds cannot at once arrive at the same conclu- sion. I feel it sometimes very difficult indeed to word my thoughts as they exist in my own mind, which, I presume, is the grand cause of many apparent differences in senti- ment which may exist among the Saints. 2:123. I am not going to drive a man or a woman to heaven. A great many think that they will be able to flog people into heaven, but this can never be done, for the intelligence in us is as independent as the Gods. People are not to be driven, and you can put into a gnat’s eye all the souls of the children of men that are driven into heaven by preach- ing hell-fire. 9:124. When misuse of power has reached a certain stage, the divinity, that is within the people asserts its right and they free themselves from the power of despotism. 10:191. When the people do all they can, the Lord is bound to do the rest. 3:154. | _ Many are disposed through their own wickedness “to do as I damned please,” and they are damned. 11 :254. When a truth is presented to an intelligent person he ought to grasp it and receive it in his faith. 8:59. You may know whether you are led right or wrong, as well as you know the way home; for every principle God has revealed carries its own convictions of its truth to the human mind, and there is no calling of God to man on earth 100 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG but what brings with it the evidence of its authenticity. 9 3149, You cannot break nor destroy the will. It is influenced and controlled, more or less, by the evil that is sown in the flesh, but not in- the spirit, until the body has grown to years of accountability ; then evil, when listened_to, begins to rule and overrule the spirit God has placed within man. 6 :332. Men should not be permitted to do as they please in all things; for there are rules regulating all good societies and the business intercourse of men with each other, which are just and righteous in themselves, the violation of which cannot be countenanced either by civil or religious usages. It is not the privilege of any man to waste the time of his employer under any pretense whatever, and the cause of religion, good government, and humanity is not in the least degree advanced by the practice, but the contrary is really the case. Men should be abridged in doing wrong;. they should not be free to sin against God or against man with- out suffering such penalties as their sins deserve. , 12:153. Does it follow that a man is deprived of his rights, be- cause he lists in his heart to do the will of God? Must a man swear to prove that he has an agency? I contend _ there is no necessity for that, nor for stealing nor for doing any wrong. I can manifest to the heavens and to the in- habitants of the earth that I am free-born, and have my lib- erty before God, angels and men, when I kneel down to pray, certainly as much as if I were to go out and swear. I have the right to call my family together at certain hours for prayer, and I believe that this course proves that Iama free agent, as much as if I were to steal, swear, lie, and get drunk. 10:323. FREE AGENCY 101 We would not make everybody bow down to our re- ligion, if we had the power; for this would not be Godlike. 14 :94, | The eternal laws by which he and all others exist in the eternities of the Gods decree that the consent of the creature must be obtained before the Creator can rule per- fectly. 15:134. The Lord has a school upon the earth, and we are his scholars; and the Devil also has a school attended by a great number of scholars. While we have been learning how to sustain the Kingdom of God upon the earth, the Devil and his pupils have been learning how to sustain the kingdom of darkness. From the very nature of the two kingdoms upon one planet, the crisis must come when there will be a literal open warfare, just as much as there now is a warfare within us against evil; and if we, as individuals and as a community, have gained the victory over our pas- sions to such a degree that our Father knows that we are capable of actually sustaining the Kingdom of God upon the earth, just so true we shall be a kingdom by ourselves. If we are not yet capable of maintaining and rightly man- aging that kingdom, it will not at present be given to us in the fulness thereof; but the time will come when it will be given and established in its perfect organization on the earthicso2328. The law of liberty is the law of right in every particular. PLZ! There is not, has not been, and never can be any method, scheme, or plan devised by any being in this world for in- telligence to exist eternally and obtain an exaltation, with- out knowing the good and the evil—without tasting the bitter and the sweet. Can the people understand that it is 102 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG actually necessary for opposite principles to be placed be- fore them, or this state of being would be no probation, and we should have no opportunity for exercising the agency given us? Can they understand that we cannot obtain eter- nal life unless we actually know and comprehend by our experience the principle of good and the principle of evil, the light and the darkness, truth, virtue, and holiness,—also vice, wickedness, and corruption? We must discern and acknowledge that the providences of the Lord are over all the works of his hands—that when he produces intelligent beings he watches over them for their good. He has given human beings an intelligence designed to become eternal, self-existent, independent, and as Godlike as any being in the heavens. To answer such design, we are given our agency—the control of our belief, and must know the darkness from the light and the light from the darkness, and must taste the bitter as well as the sweet. 7 :237-238. What would we know about heaven or happiness were it not for their opposite? 3:321. Let the-Kingdom alone, the Lord steadies the ark; and if it does jostle, and appear to need steadying, if the way is a little sideling sometimes, and to all appearance threatens its overthrow, be careful how you stretch forth your hands to steady it; let us not be too officious in meddling with that which does not concern us; let it alone, it is the Lord’s works. b1ls2o2, Every person who will examine his own experience— who will watch closely the leading of his own desires—will learn that the very great majority prefer to do good rather than to do evil, and would pursue a correct course, were it not for the evil power that subjects them to its sway. FREE AGENCY 103 In wrong doing, their own consciences condemn them. 6 :330-331. . Shall we deny the existence of that which we do not understand? If we do, we would want to keep an iron bed- stead to measure every person according to our own meas- urements and dimensions; and if persons were too long we would cut them off, and if too short draw them out. But we should discard this principle, and our motto should be, we will let every one believe as he pleases and follow out | the convictions of his own mind, for all are free to choose or refuse; they are free to serve God or to deny him. We have the Scriptures of divine truth, and we are free to be- lieve or deny them. But we shall be brought to judgment before God for all these things, and shall have to give an account to him who has the right to call us to an account for the deeds done in the body. 14:131. There is not an individual upon the earth but what has within himself ability to save or to destroy himself; and such is the case with nations. 5:53. CHAPTER VI THE POWER OF EVIL Lucifer—There was a devil in heaven,-and he strove to possess the birthright of the Savior. He was a liar from the beginning, and loves those who love and make lies, as do his imps and followers here on the earth.- 8:279-80. The spirits that were cast out of heaven, which you know are recorded to have been one-third part, were thrust down to this earth, and have been here all the time, with Lucifer, the Son of the Morning, at their head. 4:133. The spirits of devils have been deprived of bodies, and that constitutes their curse, that is to say, speaking after the manner of men, you shall be wanderers on the earth, you have got to live out of doors all the time you live. That is the situation of the spirits that were sent to the earth, when the revolt took place in heaven, when Lucifer, the Son of the Morning, was cast out. Where did he go? He came here, and one-third part of the spirits in heaven came with him. Do you suppose that one-third part of all beings that existed in eternity came with him? No, but — one-third part of the spirits that were begotten and organ- ized and brought forth to become tenants of fleshly bodies to dwell upon this earth. They forsook Jesus Christ, the rightful heir, and joined with Lucifer, the Son of the Morn- ing, and came to this earth; they got here first. As soon as Mother Eve made her appearance in the garden of Eden, the Devil was on hand. 3:368-369. As it has always been, and will be yet for some time, when the sons of God assemble together Satan will be on THE POWER OF EVIL 105 hand as an accuser of the brethren, to find fault with those who are trying to do good. 11:141. The power of the Devil is limited; the power of God is unlimited. 3:267. Who owns-this earth? Does the Devil? No, he does not, he pretended to own it when the Savior was here, and promised it all to him if he would fall down and worship him ; but he did not own a foot of land, he only had posses- sion of it. He was an intruder, and is still; this earth be- longs to him that framed and organized it, and it is ex- pressly for his glory and the possession of those who love and serve him and keep his commandments; but the enemy has possession of it. 15 5S If true principles are revealed from heaven to men, and if there are angels, and there is a possibility of their com- municating to the human family, always look for an oppo- site power, an evil power, to give manifestations also; look out for the counterfeit. 240. I frequently think of the difference between the power of God and the power of the Devil. To illustrate, here is a structure in which we can be seated comfortably, protected from the heat of summer or the cold of winter. Now, it re- quired labor, mechanical skill and ingenuity and faithful- ness and diligence to erect this building, but any poor, miserable fool or devil can set fire to it and destroy it. That is just what the Devil can do, but he never can build any- thing. The difference between God and the Devil is that God creates and organizes, while the whole study of the Devil is to destroy. Every one that follows the evil inclina- tions of his own natural evil heart is going to destruction, and sooner or later he will be no more. I pray you Latter- day Saints to live your religion. 13:4. 106 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG What, then, is the mission of Satan, that common foe of all the children of men? It is to destroy and make deso- late. 11:240. The Devil delights in the work of destruction—to burn and lay waste and destroy the whole earth. He delights to convulse and throw into confusion the affairs of men, politically, religiously and morally, introducing war with its long train of dreadful consequences. It is evil which causeth all these miseries and all deformity to come upon the inhabitants of the earth. But that which is of God is pure, lovely, holy and full of all excellency and truth, no matter where it is found, in hell, in heaven, upon the earth, or in the planets. 11:240. Every providence and dispensation of God to his earthly children tends directly to life and salvation, while the in- fluences and powers exerted by the enemy upon mankind and every suggestion of our corrupt natures tends to death. LQ22245 The adversary presents his principles and arguments in the most approved style, and in the most winning tone, at- tended with the most graceful attitudes; and he is very careful to ingratiate himself into the favor of the powerful and influential of mankind, uniting himself with popular parties, floating into offices of trust and emolument by pandering to popular feeling, though it should seriously wrong and oppress the innocent. 11:238. Show me one principle that has originated by the power “of the Devil. You cannot do it. I call evil inverted good, or a correct principle made an evil use of. 3:157. The Devil’s forces are particularly marshalled against tisoraosoDo- You are aware that many think that the Devil has rule THE POWER OF EVIL 107 and power over both body and spirit. Now, I want to tell you that he does not hold any power over man, only so far as the body overcomes the spirit that is in a man, through yielding to the spirit of evil. The spirit that the Lord puts into a tabernacle of flesh, is under the dictation of the Lord Almighty ; but the spirit and body are united in order that the spirit may have a tabernacle, and be exalted; and the spirit is influenced by the body, and the body by the spirit. In the first place the spirit is pure, and under the spe- cial control and influence of the Lord, but the body is of the earth, and is subject to the power of the Devil, and is under the mighty influence of that fallen nature that is of the earth. If the spirif yields to the body, the Devil then has power to overcome the body and spirit of that man, and he loses both. Recollect, brethren and sisters, every one of you, that when evil is suggested to you, when it arises in your hearts, it is through the temporal organization. When you are tempted, buffeted, and step out of the way inadvertently ; when you are overtaken in a fault, or commit an overt act unthinkingly; when you are full of evil passion, and wish to yield to it, then stop and let the spirit, which God has put into your tabernacles, take the lead. If you do that, I will promise that you will overcome:-all evil, and obtain eternal lives. But many, very many, let the spirit yield to the body, and are overcome and destroyed. 2:255. Evil is with us, it is that influence which tempts to sin, - and which has been permitted to come into the world for the express purpose of giving us an opportunity of proving ourselves before God, before Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, before the holy angels, and before all good men, that we are determined to overcome the evil, and cleave to the good, for 108 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG © the Lord has given us the ability to do so. Consequently, when the evil is present with me, I have a little fighting to do, I must turn and combat it until it is eradicated from my affections, as well as from my actions, that I may have power to do all the good I wish to perform. Every person is capable of this, all can bridle their tongues, and cease from every evil act from this time henceforth and forever, and do good instead. 1:91. There are but two parties on the earth, one for God and the other for the world or the evil one. No matter how many names the Christian or heathen world bear, or how many sects and creeds may exist, there are but two parties, one for heaven and God, and the other will go to some other kingdom than the celestial kingdom of God. 14:73. Do not imagine that I am in the least finding fault with the Devil. I would not bring a railing accusation against him, for he is fulfilling his office and calling manfully ; he is more faithful in his calling than are many of the people. God is not yet going to destroy wickedness from the earth. How frequently we hear it reiterated from the pulpit that he is going to ‘destroy all wickedness. No such thing. He will destroy the power of sin. The work the Savior has on hand is to reduce the power of the Devil to perfect subjec- tion; and when he‘has destroyed death and him that has the power of it, pertaining to this world, then he will de- . liver up the kingdom spotless to the Father. 9:108. Cease to mingle with the wicked. Many of our Elders seem to believe that Christ and Baal can yet be made friends. How many times Elders of Israel try to make me fellowship the Devil, or his imps, or his servants; also try ‘ to make you fellowship your enemies, to amalgamate the ° feelings of the Saints and the ungodly! It cannot be done; THE POWER OF EVIL 109 it never was done, and never can be accomplished. Christ and Baal never can be friends. One or the other must reign triumphantly on the earth, and I say that Jesus Christ shall reign, and I will help him; and Baal shall not reign here much longer—the Devil shall not have power much longer upon the land of Joseph. 8:325-6. Who is the enemy of mankind? He who wishes to change truth for error and light for darkness; he who wishes to take peace from a family, city, state or nation and give the sword in return. He is my enemy, he is your enemy and the enemy of mankind. Who is the friend of mankind? He who makes peace between those who are at enmity, who brings together those who, perhaps, through some misunderstanding, have been at variance with and ° lost. friendship and fellowship for each other, amd shows them that their ill-will is without foundation and existed simply because they did not understand each other. 16:24. Who is your enemy and mine? He that teaches lan- guage that is unbecoming, that presents falsehood for truth, that furnishes false premises to build upon instead of true, or that is full of anger and mischief to his fellow beings. I call .o others enemies. 16:24. | Can error live? No, it is the very plant of destruction, it destroys itself; it withers, it fades, it falls and decays and returns to its native element. Every untruth, all error, everything that is unholy, unlike God, will, in its time, perish. 14:93. You need have no fear but the fear to offend God. 4:369. — Who are the evildoers? Those who have had the light presented to them, and rejected it. 8:357. If we live so as to enjoy the spirit of the faith that we 110 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG have embraced there is no danger of our being deceived. 14:157. The wicked cannot do anything against the truth. Every move they make to crush the Kingdom of God will be at- tended with the signal blessings of the Almighty for its fur- ther extension and ultimate triumph. All their efforts will result in the overthrow of sin and iniquity, and the in- crease of righteousness and the Kingdom of God upon the earth io sl/ 9: False Spirits—There are many spirits gone out into the world, and the false spirits are giving revelations as Well as the Spirit of the Lord. 3:44. There are myriads of disembodied evil spirits—those . who have long ago laid down their bodies here and in the regions round about, among and around us; and they are trying to make us and our children sick, and are trying to destroy us and to tempt us to evil. They will try every possible means they are masters of to draw us aside from the path of righteousness. 6:73-4. The children of men give heed to the deceiving spirits that are abroad, and that is the cause of the ten thousand errors, wrongs, sins and divisions which are in the world, and for this reason the multitude are unable to distinguish between the voice of the Good Shepherd and the voice of the stranger. 16:75. It was revealed to me in the commencement of this Church, that the Church would spread, prosper, grow and extend, and that in proportion to the spread of the Gospel . among the nations of the earth, so would the power of Satan rise. It was told you here that Brother Joseph warned the Elders of Israel against false spirits. It was re- vealed to me that if the people did not receive the spirit of THE POWER OF EVIL 111 revelation that God had sent for the salvation of the world, they would receive false spirits and would have revelation. Men would have revelation, women would have revelation, the priest in the pulpit and the deacon under the pulpit would have revelation, and the people would have revela- tion enough to damn the whole nation, and nations of them, unless they would hearken to the voice of God. It was not only revealed to Joseph but to your humble servant, that false spirits would be as prevalent and as common among the inhabitants of the earth as we now see them. 13:280. No man gets power from God to raise disturbance in any Branch of the Church. Such power is obtained from an evilEsOUurce. 9.93: We may be within the pale of the Kingdom of God on earth, yet we are liable to be overcome of evil. There are many spirits who have gone abroad in the world, and men are overcome by false spirits, and led astray from the path of truth. They will begin by doing some evil thing out of sight, and say, “O, it is nothing, it is a mere trifle, and the Lord is merciful and -forgiveth sin.” The sins which are considered trifles lay the foundation for greater evils, and expose men to be tempted, and buffeted by Satan, and they will be overcome little by little, until by and by they are overtaken in a fault which is more aggravating in the sight of justice, which lays the foundation for another trial more severe, and to be buffeted more by the Devil, for they lay themselves more liable to his power. 2:121. Suppose I were to teach you a false doctrine, how are you to know it if you do not possess the Spirit of God? As it is written, “The things of God knoweth no man but by the Spirit of God.” 18:72. Our doctrine is right—there is no deception in it. It 112 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG requires no argument, for it is a self-evident fact. Still, - when we meddle with that which we know nothing about, we are apt to fall into error and differ ; but we have so much which we do know, and think about and talk about, that we have no time to speculate about that which we do not know. We know that God lives. 10:327. What is called spirit-rapping, spirit-knocking, and so forth, is produced by the spirits that the Lord has suffered to communicate to people on the earth, and make them be- lieve in revelation. 7:239. When we go into the world we find quite a portion of the people who belong’ to a class called Spiritualists. They would like to have it considered that “Mormonism” is noth- ing but Spiritualism. A great many want to know the dif- ference between the two. I will give one-feature of the difference, and then set the whole scientific world to work to see if they can ever bring to bear the same feature in Spiritualism. Take all who are called Spiritualists and see if they can produce the order that is in the midst of this people. Here are system, order, organization, law, rule, and: facts. Now see if they can produce any one of these fea- tures. They cannot. Why? Because their system is from beneath, while ours is perfect and is from above; one is from God, the other is from the Devil, that is all the difference. Loony, Spiritualism is a mass of confusion, it is a body without parts and passions, principle or power. ‘13 :266. There is evil in the world, and there is also good. Was there ever a counterfeit without a true coin? No. Is there communication from God? Yes. From holy angels? Yes; and we have been proclaiming these facts during nearly thirty years. Are there any communications from evil THE POWER OF EVIL 113 spirits? Yes; and the Devil is making the people believe very strongly in revelations from the spirit world. This is called Spiritualism, and it is said that thousands of spirits declare that “Mormonism” is true; but what do that class of spirits know more than mortals? Perhaps a little more in some particulars than is known here, but it is only a little more. They are subject in the spirit world to the same powers they were subject to here. 7:240. Mesmerism is an inverted truth; it originated in holy, good and righteous principles, which have been inverted by the power of the Devil. 3:156. The principle of animal magnetism is true, but wicked men use it to an evil purpose. Speaking is a true gift, but I can speak to the glory of God, or to the injury of his cause and to my condemnation, as I please; and still the gift is of God. The gift of animal magnetism is a gift of God, but wicked men use it to promote the cause of the Devil, and that is precisely the difference. 3:370. I know of many whom mesmerism has led out of this Church; they would see the sick healed, and attribute it to the power of God; would fall under its influence, embrace and practice it, and thus give the Devil power over them to lead them out of the Kingdom of God. They could not tell whether it was the power of God or the power of the Devil. What is the reason? They had not the light of revelation within them; they had not the knowledge of God. Are you not aware how easily we may be deceived? 3:156. There are many Elders in this house who, if I had the power to mesmerize that vase and make it dance on that table, would say that it was done by the power of God. Who could tell whether it was done by the power of God or the power of the Devil? No person, unless he had the 5 114 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG revelations of Jesus Christ within him. I suppose you are ready to ask Brother Brigham if he thinks the power of the Devil could make the vase dance. Yes, and could take it up and carry it out doors, just as easy as to turn up a . table and move it here and there, or to cause a rap, rap, ‘rap, or to bake and pass around pancakes, or to get hold of a person’s hand, and make him write in every style you can think of, imitating George Washington’s, Benjamin Frank- lin’s, Joseph Smith’s, and other autographs. Can you tell whether that is by the power of God or by the power of the Devil? No, unless you have the revelations of Jesus Christ. elo fg I have seen the effects of animal magnetism, or some anomalous sleep, or whatever it may be called, many a time in my youth. I have seen persons lie on the benches, on the floor of the meeting house, or on the ground at their camp meetings, for ten, twenty, and thirty minutes, and I do not know but an hour, and not a particle of pulse about them. That was the effect of what I call animal magnet- ism; they called it the power of God, but no matter what it was, I used to think that I should like to ask such per- sons what they had seen in their trance or vision; and when I got old enough and dared ask them, I did so. I have said to such persons: “Brother, what have you experienced ?” “Nothing.” “What do you know more than before you had this; what do you call it—trance, sleep or dream? Do you know any more now than before you fell to the earth?” “Nothing more.” “Have you seen any person?” “No.” “Then what is the use or utility of your falling down here> in the dirt?’ I could not see it, and consequently I was an infidel to this. But I said then as I say now—“Show me a church that God has organized, and you will find apostles _ THE POWER OF, EVIL 115 to rule, govern, control, dictate, and give counsel. You will find prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, governments, helps, and diversities of tongues. When the Church and Kingdom of God is upon the earth you will find all these things and you will also hear prophesying therein. 14:113. Many people in this city do not know whether astrology is true or not, whether it is of God or the Devil; hence they are liable to be deceived, as is every person unless they have the power of revelation within themselves. If there are any brethren here who have been studying astrology, and they were called upon to speak, would they not say that they believed it to be a true science? They would; they testify that they know it to be true. But what does it do for them? It leads them into thousands of errors. Does God ever lead you into error? Is he mistaken when he reveals? No; when he sets you to make calculations and figures, I will insure you that every sum will prove and come out precisely right. The Lord does not deceive peo- ple, but astrology and mesmerism do lead them astray. How many deceptions are there in the world? Millions, for a great many spirits have gone forth into the world to de- ceive the people. Spirit rappings are of the same class. tO: Priestcraft—The priests are angry because they are afraid that their religion is nothing but a sandy founda- tioned fabric; and whenever they meditate upon the subject and humble themselves, and the Spirit of the Lord finds its way to their hearts and convicts them, the truth then is made manifest before them, and they begin to learn the falsity of their systems; and’ when that spirit leaves them, they become angry. “Mormonism” is declared to be true by hosts of witnesses, and this makes the priests angry ; for 116 ; DISCOURSES. OF BRIGHAM YOUNG this Gospel bears its own weight and testimony, and they know not how to gainsay it. True, I‘ have aimed to point out their errors; but it is not you or me that they are op- posed to, although they throw their darts at us; but it is the spirit of conviction that goes with the report of this work; for wherever it goes it strikes conviction to the heart, and that is what disturbs the priests and the people. 5:4-5. Go to the United States, into Europe, or wherever you can come across men who have been in the midst of this people, and one will tell you that we are a poor, ignorant, deluded people; the next will ‘tell you that we are the most industrious and intelligent people on the earth, and are destined to rise to eminence as a nation, and spread, and continue to spread, until we revolutionize the whole earth. _ If you pass on to the third man, and inquire what he thinks of the “Mormons,” he will say they are fools, duped and led astray by Joe Smith, who was a knave, and a false prophet, and a money digger. Why is all this? It is be- cause there is a spirit in man. And when the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached on the earth, and the Kingdom of God is established, there is also a spirit in these things, and an almighty spirit too. When these two spirits come in contact one with the other, the spirit of the Gospel reflects light upon the spirit which God has placed in man, and wakes him up to a consciousness of his true state, which makes him afraid he will be condemned, for he perceives at once that “Mormonism” is true. “Our craft is in danger,” is the first thought that strikes the wicked and dishonest of mankind, when the light of truth shines upon them. Say — they, “If these people called Latter-day Saints are correct” in their views, the whole world must be wrong, and what will become of our time-honored institutions, and of our. a THE POWER OF EVIL | 117 influence, which we have swayed successfully over the minds of the people for ages. This Mormonism must be put down.” So priestcraft presents a bold and extended front against the truth. 1:188. It is not in my being called a Quaker, a Methodist or a “Mormon” that is the true cause of contention between these two great powers—Christ and Belial; but it is in the fact that God has established his Kingdom upon the earth and restored the holy Priesthood which gives men author- ity and power to administer in his name. 11 :238. Instead of seeking unto the Lord for wisdom, they seek unto vain philosophy and the deceit and traditions of men, which are after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. They are led by their own imaginations and by the dictates of their selfish will, which will lead them in the end to miss the object of their pursuit. 10:209. Sin and Wickedness—God permits sin, or it could not be here. 13:151. The law is for the transgressor. 15:161. All evil is from beneath, while all that is good is from God. 13:267. Aside from the revelations in our day, there is not knowledge enough to tell you why God suffered sin to come into the world. You have been told the reason why—that all intelligence must prove facts by their opposite. 6:144. I wish you to understand that sin is not an attribute in the nature of man, but it is an inversion of the attributes God has placed in him. Righteousness tends to an eternal duration of organized intelligence, while sin bringeth to pass their dissolution. 10:251. Sin has come into the world, and death by sin. I fre- quently ask myself the question: Was there any necessity 118 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG ‘for sin to enter the world? Most assuredly there was, ac- cording to my understanding and reasoning powers. Did I not know the evil I could never know the good; had I not seen the light I should never be able to comprehend what darkness is. Had I never tried to see and behold a thing in darkness I could not understand the beauty and glory of the light. If I had never tasted the bitter or the sour how could IJ define or describe the sweet? 13:59. The annoyances, difficulties, errors, perplexities, sor- rows, and troubles of this life, from first to last, are in con- sequence of sin being in the world. For me to Say it is not right for sin to be in the world, or if we, as intelligent beings, come to the conclusion that sin entered the world by chance,-through some mistake, and it was contrary to the design of him who created us, we should err. 14:98. Let a Saint diverge from the path of truth and rectitude, in the least, no matter in what, it may be in a deal with his neighbor, in lusting after that which is not in his possession, in neglecting his duty, in having an over anxiety for some- thing he should not be anxious about, in being a little dis- trustful with regard to the providences of God, in enter- taining a misgiving in his heart and feeling with regard to the hand of the Lord towards him, and his mind will begin to be darkened. 3:222. The law of God is pointed against sin and iniquity, and where they appear it is unbending in its nature and must, sooner or later, hold sovereign rule against them, or righte- ousness could never prevail. 3:256. | Paul asks, “Shall we sin that righteousness may abound?” No, there is plenty of sin without your sinning. We can have all the experience we need, without sinning ourselves, therefore we will not sin that good may come, - THE POWER OF EVIL 119 we will not transgress the law of God that we may know the opposite. There is no necessity for such a course, for the world is full of transgression,.and this people need not mingle up with it. 3:224. It is as manly and as praiseworthy for an individual to make the choice to do good, work righteousness and love and serve God—it is more noble, than to choose the down- ward road. One or the other will be the choice of every in- dividual. Do not trifle with evil, or you will be overcome by it before you know. 12:231. Many imbibe the idea that they are capable of leading out in teaching principles that never have been taught. They are not aware that the moment they give way to this hallucination the Devil has power over them to lead them onto unholy ground; though this is a lesson which they ought to have learned long ago, yet it is one that was learned by but few in the days of Joseph. 3:318. It is far better to die in a good cause than to live in a bad one; it is better to die doing good than to live doing evil. 11:134. Sin is in the world, but it is not necessary that we should sin, because sin is in the world; but, to the contrary, it is necessary that we should resist sin, and for this purpose is sin necessary. Sin exists in all the eternities. Sin is co- eternal with righteousness, for it must needs be that there is an opposition in all things. 10:2. Look at ourselves—run over our own experience, and we shall discover that ourselves, our neighbors, our friends, our acquaintances, and all people do not always know when they are happy. In other words, if you could crowd an individual or a community into heaven without experience, it would be no enjoyment to them. They must know the 120 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG opposite ; they must know how. to contrast, in order to prize and appreciate the comfort and happiness, the joy and the bliss they are actually in possession of. 5:294. There is a clear distinction made between the sinner and the ungodly. A person to be ungodly must have known godliness, and must have a knowledge of what the Lord re- quires concerning him. There are many in the midst of this people who believe the Gospel with all their hearts, but yet do wickedly; this makes them ungodly. 2:258. I would not associate with those who blaspheme the name of God, nor would I let my family associate with them. By this you may know whether you are in the path that leads to life and salvation. If you can hear the name of the Deity lightly spoken of and blasphemed, and not be shocked at it, you may know that you are not in that path. 12 :219-220. : Improvement belongs to the spirit and plan of the heavens. To improve in our minds, to increase in wisdom, knowledge and understanding, to gather every item of knowledge that we can in mechanism and in science of every description, respecting the earth, the object of the organization of the earth, the heavens, the heavenly bodies —all this is of Heaven, it is from God; but when a person or a people begin to dwindle, to lessen and to take the downward course, they are going from heaven and heavenly things. 16:65. Many of us have been taught the doctrine of total de- pravity—that man is not naturally inclined to do good. I am satisfied that he is more inclined to do right than to do wrong. There is a greater power within him to shun evil and perform good, than to do the opposite. 9:247. The wickedness of the children of men is what influences THE POWER OF EVIL 121 them to fear. They are not afraid of their own laws, be- cause they originated from themselves; they can manage them and blot them out of existence whenever they wish. But when that which is said to be the Kingdom of God, or the theocracy of neaven, is upon the earth, many of the in- habitants thereof tremble, and fear that it is not correct. 7 :148. How much does it take to prepare a man, or woman, or any being, to become angels to the Devil, to suffer with him to all eternity? Just as much as it does to prepare a man to go into the celestial kingdom, into the presence of the Father and the Son, and to be made an heir to his King- dom, and all his glory, and be crowned with crowns of glory, immortality, and eternal lives. 3:93. Let not your feelings be afflicted or in anywise trou- bled by the sayings and doings of the wicked, for they are in the hands of the Almighty, and he will dispose of indi- viduals and nations as seemeth him good. He must give them an opportunity to receive the truth and prepare themselves to dwell eternally with him, or to reject it and prepare themselves to be cut down as cumberers of the ground, suffer the wrath of the Almighty, and perish and be wasted away until they will be known no more. Seek for that which will endure. 7:270. It is not right, I will say, for people to know the truth and live in disobedience to it; it is not right for them to understand the ways and providences of God as they are dealt out to the people on the earth, when they live and are determined to live in violation of every commandment and law of God; and because they do so live, ignorance covers them as with a mantle, shuts out the light of truth from them, and keeps them in darkness; and if the light were to 122 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG shine upon them, as it doés now and as it did in the days of the Apostles, would they receive it? No, they would not. Light has come into the world, but the wicked choose darkness rather than light. Why? It was told in days of old that their deeds were evil. That is the fact today— “They choose darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil,” and their hearts are fully set in them to do evil. 15:64. Let the wicked say what they please, for their breath is in their nostrils, and all their glory is like the grass-and the flower of the grass that passeth away. They are here but for a moment, and soon those who know them now will know them no more for ever. They will soon be as though they had not been upon the earth. 7:270. The hand of the Almighty is over the wicked, and he handles them according to his good pleasure, as he does the Saints. His hand is over us, and his hand is over them. But there is a thick mist cast before their eyes, so they do not discern the truth of “Mormonism.” Do you wonder that they are mad, when they see the progress of truth? I do not. 4:38. I never believed that the righteous have éver suffered as much as the wicked. 11:274. The wicked do not know how to enjoy life, but the closer we live to God the better we know and understand how to enjoy it. Live so that you can enjoy the Spirit of the Lord continually. 10:336. Temptation—I am happy, brethren, for the privilege of having temptation. A great many people have thought that in my life I was not tempted like other men. I tell them if I am it is none of their business; it is nothing to them. Some say, “Brother Brigham, you slide along and THE POWER OF EVIL 123 the Devil lets you alone.” If I have battles with him, I can overcome him single handed quicker than to call in my neighbors to help me. If I am tempted to speak an evil word, I will keep my lips locked together. Says one, “I do not know about that, that would be smothering up bad feelings, I am wonderfully tried about my neighbor, he has done wrong, he has abused me and I feel dreadful bad about it. Had I not better let it out than to keep it rankling within me?” No. I will keép bad feelings under and actu- ally smother them to death, then they are gone. But as sure as I let them out they will live and afflict me. If I smother them in myself, if I actually choke them to death, destroy the life, the power, and vigor thereof, they will pass off and leave me clear of fault, and pure, so far as that is con- cerned; and no man or woman on earth knows that I have ever been tempted to indulge in wicked feelings. Keep them to yourselves. If you feel evil, keep it to yourselves until you overcome that evil principle. This is what I call resisting the Devil, and he flees from me. I strive not to speak evil, not to feel evil, and if I do, to keep it to myself until it is gone from me, and not let it pass my lips. 3:195. Thousands of temptations assail, and you make a miss here and a slip there, and say that you have not lived up to all the knowledge you have. True; but often it is‘a marvel to me that you have lived up to so much as you have, considering the power of the enemy upon the earth. Few that have ever lived have fully understood that power. I do not fully comprehend the awful power and influence Satan has upon the earth, but I understand enough to know that it is a marvel that the Latter-day Saints are as good as they are. 8:285. 124 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG It is necessary in the very nature of things, in the econ- omy of heaven, that we should be tried and tempted in all things, in order to prove ourselves and prepare ourselves to enjoy that eternal life that is prepared for the just. The time will be when people will not be tempted as they now are—when there will be no Tempter upon the earth. The knowledge and intelligence that will be diffused among the people will enable them to live a time and a season without the Tempter. But we live in a day when the power and rule of that evil principle is more excessive upon the earth than it ever has been. 7:268. When we neglect any one of these duties, the enemy says, “I have made so much ground.” If the-Devil can in- duce an Elder to drink a little, he is not satisfied with this triumph, but says to him, “Your wife and children know it, don’t pray tonight.” The Elder says to his family, “I feel tired tonight, we won’t have prayers.” The enemy says, “I have gained another point.” You indulge still further, and you will find other excuses. Your head is not right, your heart is not right, your conscience is not right, and you re- tire again without praying. By and by, you begin to doubt something the Lord has revealed to us, and it is not long before such a one is led away captive of the Devil. 18:216. When you are tempted to do wrong, do not stop one moment to argue, but tell Mr. Devil to walk out of your barn. 3<399: When the Devil cannot overcome an individual through temptation to commit wickedness, when he sees that a per- son is determined to walk in the line and travel straight forward into the celestial kingdom, he will adopt a course of flattery, will strive to exercise a pleasing influence and move along smoothly with him, and when he sees an oppor- THE POWER OF EVIL 125 tunity he will try to turn him out of the way, if it is only to the extent of a hair’s breadth. 3:318. Do not suppose that we shall ever in the flesh be free from temptations to sin. Some suppose.that they can in the flesh be sanctified, body and spirit, and become so pure that they will never again feel the effects of the power of the adversary of truth. Were it possible for a person to attain to this degree of perfection in the flesh, he could not die, neither remain in a world where sin predominates. Sin has entered into the world, and death by sin. I think we shall more or less feel the effects of sin so long as we live, _and finally have to pass the ordeals of death. Do not under- stand that in the flesh we shall ever overcome the power of sin to such a degree that we shall never taste death. I do not look for any such thing, though what we call death, or laying down this body, is only the door to a higher state of life for the faithful. If we live our religion it will enable us to so overcome sin that it will not reign in our mortal bodies but will become subject to us, and the world and its fulness will become our servant instead of our master. 10:173. As soon as a man hears the Gospel preached and be- comes convinced of its truthfulness, he is tempted of the Devil, who, whenever there is an opportunity, suggests doubt for his reflection. If he entertain these doubting in- fluences it is not long before what he believed true becomes a matter of conjecture. Another may receive the Gospel, travel and preach it faithfully, feeling in his heart to ex- claim, “Glory to God in the highest,” having no other mo- tive than to do good to his fellow beings. By and by he perhaps is left to himself, saying—‘“I wonder if I really was 126 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG right?” This single doubt is perhaps the beginning of his apostasy from the Church. 18:215. Serve God according to the best knowledge you have, and lay down and sleep quietly ; and when the Devil comes along and says, “You are not a very good Saint, you might enjoy greater blessings and more of the power of God, and have the vision of your mind opened, if you would live up to your privileges,” tell him to leave; that you have long ago forsaken his ranks and enlisted in the army of Jesus, who is your captain, and that you want no more of the Devil. | 4:270. When temptations come to you, be humble and faith- ful, and determined that you will overcome, and you will receive a deliverance, and continue faithful, having the promise of receiving blessings. 16:164. Apostasy—It is most astonishing to every principle of intelligence that any man or woman will close their eyes upon eternal things after they have been made acquainted with them, and let the gay things of this world, the lusts of the eye, and the lusts of the flesh, entangle their minds and draw them one hair’s breadth from the principles of life. 4:59. If the candle of the Almighty does not shine from this place, you need not seek for light anywhere else. 4:93. To know the truth of my testimony he must have the visions and revelations of God for himself. And when he . gets them, and turns aside becoming a traitor to the cause of righteousness, the wrath of God will beat upon him, and the vengeance of the Almighty will be heavy upon him. 2 :140. » It was said here this morning that no person ever apos- tatized, without actual transgression. Omission of duty THE POWER OF EVIL 127 leads to commission. We want to live so as to have the Spirit every day, every hour of the day, every minute of the day, and every Latter-day Saint is entitled to the Spirit of God, to the power of the Holy Ghost, to lead him in his _ individual duties. 10:296. He will make false prophecies, yet he will do it by the spirit of prophecy; he will feel that he is a prophet and can prophesy, but he does it by another spirit and power than that which was given him of the Lord. He uses the gift as much as you and I use ours.. 3:364. Let a man or woman who has received much of the power of God, visions and revelations, turn away from the holy commandments of the Lord, and it seems that their senses are taken from them, their understanding and judg- ment in righteousness are taken away, they go into dark- ness, and become like a blind person who gropes by the wall. 2:301. ; The person that forsakes the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ will find himself ruined for time and eternity. How are they looked upon who have received the Spirit of the Gospel and forsaken it? With a few exceptions, they are despised by the good and wise among men, by the noble and ignoble; all despise them, and they are in a most miser- able condition. 7:146. Whenever there is a disposition manifested in any of the members of this Church to question the right of the President of the whole Church to direct in all things, you see manifested evidences of apostasy—of a spirit which, if encouraged, will lead to a separation from the Church and to final destruction ; wherever there is a disposition to operate against any legally appointed officer of this Kingdom, no inatter in what capacity he is called to act, if persisted in, 128 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG it will be followed by the same results; they will “walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise gov- ernment. Presumptuous are they, self-willed; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.” 11 :136. When a man begins to find fault, inquiring in regard to this, that, and the other, saying, “Does this or that look as though the Lord dictated it?” you may know that that per- son has more or less of the spirit of apostasy. Every man in this Kingdom, or upon the face of the earth, who is seek- ing with all his heart to save himself, has as much to do as he can conveniently attend to, without calling in question that which does not belong to him. If he succeeds in-say- ing himself, it has well occupied his time and attention. See to it that you are right yourselves; see that sins and folly do not manifest themselves with the rising sun. I repeat that it is as much as any one can well do to take care of himself by: performing every duty that pertains to his temporal and eternal welfare. 8:12. What is that which turns people away from this Church? Very trifling affairs are generally the commencement of their divergence from the right path. If we follow a com- pass, the needle of which does not point correctly, a very slight deviation in the beginning will lead us, when we have traveled some distance, far to one side of the true point for which we are aiming. 12:125. When men lose the spirit of the work in which we are engaged, they become infidel in their feelings. They say that they do not know whether the Bible is true, whether the Book of Mormon is true, nor about new revelations, nor whether there is a God or not. When they lose the spirit of this work, they lose the knowledge of the things of God in time and in eternity; all is lost to them. 8:316. THE POWER OF EVIL 129 Those who leave the Church are like a feather blown to and fro in the air. They know not whither they are going; they do not understand anything about their own exist- ence; their faith, judgment and the operation of their minds are as unstable as the movements of the feather floating in ‘the air. We have not anything to cling to, only faith in the Gospel. 15:136. If the people would live their religion, there would be no apostasy and we would hear no complaining or fault- finding. If the people were hungry for the words of eternal life, and their whole souls even centered on the building up of the Kingdom of God, every heart and hand would be ready and willing and the work would move forward mightily and we would advance as we should do. 13:153. Men begin to apostatize by taking to themselves strength, by hearkening to the whisperings of the enemy who leads them astray little by little, until they gather to themselves that which they call the wisdom of man; then they begin to depart from God, and their minds become con- fused. 18:231. You have known men who, while in the Church, were active, quick and full of intelligence; but after they have left the Church, they have become contracted in their under- standings, they have become darkened in their minds and everything has become a mystery to them, and in regard to the things of God, they have become like the rest of the world, who think, hope and pray that such and such things may be so, but they do not know the least about it. This is precisely the position of those who leave this Church; they go into the dark, they are not able to judge, conceive or comprehend things as they are. They are like the drunken man—he thinks that everybody is the worse for liquor but himself, and he is the only sober man in the neighborhood. 130 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG The apostates think that everybody is wrong but them- selves. 16:65. You hear many say, “I am a Latter-day Saint, and I never will apostatize”; “I am a Latter-day Saint, and shall be to the day of my death.” I never make such declara- tions, and never shall. I think I have learned that of my- self I have no power, but my system is organized to in- crease in wisdom, knowledge, and power, getting a little _ here and a little there. But when I am left to myself, I have no power, and my wisdom is foolishness; then I cling .close to the Lord, and I have power in his name. I think /I have learned the Gospel so as to know, that in and of my- self I am nothing. 1:337. If you want to see the principle of devilism to perfec- tion, hunt among those who have once enjoyed the faith of the holy Gospel and then forsaken their religion. We have the best and the worst. Why the worst? Because the Devil prompts men and women of the meanest and lowest grade to embrace the Gospel and get a foothold in the King- dom of God to destroy it. 7:145. People do, however, leave this Church, but they leave it because they get into darkness, and the very day they con- clude that there should be a democratic vote, or in other words, that we should have two candidates for the pre- siding Priesthood in the midst of the Latter-day Saints, they conclude to be apostates. There is no such thing as confusion, division, strife, animosity, hatred, malice, or two sides to the question in the house of God; there is but one side to the question there. 14:92. If the Saints neglect to pray, and violate the day that is set apart for the worship of God, they will lose his Spirit. If a man shall suffer himself to be overtome with anger, and curse and swear, taking the name of the Deity in vain, THE POWER OF EVIL 131 he cannot retain the Holy Spirit. In short, if a man shall do anything which he knows to be wrong, arid repenteth not, he cannot enjoy the Holy Spirit, but will walk in dark- ness and ultimately deny the faith. 11:134. What have the Latter-day Saints got to apostatize from? Everything that there is good, pure, holy, God-like, exalting, ennobling, extending the ideas, the capacities of the intelli- gent beings that our Heavenly Father has brought forth upon this earth. What will they receive in exchange? I can comprehend it in a very few words. These would be the words that I should use: death, hell and the grave. That is what they will get in exchange. We may go into the particulars of that which they experience. They experi- ence darkness, ignorance, doubt, pain, sorrow, grief, mourn- ing, unhappiness; no person to condole with in the hour - of trouble, no arm to lean upon in the day of calamity, no eye to pity when they are forlorn and cast down; and I comprehend it by saying death, hell and the grave. This is what they will get in exchange for their apostasy from the Gospel of the Son of God. 16:160. Why do people apostatize? You know we are on the “Old Ship Zion.” We are in the midst of the ocean. A storm comes on, and, as sailors say, she labors very hard. “I am not going to stay here,” says one; “I don’t believe this is the ‘Ship Zion.’” “But we are in the midst of the ocean.” “T don’t care, I am not going to stay here.” Off goes the coat, and he jumps overboard. Will he not be drowned? Yes. So with those who leave this Church. It is the “Old Ship Zion,” let us stay in it. 10:295. Will there still be apostasy? Yes, brethren and sisters, you may expect that people will come into the Church and then apostatize. You may expect that some people will run well for a season, and then fall out by the way. 2:250. 132 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Many receive the Gospel because they know it is true; they are convinced in their judgment that it is true; strong argument overpowers them, and they are rationally com- pelled to admit the Gospel to be true upon fair reasoning. They yield to it, and obey its first principles, but never seek to be enlightened by the power of the Holy Ghost; such ones frequently step out of the way. 2:250. What has already become of those who, during our short existence as a Church, have come out against us, politically, judicially, or otherwise, those who have raised their puny arms to destroy the Kingdom of God from the earth! They have become powerless, like the dew before the rising sun; they have vanished away, their names are almost forgotten; and if this is not the case with all, it will be. 18 :232. | One of the first steps to apostasy is to find fault with your Bishop; and when that is done, unless repented of, a second step is soon taken, and by and by the person is cut off from the Church, and that is the end of it. Will you allow yourselves to find fault with your Bishop? No; but come to me, go to the High Council, or to the President of the Stake, and ascertain whether your Bishop is doing wrong, before you find fault and suffer yourselves to speak against a presiding officer. 9:141. God is at the helm of this great ship, and that makes me feel good. When I think about the world, and the enemies of the cause of God, I care no more about them than I do for a parcel of mosquitoes. All hell may howl, and they may run up and down the earth and seek whom they may destroy, but they cannot move the faithful and pure in heart. Let those apostatize who wish to, but God will save all who are determined to be saved. 4:111. | | CHAPTER VII THE LAW OF ETERNAL PROGRESSION Object of Mortal Life—This life is worth as much to us as any life in the eternities of the Gods. 9:170. The object of this existence is to learn, which we can only do a little ata time. 9:167. What are we here for? To learn to enjoy more, and to increase in knowledge and in experience. 14:228. The whole mortal existence of man is neither more nor less than a preparatory state given to finite beings, a space wherein they may improve themselves for a higher state of being. 1:334. We are placed on ,this earth to prove whether we are worthy to go into the celestial world, the terrestrial, or the telestial, or to hell, or to any other kingdom, or place, and we have enough of life given us to do this. 4:269. This is a world in which we are to prove ourselves. The lifetime of man is a day of trial, wherein we may prove to God, in our darkness, in our weakness, and where the enemy reigns, that we are our Father’s friends, and that we receive light from him and are worthy to be leaders of our chil- dren—to become lords of lords, and kings of kings—to have perfect dominion over that portion of our families that will be crowned in the celestial kingdom with glory, im- mortality, and eternal lives. 8:61. . The first great principle that ought to occupy the at- tention of mankind, that should be understood by the child and the adult, and which is the main spring of all action, whether people understand it or not, is the principle of 134 _ DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG improvement. The principle of increase, of exaltation, of adding to that we already possess, is the grand moving principle and cause of the actions of the children of men. No matter what their pursuits are, in what nation they were born, with what people they have been associated, what religion they profess, or what politics they hold, this is the main spring of the actions of the people, embracing all the powers necessary in performing the duties of life. 2:91. Man to Endure Forever—Hear it, all ye Latter-day Saints! Will you spend the time of your probation for naught, and fool away your existence and being? You were organized, and brought into being, for the purpose - of enduring forever, if you fulfil the measure of your crea- tion, pursue the right path, observe the requirements of the celestial law, and obey the commandments of our God. Leslee oe : We are urged by the Spirit to refrain from articles which tend to death, to preserve this life, which is the most pre- cious life given to mortal beings preparatory to an immortal life. It is our business to prepare to live here to do good. Instead of crying to the people, prepare to die, our cry is, prepare to live forever. These mortal houses will drop off sometime, and when they are cleansed and purified, sancti- fied and glorified, we shall inherit them again forever and ever. Let all the Saints pursue a course to live. 12:209. Mankind, in general, do not stop to reflect, they are pressing headlong to grasp the whole world if possible; each individual is for himself, and he is ignorant of the design the Almighty had in his creation and existence in this life. To obtain a knowledge of this design is a duty obligatory upon all the sons and daughters of Adam. 1 :334. The Business of Life—The only business that we have LAW OF ETERNAL PROGRESSION 135 on hand is to build up the Kingdom of God and prepare the way of the Son of Man. 5:230. We are here to live, to spread intelligence and knowledge among the people. I am here to school my brethren, to teach my family the way of life, to propagate my species, ‘and to live, if in my power, until sin, iniquity, corruption, hell, and the Devil, and all classes and grades of abomina- tions are driven from the earth. That is my religion and the object of my existence. We are not here merely to prepare to die, and then die; but we are here to live and build ‘up the Kingdom of God on the earth—to promote the Priest- hood, overcome the powers of Satan, and teach the children of man what they are created for—that in them is con- cealed the germ of all intelligence. Here is the starting- point—the foundation that is laid in the organization of man for receiving a fulness of eternal knowledge and glory. Are we to go yonder to obtain it? No; we are to promote it on:this earth. 8:282. Human beings are expected by their Creator to be actively employed in doing good every day of their lives, either in improving their own mental and physical condition or that of their neighbors. 9:190. The purpose of our life should be to build up the Zion of our God, to gather the House of Israel, bring in the fulness of the Gentiles, restore and bless the earth with our ability and make it as the Garden of Eden, store up treasures of knowledge and wisdom in our own understandings, purify our own hearts and prepare a people to meet the Lord when he comes. 10:222. Some say that “this is a miserable world, I do not care how soon I get through.” Well, go and destroy yourselves, if you choose; you have all the opportunity that you can 136 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG desire, there is plenty of arsenic, calomel, and other means, within your reach. But I would not give a cent for such persons; I do not delight in such characters, and I do not believe that the Lord delights in people who wish to die before they have accomplished the work that he designed for them todo. 2:270-271. The Latter-day Saints throughout the valleys in these mountains and throughout the world ought to be learning what they are on this earth for. They are here to increase and multiply, to enlarge, to gather the House of Israel, re- deem Zion, build up the Zion of our God, and to promote that eternal intelligence that dwells with the Gods, and begin to. plant it in this earth, and make it take root down- ward and bring forth fruit upward to the glory of God, until every obnoxious principle in the hearts of men is destroyed, and the earth returns to its paradisical state, and the Lord comes and dwells with this people, and walks and talks with them as he did with Father Adam. That is our business, and not to suffer all our energies to be ex- pended in merely preparing to die. 8:282. It may appear strange to some of you, and it certainly does to the world, to say it is possible for a man or woman to become perfect on this earth. It is written “Be ye there- fore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Again, “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” This is perfectly consistent to the person who understands what perfection really is. If the first passage I have quoted is not worded to our understanding, we can alter the phraseology of the sentence, and say, “Be ye as perfect as ye can,” for that is all we can do, though it is written, be ye perfect’as your Father who is LAW OF ETERNAL PROGRESSION 137 in heaven is perfect. He cannot be any more perfect than he knows how, any more than we. When we are doing as well as we know how in the sphere and station which we occupy here, we are justified in the justice, righteousness, mercy, and judgment that go before the Lord of heaven and earth. We areas justified as the angels who are before the throne of God. The sin that will cleav to all the posterity of Adam and Eve is, that they have not done as well as they knew how. 2:129. When we use the term perfection, it applies to man in his present condition, as well as to heavenly beings. We are now, or may be, as perfect in our sphere as God and angels are in theirs, but the greatest intelligence in ex- istence can continually ascend to greater heights of perfec- tron; = 1:93. Prepare to Live—lInstead of preparing to die, prepare to live in the midst of all the exaltations of the Gods. 9:291. We are organized for the express purpose of controlling the elements, of organizing and disorganizing, of ruling over kingdoms, principalities, and powers, and-yet our affections are often too highly placed upon paltry, perishable objects. We love houses, gold, silver, and various kinds of property, and all who unduly prize any object there is beneath the celestial world are idolators. 3:257. But so long as we willingly hold fellowship with that which tends to death and destruction, we cannot progress as we should in the work of perfection in ourselves, nor in building up and beautifying Zion. 9:284. It is our privilege to say, every day in our lives, “That is the best day I ever lived.” Never let a day so pass that you will have cause to say, “I will live better to-morrow,” and I will promise you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, that 138 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG your lives will be as a well of water springing up to ever- lasting life. You will have his Spirit to dwell in you con- tinually, and your eyes will be open to see, your. ears to hear, and your understandings to comprehend. 8:140. | He gives a little to his humble followers today, and if they improve upon it, tomorrow he will give them a little more, and the next day a little more. He does not add to that which they do not improve upon, but they are required to continually improve upon the knowledge they already possess, and thus obtain a store of wisdom. It is plain, then, that we may receive the truth, and know, through every portion of the soul, that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation; that it is the way to life eternal; still there may be added to this, more power, wisdom, knowl- edge, and understanding. 2:2. Eternal Increase—This people must go forward, or they will go backward. 16:165. This work is a progressive work, this doctrine that is taught the Latter-day Saints in its nature is exalting, in- creasing, expanding and extending broader and broader until we can know as we are known, see as we are seen. L6e165: Unless this work is in progress as a whole, it is not com- plete—we are found wanting, and not prepared to do the work we are called and sent to do. 6:267. Ignorant? Yes, we are ignorant; but we are on the high road to that eternal knowledge that fills the bosoms of the Gods in eternity. 7:4. 2 We can still improve, we are made for that purpose, our capacities are organized to expand until we can receive into our comprehension celestial knowledge and wisdom, and to continue, worlds without end. 1:92. LAW OF ETERNAL PROGRESSION 139 Shall we ever be learning and never be able to come to a knowledge of the truth? No, I say we shall not; but we shall come to the knowledge of the truth. This is my hope and anticipation, and this is my:joy. 18:237. We are in the school and keep learning, and we do not expect to cease learning while we live on earth; and when we pass through the veil, we expect still to continue to learn and increase ur fund of information. That may ap- pear a strange idea to some; but it is for the plain and simple reason that we are not capacitated to receive all knowledge at once. We must therefore receive a little here and a little there. 6:286. We have the principle within us, and so has every being on this earth; to increase and to continue to increase, to enlarge, and receive and treasure up truth, until we become perfect. It is wisdom for us to be the friends of God; and unless we are filled with integrity and preserve ourselves in our integrity before our God, we actually lay the founda- tion for our destruction. 5:54. If we are saved, we are happy, we are filled with light, glory, intelligence, and we pursue a course to enjoy the blessings that the Lord has in store for us. If we continue to pursue that course, it produces just the thing we want, that is, to be saved at this present moment. And this will lay the foundation to be saved forever and forever, which will amount to an eternal salvation. 1:131. Can mortal beings live so that they are worthy of the society of angels? I can answer the question for myself— I believe that they can; I am sure that they can. But in doing this, they must subdue the sin that is within them- selves, correct every influence that arises within their own hearts that is opposed to the sanctifying influences of the 140 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG grace of God, and purify themselves by their faith and by their conduct, so that they are worthy. Then they are pre- pared for the society of angels. To be Saints indeed re- quires every wrong influence that is within them, as in- dividuals, to be subdued, until every evil desire is eradicated, and every feeling of their hearts is brought into subjection to the will of Christ. 19:66. We ought not to speak lightly of and undervalue the life we now enjoy, but so dispose of each passing day that the hours and minutes are spent in doing good, or at least doing no harm, in making ourselves useful,-in improving our talents and abilities to do more good, cultivating the prin- ciple of kindness to every being pertaining to our earthly sphere, learning their uses and how to apply them to pro- duce the greatest possible amount of good; learning to conduct ourselves towards our families and friends in a - way to win the love and confidence of the good, and over- come every ungovernable passion by a constant practice of cool judgment and deliberate thoughts. 9:291. Because of the weakness of human nature, it must crum- ble to the dust. But in all the revolutions and changes in the existence of men, in the eternal world which they in- habit, and in the knowledge they have obtained as people on the earth, there is no such thing as principle, power, wisdom, knowledge, life, position, or anything that can be imagined, that remains ate one arias must increase or decrease.) 12350. Take the history of this Church from the commence- ment, and we have proved that we cannot receive all the Lord has for us. We have proved to the heavens and to one another that we are not yet capacitated to receive all the Lord has for us, and that we have not yet a disposition LAW OF ETERNAL PROGRESSION 141 to receive all he has for us. Can you understand that there is a time you can receive, and there is a time you cannot receive, a time when there is no place in the heart to re- ceive? The heart of man will be closed up, the will will be set against this and that, that we have opportunity to receive. There is an abundance the Lord has for the people, if they would receive it. 10:291. To me, life is increase; death is the opposite. 1:350. Do you think that we are always going to remain the same size? I am not a stereotyped Latter-day Saint, and do not believe in the doctrine. Every year the Elders of Israel are improving and learning, and have more power, more influence with the Heavens, more power over the elements, and over diseases, and over the power of Satan, who has ruled this earth from the days of the fall until now. We have to gain power until we break the chain of the enemy. Are we going to stand still? Away with stereo- typed “Mormons.” I have more power than I had last year. I feel much stronger than ever before, and that too in the power of God; and I feel as though I could take the people and bring them into the presence of God, if they only hearken to counsel. Do you think that I am improving? “Yes.” Keep up, then; keep your places, and follow in the track. 8:185. We are privileged, in a spiritual point of view, precisely as we are in a temporal point of view. We have the privilege of learning and adding to the knowledge we have already obtained. We have a knowledge, for instance, of the rudiments of the English language. If we continue in our studies—in our exertions to acquire information, we _ obtain more knowledge; and if we continue still to per- 142 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG severe, we add still more to that, until we are perfect mas- ters of the language. Again, with regard to mechanism, in a certain sense, the same principle will hold good. We have the privilege of learning the arts and sciences that the learned among the Gentile nations understand ; we have the privilege of becom- ing classical scholars—of commencing with the rudiments of all knowledge—of entering into the academies, we might say, of perfection. We might study, and add knowledge to knowledge, from the time that we are capable of knowing anything until we go down to the grave. If we enjoyed healthy bodies, so as not to wear upon the functions of the mind, there is no end to a man’s learning. This compares precisely with our situation Bee ee to heavenly things. 6 :283-284. But simply to take the path pointed out in the Gospel by those who have given us the plan of salvation, is to take the path that leads to life, to eternal increase; it is to pur- sue that course wherein we shall never, never lose what we obtain, but continue to collect, to gather together, to in- crease, to spread abroad, and extend to an endless duration. Those persons who strive to gain eternal life, gain that which will produce the increase their hearts will be satis- fied with. Nothing less than the privilege of increasing eternally, in every sense of the word, can satisfy the im- mortal spirit. If the endless stream of knowledge from the eternal fountain could all be drunk in by organized in- telligences, so sure immortality would come to an end, and all eternity be thrown upon the retrograde path. 1:350, 7 There is one principle that I wish the people would understand and lay to heart. Just as fast as you will prove before your God that you are LAW OF ETERNAL PROGRESSION 143 worthy to receive the mysteries, if you please to call them so, of the Kingdom of heaven—that you are full of confidence in God—that you will never betray a thing that God tells you—that you will never reveal to ‘ your neighbor that which ought not to be revealed, as quick as you prepare to be entrusted with the things of God, there is an eternity of them to bestow upon you. In- stead of pleading with the Lord to bestow more upon you, plead with yourselves to have confidence in yourselves, to have integrity in yourselves, and know when to speak and what to speak, what to reveal, and how to carry yourselves and walk before the Lord. And just as fast as you prove to him that you will preserve everything secret that ought to be—that you will deal out to your neighbors all which you ought, and no more, and learn how to dispense your knowledge to your families, friends, neighbors, and breth- ren, the Lord will bestow upon you,.and give to you, and bestow upon you, until finally he will say to you, “You shall never fall; your salvation is sealed unto you; you are sealed up unto eternal life and salvation, through your integrity.” 43371. Life is an accumulation of every property and principle that is calculated to enrich, to ennoble, to enlarge, and to increase, in every particular, the dominion of individual man. To me, life would signify an extension. I have the privilege of spreading abroad, of enlarging my borders, of increasing in endless knowledge, wisdom, and power, and in every gift of God. To live as I am, without progress, is not life, in fact we may say that is impossible. There is no such principle in existence, neither can there be. You may explore all the eternities that have been, were it - Ass. DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG possible, then come to that which we now understand- according to the principles of natural philosophy, and where is there an element, an individual living thing, an organized | body, of whatever nature, that continues as itis? It cannot be found. All things that have come within the bounds of man’s limited knowledge—the things he naturally un ler- stands, teach him that there is no period, in all the eter- nities, wherein organized existence will become stationary, that it cannot advance in knowledge, wisdom, power, and glory. | If a man could ever arrive at the point that would put an end to the accumulation of life—the point at which he could increase no more, and advance no further, we should naturally say he commenced to decrease at the same point. Again, when he has gained the zenith of knowledge, wis- dom, and power, it is the point at which he begins to retro- grade; his natural abilities will begin to contract, and so he will continue to decrease, until all he knew is lost in the chaos of forgetfulness. As we understand naturally, this is the conclusion we must come to, if a termination to the in- crease of life and the acquisition of knowledge is true. 1 :349. The knowledge we now have in our possession is suf- ficient to guide and direct us step by step, day by day, until we are made perfect before the Lord our Father. 8:167. Can you not live it for one hour? Begin at a small point; can you not live to the Lord for one minute? Yes. Then can we not multiply that by sixty and make an hour, and live that hour to the Lord? Yes; and then for a day, a week, a month, and a year? ‘Then, when the year is past, it has been spent most satisfactorily. 8:59-60. _ There are great and glorious things yet to be revealed. - LAW OF ETERNAL PROGRESSION 145 We are but babes and sucklings in the knowledge of God and godliness.. With all we know and understand by the Priesthood here in the midst of this people, we are mere infants before the angels in heaven. 8:203. I will apply my heart to wisdom, and ask the Lord to impart it to me; and if I know but little, I will improve upon it, that to-morrow I may have more, and thus grow from day to day, in the knowledge of the truth, as Jesus Christ grew in stature and knowledge from a babe to man- hood. 1:313. This principle is inherent in the organization of all in- telligent beings, so that we are capable of receiving, and receiving, and receiving from the inexhaustible fountain of knowledge and truth. 3:354. It is enough for me to know that mankind are made to improve themselves. All creation, visible and invisible, is the workmanship of our God, the supreme Architect and Ruler of the whole, who organized the world, and created every living thing upon it, to act in its sphere and order. To this end has he ordained all things to increase and multiply. The Lord God Almighty has decreed this principle to be the great, governing law of existence, and for that purpose are we formed. Furthermore, if men can understand and receive it, mankind are organized to receive intelligence until they become perfect in the sphere they are appointed to fill, which is far ahead of us at present. 1:92. A time when there was no God, no eternity! It cannot be possible, and the philosopher who tries to establish such a doctrine cannot possess any correct ideas of his own being. Will there ever be sucha time? No. But forever onward and upward. 19:50. Knowledge increases among this people; they know 16 146 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG more of the things of the Kingdom of God to-day than they did in the days of Joseph Smith. 10:222. If a person suffers his feelings to rise above the natural level of his capacity, they will sink in the same ratio. 8:32. Blessings are Proportioned to Our Capacity—We are prepared for some things, and we receive just as fast as we prepare ourselves. 15:4. The heart of man is incapable of fully comprehending the blessings that God has in store for the faithful, unless he has revealed those blessings to them by the revelations of his Spirit. The natural man is contracted in his feelings, in his views, faith and desires, and so are the Saints, unless they live their relfgion. 8:188. Some might suppose that it would be a great blessing to be taken and carried directly into heaven and there set down, but in reality that would be no blessing to such persons; they could not reap a full reward, could not enjoy the glory of the kingdom, and could not comprehend and abide the light thereof, but it would be to them a hell in-. tolerable and I suppose would consume them much quicker than would hell fire. It would be no blessing to you to be carried into the celestial kingdom, and obliged to stay therein, unless you were prepared to dwell there. 3:221. A man who has had his mind opened to the operation of the Priesthood of the Son of God—who understands any- thing of the government of heaven, must understand that finite beings are not capable of receiving and abiding the celestial law in its fulness. When can you abide a celestial law? When you become a celestial being, and never until then. 7 :143. CHAP PER? Viitt THE DESTINY OF MAN The Gift of Eternal Life—This is the greatest gift that can be conferred on intelligent beings, to live forever and never be destroyed. - 8:261. It is written that the greatest gift God can bestow upon man is the gift of eternal life. The greatest attainment that we can reach is to preserve our identity to an eternal dura- tion in the midst of the heavenly hosts. - We have the words of eternal life given to us through the Gospel, which, if we obey, will secure unto us that precious gift. 8:7. Suppose it possible that you have the privilege of secur- ing to yourselves eternal life—to live and enjoy these blessings for ever; you will say this is the greatest blessing that can be bestowed upon you, to live forever and enjoy the society, of wives, children, and children’s children, to a thousand generations, and forever; and also the society of brethren, sisters, neighbors, and associates, and to possess all you can ask for to make you happy and comfortable. What blessing is equal to this? What blessing i& equal to the continuation of life—to the continuation of our organ- ization? 8:63. The intelligence that is in me to cease to exist is a horrid thought; it is past enduring. This intelligence must exist; it must dwell somewhere. If I take the right course and preserve it in its organization, I will preserve to myself eternal life. 5:53. Never serve God because you are afraid of hell; but live your religion, because it is calculated to give you eternal s 148 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG life. It points to that existence that never ends, while the other course leads to destruction. 5:340. I am for life everlasting. I have a being and a life here; and this life is very valuable; it is a most excellent life! I have a future! I am living for another existence that is far above this sinful world, wherein I will be free from this darkness, sin, error, ignorance and unbelief. I am looking forward to a world filled with light and intelligence, where men and women will live in the knowledge and light of Godel secsU: I tell you that if we strive with all our powers, by-and- by the time will come that we will be Saints indeed. I have not said that we are Saints. We are trying to be, and we profess to have the keys that will lead us in the path of eternal life. 6:46. Understand eternity? There is not and never was a man in finite flesh who understands it. Enoch has been referred to in this matter, How many of the Gods and kingdoms he saw when the vision of his mind was opened, matters not. If he had seen more than he could have enumerated throughout his long life, and more than all the men on earth could multiply from the time his vision opened until now, he would not have attained to the com- prehension of eternity. How much Enoch saw, how many worlds he saw, has nothing to do with the case. This is a matter that wise men know nothing about. 8:17. We are going to have the Kingdom of God in the ful- ness thereof, and all the heights and depths of glory, power, and knowledge; and we shall have fathers and mothers, and wives and children. 8:178. Eternal Increase—Whenever we get into the Kingdom of Heaven, where God and Christ dwell, we shall find some- THE DESTINY OF MAN 149 thing. more to do than to “sit and sing ourselves away to everlasting bliss.” The mind of man is active, and we must have exercise and amusement for the mind as well as the body. 12 3313, Now understand, to choose life is to choose principles that will lead you to an eternal increase, and nothing shcrt of them will produce life in the resurrection for the faithful. Those that choose death, make choice of the path which leads to the end of their organization. The one leads to endless increase and progression, the other to the destruc- BID er oO Ze If men are faithful, the time will come when they will possess the power and the knowledge to obtain, organize, bring into existence, and own. “What, of themselves, in- dependent of their Creator?’ No. But they and their Creator will always be one, they will always be of one heart and of one mind, working and operating together ; for what- soever the Father doeth so doeth the Son, and so they continue throughout all their operations to all eternity. 2 :304. The Lord has blessed us with the ability to enjoy an eternal life with the Gods, and this is pronounced the great- est gift of God. The gift of eternal life, without a posterity, to become an angel, is one of the greatest gifts that can be bestowed; yet the Lord has bestowed on us the privilege of becoming fathers of lives. What is a father of lives as mentioned in the Scriptures? A man who has a posterity to an eternal continuance. That is the blessing Abraham received, and it perfectly satisfied his soul. He obtained the promise that he should be the father of lives. 8:63. I expect, if I am faithful, with yourselves, that I shall see the time, with yourselves, that we shall know how to 150 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG prepare to organize an earth like this—know how to people that earth, how to redeem it, how to sanctify it, and how to glorify it, with those who live upon it who hearken to our counsels. 6:274-5. The faithful will become Gate even the sons of God; but this does not overthrow the idea that we have a father. O°279: After men have got their exaltations and their crowns— have become Gods, even the sons of God—are made kings of kings and lords of lords, they have the power then of propagating their species in spirit. Power is then given to them to organize the elements, and then commence the or- ganization of tabernacles. 6:275. The Father and the Son have attained to this point already; I am on the way, and so are you, and every faithful servant of God. 6:275. The Celestial World—lIf we keep the celestial law when our spirits go to God who gave them, we shall find that we are acquainted there and distinctly realize that we know all about that world. 4:218. When you are qualified and purified, so that you can endure the glory of eternity, so that you can see your Father, and your friends who have gone behind the veil, you will fall upon their necks and kiss them, as we do an earthly friend that has been long absent from us, and that we have been anxiously desiring to see. 4:55. When you see celestial beings, you will see men and women, but you will see those beings clothed upon with robes of celestial purity. We cannot bear the presence of our Father now; and we are placed at a distance to prove whether we will honor these tabernacles, whether we will be obedient and prepare ourselves to live in the glory of THE DESTINY OF MAN 151 the light, privileges, and blessings of celestial beings. We could not have the glory and the light without first know- ing the contrast. Do you comprehend that we could have no exaltation, without first learning by contrast? 4:54. Opposition to Death—We are striving for eternal life, and are opposed to those who love and have the power of death. We have the influence and the power of life, and that necessarily brings us in opposition to those who prefer the principles of death. 7:56. We are not in opposition to anything in earth or hell, except the principle of death. God has introduced life, and it is the principle of life that we are after. The power of the enemy is all the time trying to destroy this life, and I am opposed to that power. 7:56. The principle opposite to that of eternal increase is that the person decreases, loses his knowledge, tact, talent, and ultimately, in a short period of time, is lost; But where, Oh! where is his spirit? JI will not now take the time to follow his destiny; but here, strong language could be used, for when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed, after the termination of the thou- sand years’ rest, he will summon the armies of heaven for the conflict, he will come forth in flaming fire, he will descend to execute the mandates of an incensed. God, and, amid the thunderings of the wrath of Omnipotence, roll up the heavens as a scroll, and destroy death, and him that has the power of it. 1:118. Mankind have forfeited the right they once possessed to the friendship of their Heavenly Father, and through sin have exposed themselves to misery and wretchedness. Who is to bring back to the sin-stained millions of earth that which they have lost through disobedience? Who is to 152 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG plant smiling peace and plenty where war and desolation reign? Who is to remove the curse and its consequences from earth—the homestead of mankind? - Who shall say to the raging and contending elements, “Peace, be still”, and extract the poison from the reptile’s tooth, and the savage and destructive nature from beast and creeping thing? Who placed the dark stain of sin upon this fair creation? Man. Who but man shall remove the foul blot, and restore all things to their primeval purity and innocence? But can he do this independent of heavenly aid? He can not. To aid him in this work heavenly grace is here; heavenly wis- dom, power, and help are here, and God’s laws and ordi- nances are here; the angels and spirits of just men made perfect are here; Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, with Prophets, Apostles, and Saints, ancient and modern, are here to help man in the great work of sanctifying himself and the earth for final glorification in its paradisical state. All this will be accomplished through the law g: the holy Priesthood. 10:301. (Side Wd A OS REDE DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL The Earth—The world and all its various grades of organized denizens, from the lowest forms of vegetable or animal life, up to man, the lord of creation, were framed and made, or they would not have been here. 14.41: It is said in this book (the Bible) that God made the earth in six days. This is a mere term, but it matters not whether it took six days, six months, six years, or six thou- sand years. The creation occupied certain periods of time. We are not authorized to say what the duration of these days was, whether Moses penned these words as we have them, or whether the translators of the Bible have given the words their intended meaning. However, God created the world. God brought forth material out of which he formed this little terra firma upon which we roam. How long had this material been in existence? Forever and for- ever, in some shape, in some condition. We need not re- fer to all of those who were with God, and who assisted him in this work. The elements form and develop, and con- tinue to do so until they mature, and then they commence to decay and become disorganized. The mountains around us were formed in this way. By and by, when they shall have reached their maturity, the work of disintegration and decay will commence. It has been so from all eternity, and will continue to be so until they are made celestial. 18:231. This earth is brought together and organized from native elements as we now behold it, our tabernacles in- cluded. The matter of which all animate and inanimate existence is formed is from all eternity, and it must remain > 154. DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG to all eternity, without beginning and without end. There are certain portions of this native element that will be re- fined and prepared to enter into the celestial kingdom—into the celestial family of the celestial world. If the spirit honors the body and the body honors the spirit while they are here united, the particles of matter that compose the mortal tabernacle will be resurrected and brought forth to immortality and eternal life; but it cannot be brought forth and made immortal, except it undergoes a change, for “dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” What for? To prepare the body to be made immortal and fitted to dwell in the presence of the Gods. 8:27. We shall go and come; and when we are in the eternity, we shall be on this earth, which will be brought into the immediate presence of the Father and the Son. We shall inhabit different mansions, and worlds -will continue to be made, formed, and organized, and messengers from this earth will be sent to others. This earth will become a celestial body—be like a sea of glass, or like a Urimy and Thummim; and when you wish to know anything, you can look in this earth and see all the eternities of God. We shall make our home here, and go on our missions as we do now, but at greater than railroad speed. 8:200. We are for the Kingdom of God, and not going to the moon, nor to any other planet pertaining to this solar sys- tem; but are determined to have a heaven here, and are going to make it ourselves, by the help of God and his angels. We have been traditionated that when we were prepared to be saved, we ought then to pass from this stage of existence, and that then we never would have anything more to do with this earth; for all our connections and as- sociations with it, as pertaining.to this life, also passed DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL 155 away, and we should see and know nothing about it in the future. This is not according to the design, as we believe, of God and his providences and works. It is not the work of the Lord to organize an earth and destroy it. ‘That is not the system he has devised. His plan is to organize an earth, people it with intelligent beings, present to them the principles of eternal life, and bestow upon them the keys thereof, that they may be able to prepare themselves to dwell to all eternity, and to bring forth their increase to dwell with them. This is our belief. 8:293. The animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms abide the law of their Creator; the whole earth and all things per- taining to it, except man, abide the law of their creation. 9246. The earth is organized for a glorious resurrection. 1 :274. But the earth will not be utterly destroyed; the ele- ments of which it is composed will not be annihilated, but they will be changed. Neither shall those be consumed who can abide the day of the Lord Almighty, and stand in his presence. The earth in that great day will be renovated— cleansed from wickedness—purified from dross, sanctified, and prepared for the habitation of the Saints of the Most High. 2:124. The earth is very good in and of itself, and has abided a celestial law, consequently we should not despise it, nor desire to leave it, but rather desire and strive to obey the same law that the earth abides, and abide it as honorably as does the earth. 2:302-303. The earth will abide its creation, and will be counted . worthy of receiving the blessings designed for it, and will ultimately roll back into the presence of God who formed it and established its mineral, vegetable, and animal king- 156 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG doms. These will all be retained upon the earth, come forth in the resurrection, and abide for ever and for ever. 8:8. This earth in its present condition and situation, is not a fit habitation for the sanctified; but it abides the law of its creation, has been baptized with water, will be baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost, and by-and-by will be prepared for the faithful to dwell upon. 8:83. Adam and Eve—Mankind is composed of two distinct elements; the first is a spiritual organization in eternity, the second is a natural organization on this earth, formed out of the material of which this earth is composed. Man is first spiritual, then temporal. These spirits I shall leave for the present, and refer to our first parents, Adam and Eve, who were found in the Garden of Eden, tempted and overcome by the power of evil, and consequently subject to evil and sin, which was the penalty of their transgression. They were now pre- pared, as we are, to form bodies or tabernacles for the re- ception of pure and holy spirits. 18:257. When Father Adam came to assist in organizing the earth out of the crude material that was found, an earth was made upon which the children of men could live. After the earth was prepared Father Adam came and stayed here, and there was a woman brought to him. There was a cer- tain woman brought to Father Adam whose name was Eve, because she was the first woman, and she was given to him to be his wife. 16:167. When Moses wrote and said that man was formed pre- cisely in the image of God he wrote the truth. We are the children of our Father—his offspring, of the same family; we belong to him by birthright, and we are his children ~ DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL 157 and Jesus is our brother. Does the Bible tell all thisr Just as plain as words can tell anything. 14:280. In the beginninz, after this earth was prepared for man, the Lord commenced his work upon what is now called the American continent, where the Garden of Eden was made. In the days of Noah, in the days of the floating of the ark, he took the people to another part of the earth; the earth was divided, and there he set up his kingdom. 8:195. The human family are formed after the image of our Father and God. After the earth was organized the Lord placed his children upon it, gave them possession of it, and told them that it was their home—the place of their habitation from thenceforth; he told them to till the ground and subdue it; he gave it to them for their inheritance, and to do their will upon it. Then Satan steps in and over- comes them through the weakness there was in the chil- dren of the Father when they were sent to the earth, and sin was brought in, and thus we are subjected to sin. 10:300. Some may regret that our first parents sinned. This is nonsense. If we had been there, and they had not sinned, we should have sinned. I will not blame Adam or Eve. Why? Because it was necessary that sin should enter into the world; no man could ever understand the principle of exaltation without its opposite; no one could ever receive an -exaltation without being acquainted with its opposite. How did Adam and Eve sin? Did they come out in direct opposition to God and to his government? No. But they transgressed a command of the Lord, and through that transgression sin came into the world. The Lord knew they would do this, and he had designed that they should. Then came the curse upon the fruit, upon the vegetables, and upon our mother earth; and it came upon the creeping taser DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG things, upon the grain in the field, the fish in the sea, and upon all things pertaining to this earth, through man’s transgression. 10:312. Mother Eve partook of the forbidden fruit. .We should not have been here to-day if she had not; we could never have possessed wisdom and intelligence if she had not done it. It was all in the economy of heaven, and we need not talk about it; it is all right. We should never blame Mother Eve, not the least. I am thankful to God that I know good from evil, the bitter from the sweet, the things of God from the things not of God. When I look at the economy of heaven my heart leaps for joy, and if I had the tongue of an angel, or the tongues of the whole human family combined, I would praise God in the highest for his great wisdom and condescension in suffering the children of men to fall into the very sin into which they had fallen, for he did it that they, like Jesus, might descend below all things and then press forward and rise above all. 13:145. The Devil had truth in his mouth as well as lies when he came to Mother Eve. Said he, “If you will eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you will see as the Gods see.” That was just as true as anything that ever was spoken on the face of the earth. She did eat, her eyes were opened, and she saw good and evil. She gave of the fruit to her husband, and he ate,’ too. What would have been the consequence if he had not done so? They would have been separated, and where would we have been? I am glad he did eat. 12:70. We are safe in saying that*from the day that Adam was created and placed in the Garden of Eden to this day, the plan of salvation and the revelations of the will of God to man are unchanged, although mankind have not for many DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL 159 ages been favored therewith, in consequence of apostasy and wickedness. There is no evidence to be found in the Bible that the Gospel should be one thing in the days of the Israelites, another in the days of Christ and his Apos- tles, and another in the 19th century, but, on the contrary, we are instructed that God is the same in every age, and that his plan of saving his children is the same. The plan of salvation is one, from the beginning of the world to the end thereof. 10:324. I wish you all to understand “Mormonism” as it is. We embraced it in different parts of the world, because we con- sidered it the best religion we could find. Can we tell how much better “Mormonism” is than other religions and isms of the present day? More or less truth may be found in them all, both in civilized and barbarous nations. How has it transpired that theological truth is thus so widely disseminated? It is because God was once known on the earth among his children of mankind, as we know one another. Adam was as conversant with his Father who placed him upon this earth as we are conversant with our earthly parents. The Father frequently came to visit his son Adam, and talked and walked with him; and the chil- dren of Adam were more or less acquainted with him, and the things that pertain to God and to heaven were as familiar among mankind in the first ages of their existence on the earth, as these mountains are to our mountain boys, as our gardens are to our wives and children, or as the road to the Western Ocean is to the experienced traveler. From this source mankind have received their religious tradi- tions. 9:148. The Gospel was among the children of men from the days of Adam until the coming of the Messiah; this Gospel 160 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG of Christ is from the beginning to the end. Then why was the law of Moses given? In consequence of the disobedi- ence of the Children of Israel, the elect of God; the very seed that he had selected to be his people, and upon whom he said he would place his name. This seed of Abraham so rebelled against him and his commands that the Lord said to Moses, “I will give you a law which shall be a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ.” But this law is grievous; it is a law of carnal commandments. 13:269. Cain conversed with his God every day, and knew all about the plan of creating this earth, for his father told him. But, for the want of humility, and through jealousy, and an anxiety to possess the kingdom, and to have the whole of it under his own control, and not allow anybody else the right to say one word, what did he do? He killed his brother. Then the Lord put a mark on him. 2:142-143. Here let me state to all philosophers of every class upon the earth, when you tell me that Father Adam was made as we make adobes from the earth, you tell me what I deem an idle tale. When you tell me that the beasts of the field were produced in that manner, you are speaking idle words devoid of meaning. There is no such thing in all the eternities where the Gods dwell. Mankind are here because they are the offspring of parents who were first brought here from another planet, and power was given them to propagate their species, and they were commanded to multiply and:replenish the earth. 7 :285-6. We all belong to the races which have sprung from Father Adam and Mother Eve; and every son and daughter of that God we serve, who organized this earth and millions of others, and who holds them in existence by law. 14:111. . There are no persons without evil passions to embitter — DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL 161 their lives. Mankind are revengeful, passionate, hateful, and devilish in their dispositions. This we inherit through the fall, and the grace of God is designed to enable us to overcome it. The grace of God is bestowed upon all, and the Kingdom of God is planted on the earth expressly to enable mankind to overcome the. evil that is in them, and to save all. 8:160. It is true mankind have wandered and have fallen from that which they might have attained through the redemp- tion made by Jesus Christ; but there is one point in connec- tion with this statement on which I differ from the orthodox divines of the day. They say that man is naturally prone to evil. In some respects this is true, where by the force of example and wrong tradition has become ingrained, but if man had always been permitted to follow the instincts of his nature, had he always followed the great and holy principles of his organism, they would have led him into the path of life everlasting, which the whole human family are constantly trying to find. 10:189. Enoch to Moses—The Lord sent forth his Gospel to the people; he said, I will give it to my son Adam, from whom Methuselah received it; and Noah received from Methuse- lah; and Melchizedek administered to Abraham. 3:94. Enoch possessed intelligence and wisdom from God that. few men ever enjoyed, walking and talking with God for | many years; yet, according to the history written by Moses, he was a great length of time in establishing his kingdom among men. The few that followed him enjoyed the ful- ness of the Gospel, and the rest of the world rejected it. Enoch and his party were taken from the earth, and the world continued to ripen in iniquity until they were over- thrown by the great flood in the days of Noah; and, “as it 162 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man.” 9:365. Enoch had to talk with and teach his people during a period of three hundred and sixty years, before he could get them prepared to enter into their rest, and then he obtained power to translate himself and his people, with the region they inhabited, their houses, gardens, fields, cattle and all their possessions. 3:320. Abraham was faithful to the true God, he overthrew the idols of his father and obtained the Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, which is after the order of the Son of God, and a promise that of the increase of his seed there should be no end; when you obtain the holy Priesthood, which is after the order of Melchizedek, sealed upon you, and the promise that your seed shall be numerous as the stars in the firmament, or as the sands upon the sea shore, and of your increase there shall be no end, you have then got the promise of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the blessings that were conferred upon them. 11:118. If they had been sanctified and holy, the Children of Israel would not have traveled one year with Moses before they would have received their endowments and the Mel- chizedek Priesthood. 6:100. Mankind have degenerated ; they have lost the physical and mental power they once possessed. In many points pertaining to mechanism, men have in modern times been instructed by revelation to them, and this mechanical knowledge causes them almost to boast against their Creator, and to set themselves up as competitors with the Lord Almighty, notwithstandine they have produced noth- ing but what has been revealed to them. In the knowledge of astronomical and other philosophical truths, which our DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL 163 modern great men are searching after and pride themselves in, they are but babes, compared with the ancient fathers. Do the wise men of modern ages understand the laws which govern the worlds that are, that were, and that are to come? They cannot fathom this matter. They have grown weaker when they ought to have grown stronger and wiser. 8:61. Jesus on Earth—It was necessary for Jesus Christ to open the heavens to certain individuals that they might be witnesses of his personage, death, sufferings, and resurrec- tion; those men were witnesses. But as Jesus appeared to the two brethren going out of Jerusalem, he was made known to them in the breaking of bread. Now suppose he had eaten that bread, and gone out without opening their eyes, how could they have known that he was the Savior who had been crucified on Mount Calvary? They could not; but in the breaking of bread the vision of their minds was opened. This was necessary in order to constitute safe witnesses, and they returned to Jerusalem and told the brethren what they had seen. 3:208. When we come to discriminate between the former and the Latter-day Saints we shall find there was a little dif- ference in their callings and duties, and in many points that we may Say pertain to our temporal lives. Not in the doctrine of baptism, the laying on of hands for the recep- tion of the Holy Ghost, nor in the gifts of the Gospel. There is no difference in these things, but there is a dif- ference in regard to the temporal duties devolving upon Specie 0/2 The Apostasy—In the early days of the Christian Church we understand that there was a good deal of specu- lation among its members with regard to their belief and practice, and the propagation of these speculative ideas 164 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG created divisions and schisms. Even in the days of the Apostles there was evidently considerable division, for we read that some were for Paul, some for Apollos, and others for Cephas. The people in those days had their favorites, who taught them peculiar doctrines not generally received and promulgated. 12:64. . Why have they wandered so far from the path of truth and rectitude? Because they left the Priesthood and have had no guide, no leader, no means of finding out what is - true and what is not true. It is said the Priesthood was taken from the Church, but it is not so, the Church went from the Priesthood and continued to travel in the wilder- ness, turned from the commandments of the Lord, and instituted other ordinances. 12:69. You can read the account given of our first parents. Along came a certain character and said to Eve, you know women are of tender heart, and he could operate on this tender heart, ‘““The Lord knows that in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt not surely die, but if thou wilt take of this fruit and eat thereof thine eyes will be opened and thou wilt see as the Gods see”; and he worked upon the tender heart of Mother Eve until she partook of the fruit, and her eyes were opened. He told the truth. And they say now, “Do this that your eyes may be opened, that you may see; do this that you may know thus and so.” In the days of Jesus and his Apostles the same power was operating, and, actuated by that, men hunted them until the last one was banished from human society, and until the Christian re- ligion was so perverted that the people received it with open hands, arms, mouth and heart. It was adulterated until it was congenial to the wicked heart, and they received the Gospel as they supposed. But that was the time they com- DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL 165 menced little by little to trangress the laws, change the ordinances, and break the everlasting covenant, and the Gospel of the kingdom that Jesus undertook to establish in his day and the priesthood were taken from the earth. Fo 26. : The land of Judea has fallen into disrepute, and it has become a desert, just through the apostasy of those who once inhabited it, who had the oracles of God among them. 16 :66. The Restoration—Generations have come and gone without the privilege of hearing the sound of the Gospel, which has come to you through Joseph Smith—that was revealed to him from heaven by angels and visions. We have the Gospel and the keys of the holy Priesthood. 7 :173. We are a people whose rise and progress from the be- ginning, has been the work of God our Heavenly Father, which in his wisdom he has seen proper to commence for the re-establishment of his Kingdom upon the earth. 2:170. Do you think the Lord Almighty will reveal the great improvements in the arts and sciences which are being constantly made known and will not revive a pure religion? If any man imagines that with the mighty strides which the sciences have been making for a few years past, there will be no improvement in religion, that man is vain in his im- agination. God will improve the religion of the nations of the earth in proportion to the improvement made in the sciences. This is true whether you believe it or not. The Lord has commenced the work, and it is a marvelous one. Wl Care Va | It was decreed in the counsels of eternity, long before the foundations ‘of the earth were laid, that he, Joseph Smith, should be the man, in the last dispensation of this 166 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG world, to bring forth the word of God to the people, and receive the fulness of the keys and power of the Priesthood of the Son of God. The Lord had his eyes upon him, and upon his father, and upon his father’s father, and upon their progenitors clear back to Abraham, and from Abraham to the flood, from the flood to Enoch, and from Enoch to Adam. He has watched that family and that blood as it has circulated from its fountain to the birth of that man. He was fore-ordained in eternity to preside over this last dispensation. 7 :289. But as it was in the days of our Savior, so was it in the advent of this new dispensation. It was not in ac- cordance with the notions, traditions, and pre-conceived ideas of the American people. The messenger did not come | to an eminent divine of any of the so-called orthodoxy, he did not adopt their interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. The Lord did not come with the armies of heaven in power and great glory, nor send his messengers panoplied with aught else than the truth of heaven, to communicate to the meek, the lowly, the youth of humble origin, the sincere enquirer after the knowledge of God. But he did send his angel to this same obscure person, Joseph Smith, Jr. who afterwards became a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and in- formed him that he should not join any of the religious sects of the day, for they were all wrong; that they were following the precepts of men instead of the Lord Jesus; that he had a work for him to perform, inasmuch as he should prove faithful before him. No sooner was this made known, and published abroad, and people began to listen and obey the heavenly summons, than opposition began to rage, and the people, even in this favored land, began to persecute their neighbors and friends DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL 167 for entertaining religious opinions differing from their own. Pb You may remember it and lay it to heart, and if you wish, write it in your journals that some of the best spirits that have ever been sent to earth are coming at the present tinea hit 17: The beginning of this dispensation of the fulness of times may well be compared to the commencement of a temple, the material of which it is to be built being still scattered, unshaped and unpolished, in a state of nature. I am thankful that the way is being prepared, and that we have the privilege of erecting a spiritual and moral super- structure—a temple of God. 12:16l. The Book of Mormon—There is not another nation under heaven, in whose midst the Book of Mormon could have been brought forth. The Lord has been oper- ating for centuries to prepare the way for the coming forth of the contents of that Book from the bowels of the earth, to be published to the world, to show to the inhabitants thereof that he still lives, and that he will, in the latter days, gather his elect from the four corners of the earth. It was the Lord who directed the discovery of this land to the na- tions of the Old World, and its settlement, and the war for independence, and the final victory of the colonies, and the unprecedented prosperity of the American nation, up to the calling of Joseph the Prophet. The Lord has dictated and directed the whole of this, for the bringing forth, and establishing of his Kingdom in the last days. 11:17. Here is the Book of Mormon. We believe it contains the history of the aborigines of our continent, just as the Old Testament contains the history of the Jewish nation. In that book we learn that Jesus visited this continent, de- 168 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG livered his Gospel and ordained Twelve Apostles. We be- lieve all this, but we do not ask you to believe it. What we do ask is that you will believe what is recorded in the Holy Bible concerning God and his revelations to the children of men. Do this in all honesty and sincerity, then you will know that the Book of Mormon is true. Your minds will , be opened and you will know by the visions of the Spirit of God that we teach the truth. 13:335. I was somewhat acquainted with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, not only through what I read in the - newspapers, but I also heard a great many stories and re- ports which were circulated as quick as the Book of Mor- mon was printed, and began to be scattered abroad. Then the spirit of persecution, the spirit of death, the spirit of destruction immediately seemed to enter the hearts of the plous priests more particularly than any other portion of the people; they could not bear it. 2:249. What did Oliver Cowdery (one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon) say, after he had been away from the Church years and years? He saw and conversed with the angel, who showed him the plates, and he handled them. He left the Church because he lost the love of the truth; and after he had traveled alone for years, a gentleman walked into his law office and said to him, “Mr. Cowdery, what do you think of the Book of Mormon now? Do you believe that it is true?” He replied, “No, sir, I do not!” “Well,” said the gentleman, “I thought as much; for I con- cluded that you had seen the folly of your ways and had resolved to renounce what you once declared to be true.” “Sir, you mistake me; I do not believe that the Book of Mormon is true; I am past belief on that point, for I know that it is true, as well as I know that you now sit DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL 169 before me.” “Do you still testify that you saw an angel?” “Yes, as much as I see you now; and I know the Book of Mormon to be true.” Yet he forsook it. Every honest person who has fairly heard it knows that “Mormonism” is true, if they have had the testimony of it; but to practice it in our lives is another thing. 7:55. CHAPTER THE LAST DAYS Confusion of the Last Days—The time is coming when a good man will be more precious than fine gold. 10:295. The sinner will slay the sinner, the wicked will fall upon the wicked, until: there is an utter overthrow and consump- tion upon the face of the whole earth, until God reigns, whose right it is. 2:190. The world is drunk, but not with wine or strong drink; and our country is the most drunken of all. They are de- luding themselves; they are drunk with party fanaticism; they are high-minded, heady, and senseless, and are fast going to destruction. Thinking men, inquiring minds, ask whether it is really necessary for the Government of God to be on the earth at the present day; I answer, most assuredly; there never was a time when it was more needed than it is now. Why? Because men do not know how to govern themselves with- out it. Would it be considered treason of any Christian government in our day to profess to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the efficacy of his death and resurrec- tion for the salvation of man, and to profess and declare that it is his inalienable, indisputable right and prerogative to reign over men, the earth and all things upon it? 10:320. If we live, we shall see the nations of the earth arrayed against this people; for that time must come, in fulfilment of prophecy. Tell about war commencing! Bitter and re- lentless war was waged against Joseph Smith before he had. received the plates of the Book of Mormon; and from that time till now the wicked have only fallen back at times to THE LAST DAYS 171 gain strength and learn how to attack the Kingdom of God. coe, All we have yet heard and all we have experienced is scarcely a preface to the sermon that is going to be preached. When the testimony of the Elders ceases to be given, and the Lord says to them, “Come home; I will now preach my own sermons to the nations of the earth,” all you now know can scarcely be called a preface to the sermon that will be preached with fire and sword, tempests, earth- quakes, hail, rain, thunders and lightnings, and fearful destruction. What matters the destruction of a few railway cars? You will hear of magnificient cities, now idolized by the people, sinking in the earth, entombing the inhabitants. The sea will heave itself beyond its bounds, engulfing mighty cities. Famine will spread over the nations and nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against king- dom and states against states, in our own country and in foreign lands; and they will destroy each other, caring not for the blood and lives of their neighbors, of their families, or for their own lives. 8:123. There never has been a day for ages and ages, not since the true church was destroyed after the days of the Apostles, that required the faith and the energy of godly men and godly women, and the skill, wisdom and power of the Almighty to be with them, so much as-this people re- quire it at the present time. There never was that neces- sity ; there never has been a time on the face of the earth, from the time that the church went to destruction, and the Priesthood was taken from the earth, that the powers of darkness and the powers of earth and hell were so embit- tered, and enraged, and incensed against God and Godliness on the earth, as they are at the present. And when the 72 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG spirit of persecution, the spirit of hatred, of wrath, and malice ceases in the world against this people, it will be the time that this people have apostatized and joined hands with the wicked, and never until then; which I pray may never come. 4:326, The Devil is just as much opposed to Jesus now as he was when the revolt took place in heaven. And as the Devil increases his numbers by getting the people to be wicked, so Jesus Christ increases his numbers and strength by getting the people to be humble and righteous. The human family are going to the polls by and by, and they wish to know which party is going to carry the'day. 4:38. Ultimate Triumph of Righteousness—I most assuredly expect that the time will come when every tongue shall confess, and every knee shall bow to the Savior, though the people may believe what they will with regard to religion. 2189. The Savior will dictate his Kingdom, through his Apostles and Prophets, until all the heathen nations are virtually redeemed by the ordinances that effect redemp- - tion, that they may inherit the kingdom that is prepared for (Hein Once: This is a day of days, and a time of times; this is the ful- ness of times, in which all things that are in Christ are to be gathered in one. This is a momentous period. 10:308. I expect to see the time when the inhabitants of the earth will pride themselves in doing good. 8:363. The time will come when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess to and acknowledge him, and when they who have lived upon the earth and have spurned the idea of a Supreme Being and of revelations from him, will fall with shamefacedness and humble themselves before him, - THE LAST DAYS 1/73 exclaiming, “There is a God! O God, we once rejected thee and disbelieved thy word and set at naught thy counsels, but now we bow down in shame and we do acknowledge that there is a God, and that Jesus is the Christ.” This time will come, most assuredly. We have the faith of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. 13:306. What will they do? They will hear of the wisdom of Zion and the kings and potentates of the nations will come up to Zion to inquire after the ways of the Lord, and to seek out the great knowledge, wisdom and understanding manifested through the Saints of the Most High. ‘They will inform the people of God that they belong to such and such a church, and do not wish to change their religion. They will be drawn to Zion by the great wisdom dis- played there, and will attribute it to the cunning and crafti- ness of men. It will be asked, “What do you want to do, ye strangers from afar?” “We want to live our own re- ligion.” “Will you bow the knee before God with us?” “O yes, we would as soon do it as not”; and at that time every knee shall bow, and every tongue acknowledge that God who is the framer and maker of all things, the governor and controller of the universe. They will have to bow the knee and confess that he is God, and that Jesus Christ, who suffered for the sins of the world, is actually its Redeemer ; that by the shedding of his blood he has redeemed men, women, children, beasts, birds, fish, the earth itself, and everything that John saw and heard praising in heaven. 2 :316-317, By and by the world will be overturned according to the words of the prophet, and we will see the reign of righteousness enter in, and sin and iniquity will have to walk off. But the power and principles of evil, if they can 174 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG be called principles, will never yield one particle to the righteous march of the Savior, only as they are beaten back inch by inch, and we have got to take the ground by force. Yes, by the mental force of faith, and by good works, the march forth of the Gospel will increase, spread, grow and prosper, until the nations of the earth will feel that Jesus has the right to rule King of nations as he does King of Saints. 14:226. . Return to Jackson County—When are we going back to Jackson County? Not until the Lord commands his peo- ple; and it is just as much as you and I can do to get ready to go when he does command us. 6:269. If that is back to Jackson County, do not be scared, for as the Lord lives this people will go back and build a great temple there. This people will surely go back to Jackson County. How soon that may be, or when it may be, I do not care; but that is not now the gathering place for this people:3':278, Where is the center Stake of Zion? In Jackson County, Missouri. 8:198. There has been considerable said this afternoon with re- gard to redeeming and building up Zion, the Order of Enoch, etc. I see men and women in this congregation— only a few of them—who were driven from the central Stake of Zion. Ask them if they had any sorrow or trou- ble; then let them look at the beautiful land that the Lord would have given them if all had been faithful in keeping his commandments, and had walked before him as they should; and then ask them with regard to the blessings they would have received. If they tell you the sentiments of their minds, they will tell you that the yoke of Jesus would have been easy and his burden would have been THE LAST DAYS 175 light, and that it would have been a delightful task to have walked in obedience to his commandments and to have been of one heart and one mind; but through the selfish- ness of some, which is idolatry, through their covetousness, which is the same, and the lustful desire of their minds, they were cast out and driven from their homes. We have been driven many times; but each time, if they who pro- fessed to be the servants of God had served him with an undivided heart, they would have had the privilege of liv- ing ir their houses, possessing their lands, attending to their meetings, and spreading abroad on the right and the left, lengthening the cords of Zion, and strengthening her stakes until the land had been dedicated to the Gospel of the Son of God. Well, I have been with the rest and I ex- pect I have been covetous like them, and probably I am now ; but if I am, I wish somebody would tell me wherein. 0 Coming of Christ—Do you know that it is the eleventh hour of the reign of Satan on the earth? Jesus is coming to reign, and all you who fear and tremble because of your enemies, cease to fear them, and learn to fear to offend God, fear to transgress his laws, fear to do any evil to your brother, or to any being upon the earth, and do not fear Satan and his power, nor those who have only power to slay the body, for God will preserve his people. 10:250. In the progress of the age in which we live, we discern the fulfilment of prophecy, and the preparation for the sec- ond coming of our Lord and Savior to dwell upon the earth. We expect that the refuge of lies will be swept away, and that city, nation, government, or kingdom which serves not God, and gives no heed to the principles of truth and religion, will be utterly wasted away and destroyed. 2:178. 176 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Jesus has been upon the earth a great many more times than you are aware of. When Jesus makes his next appear- ance upon the earth, but few of this Church will be pre- pared to receive him and see him face to face and converse with him; but he will come to his temple. Will he remain and dwell upon the earth a thousand years, without re- turning? ~ He will come here, and return to his mansions where he dwells with his Father, and come again to the earth, and again return to his Father, according to my un- derstanding. Then angels will come and begin to resurrect the dead, and the Savior will also raise the dead, and they will receive the keys of the resurrection, and will begin to assist in that work. Will the wicked know of it? They will know just as much about that as they now know about “Mormonism,” and no more. 7:142. When your eyes are open, you will see that this earth has fallen from the glory and presence of the Father, to pass through certain ordeais, together with the people upon it. And by and by, when Jesus reigns and rules, King of nations, he will say to his Father, “Here is my work! Here are my brethren! Here is my redemption—the fruit of my labor! I have ceased not to contend with the Enemy until I have put him under my feet. I have destroyed death, and him that has the power of death.” 8:297. At times I may to many of the brethren appear to be severe. I sometimes chasten them; but it is because I wish them to live so that the power of God, like a flame of fire, will dwell within them and be around about them. These are my feelings and desires. I wish to see this people take a course to bring back the days, years, and intelligence that have been lost through transgression. This cannot be per- formed in a day. Zion will not be redeemed and built up THE LAST DAYS 177 in a day. Israel will not be brought back to the fold of Christ and redeemed in a day. 8:62. The Millennium—The Millennium consists in this— every heart in the Church and Kingdom of God being united in one; the Kingdom increasing to the overcoming of everything opposed to the economy of heaven, and Satan being bound, and having a sea] set upon him. All things else will be as they are now, we shall eat, drink, and wear clothing. 1:203. When all nations are so subdued to Jesus that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess, there will still be millions on the earth who will not believe in him; but they will be obliged to acknowledge his kingly govern- | ment. 7:142. Let the people be holy, and the earth under their feet will be holy. Let the people be holy, and filled with the Spirit of God, and every animal and creeping thing will be filled with peace; the soil of the earth will bring forth in its strength, and the fruits thereof will be meat for man. The more purity that exists, the less is the strife; the more kind we are to our animals, the more will peace increase, and the savage nature of the brute creation vanish away. If the people will not serve the Devil. another moment whilst they live, if this congregation is possessed of that spirit and resolution, here in this house is the Millennium. Let the inhabitants of this city be possessed of that spirit, let the people of the territory be possessed of that spirit, and here is the Millennium, and so will it spread over all the world. 1:203. In the Millennium, when the Kingdom of God is estab- lished on the earth in power, glory and perfection, and the reign of wickedness that has so long prevailed is subdued, T 178 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG the Saints of God will have the privilege of building their temples, and of entering into them, becoming, as it were, pillars in the temples of God, and they will officiate for their dead. Then we will see our friends come up, and per- haps some that we have been acquainted with here. If we ask who will stand at the head of the resurrection in this last dispensation, the answer is—Joseph Smith, Junior, the Prophet of God. He is the man who will be resurrected and receive the keys of the resurrection, and he will seal this authority upon others, and they will hunt up their friends and resurrect them when they shall have been offi- ciated for, and bring them up. And we will have revela- tions to know our forefathers clear back to Father Adam and Mother Eve, and we will enter into the temples of God and officiate for them. Then man will be sealed to man until the chain is made perfect back to Adam, so that there will be a perfect chain of priesthood from Adam to the winding-up scene. This will be the work of the Latter-day Saints in the Millennium. 15:138. When Jesus comes to rule and reign, King of nations, as he now does, King of Saints, the veil of the covering will be taken from all nations, that all flesh may see his glory together, but that will not make them all Saints. Seeing the Lord does not make a man a Saint; seeing an angel does not make a man a Saint by any means. A man may see the finger of the Lord, and not thereby become a Saint; the veil of the covering may be taken from before the na- tions, and all flesh see his glory together, and at the same time declare they will not serve him. 2:316. Rapid Movements in the Last Days—Do you under- stand that what the Lord will perform in the latter days will THE LAST DAYS 179 be done quicker than in the former days? He suffered Noah to occupy one hundred and twenty years in building the ark. Were he to command us to build an ark, he would not allow so long a time for completing it. 8:134. If I live as long as Enoch lived, who walked with the Lord three hundred and sixty-five years, can I then see a people prepared to enter at once in the celestial world? No. Many may think that Enoch and his whole city were taken from the earth directly into the presence of God. That is a mistaken idea. If, within three hundred and sixty-five years, I can see a people capable of surmounting every sin, of overcoming every evil and effect of sin to such a degree as to be separated in the flesh from the sinful portion of the world and from all the effects of the fall—a great peo- ple as pure and holy as were the people of Enoch, I should not complain, and, perhaps, have no cause to. Yet, in the latter days, God will cut short his work in righteousness. 8 :134. According to my definition of the word, there is not a strictly and fully civilized community now upon the earth. Is there murder by wholesale to be found in a strictly civilized community? Will a community of civilized na- tions rise up one against another, nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, using against each other every destructive invention that can be brought to bear in their wars? When will they be civilized? When the Lord shall judge among the nations, and sha!l rebuke many peo- ple; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; when nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither learn war any more. When the world is in a state of true civilization, man will have ceased to contend against his fellow-man, either as 180 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG individuals, parties, communities, sects, or nations. This state of civilization will be brought about by the holy Priesthood of the Son of God; and men, with full purpose of heart, will seek unto him who is pure and holy, even our great Creator—our Father and God; and he will give them a law that is pure—a government and plan of society possessed by holy beings in heaven. Then there will be no more war, no more bloodshed, no more evil speaking and evil doing; but all will be contented to follow in the path of truth, which alone is calculated to exalt and dignify the whole man, mentally and physically, in all his operations, labors, and purposes. Short of this, mankind cannot be said to be truly civilized. 8 :6-7. Then, do not be too anxious for the Lord to hasten his work. Let our anxiety be centered upon one thing, the sanctification of our own hearts, the purifying of our own affections,. the preparing of ourselves for the approach of the events that are hastening upon us. This should be our concern, this should be our~study, this should be our daily prayer, and not to be in a hurry to see the overthrow of the wicked. 9:3. Whether the world is going to be burned up within a year, or within a thousand years, does not matter a groat to you and me. We have the words of eternal life, we have the privilege of obtaining glory, immortality, and eternal lives, now will you obtain these blessings? 4:53. This is the day in which we are to learn-and to in- crease in our knowledge. 4:204. | -The Lord’s time is not for me to know; but he is kind, long-suffering, and patient, and his wrath endureth silently, and will until mercy is completely exhausted, and then judgment will take the reins. | do not know how, neither THE LAST DAYS 181 do I at present wish to know. It is enough for us to know how to serve our God and live our religion, and thus we will increase in the favor of God. 4:371. It is too late in the day for this people ever to be cast off and disowned by the Lord. The work the Lord prom- ised to do is too nigh accomplished, and he has promised to make a short work on the earth. This work has some time since commenced; and if any of the people will not serve their God and do the work he has given them to do, they will be removed out of the way, and that speedily. It is too late in the day for this people to apostatize and the Priest- hood to be taken again from the earth; so there is not much ground for fears even in this respect. 6:267. Zion—Where is Zion? Where the organization of the Church of God is. And may it dwell spiritually in every heart; and may we so live as to enjoy the spirit of Zion always! 8:205. Do we realize that if we enjoy a Zion in time or in eter- nity we must make it for ourselves? That all, who have a Zion in the eternities of the Gods, organized, framed, con- solidated, and perfected it themselves, and consequently are entitled to enjoy it? 9:282. This is the Gospel; this is the plan of salvation; this is the Kingdom of God; this is the Zion that has been spoken and written of by all the Prophets since the world began. This is the work of Zion which the Lord has promised to- bring forth. 12:172. When we conclude to make a Zion we will make it, and this work commences in the heart of each person. When the father of a family wishes to make a Zion in his own house, he must take the lead in this good work, which it is impossible for him to do unless he himself possesses the 182 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG spirit of Zion. Before he can produce the work of sanctifi- cation in his family, he must sanctify himself, and by this means God can help him to sanctify his family. 9:283. There is not one thing wanting in all the works of God’s hands to make a Zion upon the earth when the people con- clude to make it. We can make a Zion of God on earth at our pleasure, upon the same principle that we can raise a field of wheat, or build and inhabit. There has been no time when the material has not been here from which to produce corn, wheat, etc., and by the judicious manage- ment and arrangement of this ever-existing material a Zion of God can always be built on the earth. 9:283. Let me say a few words with regard to Zion. We pro- fess to be Zion. If we are the pure in heart we are so, for “Zion is the pure in heart.” Now when Zion is built up and reigns, the question may arise with some, will all be Latter- day Saints? No. Will there be this variety of classes and faiths that we now behold? I do not know whether there will be as many, or whether there will be more. But be that as it may, Jesus has gone to prepare mansions for every creature. Who will go down as “sons of perdition” and receive the reward of the damned? None but those who have sinned against the Holy Ghost. All others will be gathered into kingdoms where there will be a certain amount of peace and glory. Will the Methodists have their heaven? I will venture to say that John Wesley, if he never hears the Gospel preached in the world of spirits, will enjoy all the happiness and glory that he ever thought of. And so it will be with others; I mention him merely because he is a noted character. In all those kingdoms the people will be as varied as they are here. In the Millennium men will have the privilege of their own belief, but they will not have THE LAST DAYS 183 the privilege of treating the name and character of Deity as they have done heretofore. No, but every knee shall bow and every tongue confess to the glory of God the Father that Jesus is the Christ. 12:274. 12 :274. 3 My spiritual enjoyment must be obtained by my own life, but it would add much to the comfort of the com- munity, and to my happiness, as one with them, if every man and woman would live their religion, and enjoy the light and glory of the Gospel for themselves, be passive, humble, and faithful; rejoice continually before the Lord, attend to the business they are called to do, and be sure never to do anything wrong. All would then be peace, joy, and tranquility, in our streets and in our houses. Litigation would cease, there would be no difficulties before the High Council and Bishops’ Courts, and courts, turmoil, and strife would not be known. Then we would have Zion, for all would be pure in hearts 3-209, The Land of Zion—This is the land of Zion. West of us is a body of water that we call the Pacific, and to the east there is another large body of water which we call the Atlantic, and to the north is where they have tried to dis- cover a northwest passage; these waters surround the land of Zion. 4:301. And what is Zion? In one sense Zion is the pure in heart. But is there a land that ever will be called Zion? Yes, brethren. What land is it? It is the land that the Lord gave to Jacob, who bequeathed it to his son Joseph, and his posterity, and they inhabit it, and that land is — North and South America. That is Zion, as to land, as to 184 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG territory, and location. The children of Zion have not yet much in their possession, but their territory is North and South America to begin with. As to the spirit of Zion, it is in the hearts of the Saints of those who love and serve the Lord with all their might, mind and strength. 2:253. This American continent will be Zion; for it is so spoken of by the prophets. Jerusalem will be rebuilt and will be the place of gathering, and the tribe of Judah will gather there; but this continent of America is the land of Zion. 5 <4. This is the land of Zion~ -this is the continent whereon the Lord has commenced his work for the last time, and whereon Jesus will make his appearance the second time, when he comes to gather and save the House of Israel. 8 :81-2. Zion will extend, eventually, all over this earth. There will be no nook or corner upon the earth but what will be in Zion. It will all be Zion. 9:138. The City of Zion—We look forward to the day when the Lord will prepare for the building of the New Jerusalem, preparatory to the City of Enoch’s going to be joined with it when it is built upon this earth. We are anticipating to enjoy that day, whether we sleep in death previous to that, or not. We look forward, with all the anticipation and con- fidence that children can possess in a parent, that we shall’ be there when Jesus comes; and if we are not there, we will come with him: in either case we shall be there when he comes. 8:342. We want all the Latter-day Saints to understand how to build up Zion. The City of Zion, in beauty and magnifi- cence, will outstrip anything that is now known upon the earth. The curse will be taken from the earth and sin and THE LAST DAYS 185 corruption will be swept from its face. Who will do this great work? Is the Lord going to convince the people that he will redeem the center Stake of Zion, beautify it and then place them there without an exertion on their part? No. He will not come here to build a Temple, a Taber- nacle, a Bowery, or to set out fruit trees, make aprons of fig leaves or coats of skins, or work in brass and iron, for we already know how to do these things. He will not come here to teach us how to raise and manufacture cotton, how to make hand cards, how to card, how to make spinning machines, looms, etc., etc.. We have to build up Zion, if we do our duty. 10:172. | I have many times asked the questions, “Where is the man that knows how to lay the first rock for the wall that is to surround the New Jerusalem or the Zion of God on the earth? Where is the man who knows how to con- struct the first gate of the city? Where is the man who understands how to build up the Kingdom of God in its purity and to prepare for Zion to come down to meet it?” “Well,” says one, “I thought the Lord was going to do this.” So he is if we will let him. This is what we want: we want the people to be willing for the Lord to doit. But he will do it by means. He will not send his angels to gather up the rock to build up the New Jerusalem. He will not send his angels from the heavens to go to the mountains to cut the timber and make it into lumber to adorn the City of Zion. He has called upon us to do this work; and if we will let him work by, through, and with us, he can accomplish it; otherwise we shall fall short, and shall never have the honor of building up Zion on the earth. 13.2345. Purpose of Gathering—A remnant of the people of Israel 186 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG are to be saved, and they will yet be gathered together. 16 :109. Ephraim has become mixed with ali the nations of the earth, and it is Ephraim that is gathering together. 2:268. We are gathering the people as fast as we can. We are gathering them to make Saints of them and of ourselves. 9 :137-8. We have been gathered to the valleys of these moun- tains for the express purpose of purifying ourselves, that we may become polished stones in the temple of God. We are here for the purpose of establishing the Kingdom of God on the earth. To be prepared for this work it has been necessary to gather us out from the nations and countries of the world, for if we had remained in those lands we could not have received the ordinances of the holy Priesthood of the Son of God, which are necessary for the perfection of the Saints preparatory to his coming. 12:161. The Jews and Jerusalem—Jerusalem is not to be re- deemed by our going there and preaching to the inhabitants. It will be redeemed by the high hand-of the Almighty. It will be given into the possession of the ancient Israelites by the power of God, and by the pouring out of his judg- ments. 2:141. Jerusalem is not to be redeemed by the soft, still voice of the preacher of the Gospel of peace. Why? Because they were once the blessed of the Lord, the chosen of the Lord, the promised seed. They were the people from among whom should spring the Messiah; and salvation could be found only through that people. The Messiah came*through them, and they killed him; and they will be _ the last of all the seed of Abraham to have the privilege of receiving the New and Everlasting Covenant. You may THE LAST DAYS 187 hand out to them gold, you may feed and clothe them, but it is impossible to convert the Jews, until the Lord God Almighty does it. 2:142. By and by the Jews will be gathered to the land of their fathers, and the ten tribes, who wandered into the north, will be gathered home, and the blood of Ephraim, the sec- ond son of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, which is to be found in every kingdom and nation under heaven, will be gathered from among the Gentiles, and the Gentiles who will receive and adhere to the principles of the Gospel will be adopted and initiated into the family of Father Abra- ham, and Jesus will reign over his own and Satan will reign over his own. 12:38. We have a great desire for their welfare, and are looking for the time soon to come when they will gather at Jeru- salem, build up the city and the land of Palestine, and pre- pare for the coming of the Messiah. When he comes again, he will not come as he did when the Jews rejected him; neither will he appear first at Jerusalem when he makes his second appearance on the earth; but he will appear first on the land where he commenced his work in the begin- ning,.and planted the Garden of Eden, and that was done in the land of America. When the Savior visits Jerusalem, and the Jews look upon him, and see the wounds in his hands and in his side and in his feet, they will then know that they have perse- cuted and put to death the true Messiah, and then they will acknowledge him, but not till then. They have confounded his first and second coming, expecting his first coming to be as a mighty prince instead of asa servant. They will go. back by and by to Jerusalem and own their Lord and Master. We have no feelings against them. 11:279. 188 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG The Indians or Lamanites—The Lamanites or Indians are just as much the children of our Father and God as we are. So also are the Africans. But we are also the chil- dren of adoption through obedience to the Gospel of his Sones 1132/2, I spoke a harsh word yesterday with regard to a man who professes to be a Latter-day Saint who has been guilty of killing an innocent Indian. I say today that he is just as much a murderer through killing that Indian, as he would have been had he shot down a white man. To slay an in- nocent person is murder according to the law of Moses. P1263: We could circumscribe their camps and kill every man, woman and child of them. This is what others have done, and if we were to do it, what better are we than the wicked and the ungodly? It is our duty to be better than they in our administrations of justice and our general conduct to- ward the Lamanites. It is not our duty to kill them; but it is our duty to save their lives and the lives of their chil- dren. 11:264. There is a curse on these aborigines of our country who roam the plains, and are so wild that you cannot tame them. They are of the House of Israel; they once had the Gospel delivered to them, they had the oracles of truth; Jesus came and administered to them after his resurrection, and they received and delighted in the Gospel until the fourth generation when they turned away and became so wicked that God cursed them with this dark and benighted and loathsome condition. 14:86. As we have here an assemblage of the people from other settlements, I wish to impress them with the necessity of treating the Indians with kindness, and to refrain from har- THE LAST DAYS 189 boring that revengeful, vindictive feeling that many in- dulge in. I am convinced that as long as we harbor in us such feelings toward them, so long they will be our enemies, and the Lord will suffer them to afflict us. I cer- ' tainly believe that the present affliction, which has come upon us from the Indians, is a consequence of the wicked- ness which dwells in the hearts of some of our brethren. If the Elders of Israel had always treated the Lamanites as they should, I do not believe that we should have had any difficulty with them at all. This is my firm conviction, and my conclusion according to the light that is in me. I be- lieve that the Lord permits them to chasten us at the pres- ent time to convince us that we have to overcome the vin- dictive feelings which we have harbored towards that: poor, downtrodden branch of the House of Israel. 11 :263. Do we wish to do right? You answer, yes. Then let the Lamanites come back to their homes, where they were born and brought up. This is the land that they and their fathers have walked over and called their own; and they have just as good a right to call it theirs today as any peo- ple have to call any land their own. They have buried their fathers and mothers and children here; this is their home, and we have taken possession of it, and occupy the land where they used to hunt the rabbit, and, not a great while since, the buffalo, and the antelope were in these valleys in large herds when we first came here. When we came here, they could catch fish in great abundance in the lake in the season thereof, and live upon them pretty much through the summer. But now their game has gone, and they are left to starve. It is our duty to feed them. The Lord has given us ability to culti- vate the ground and reap bountiful harvests. We have an 190 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG abundance of food for ourselves and for the stranger. It is our duty to feed these poor ignorant Indians; we are living on their possessions and at their homes. 11 :264. CHAPTER XI THE SCRIPTURES The Bible—In the Bible are the words of life and salva- tion. 13:214. We are believers in the Bible, and to our unshaken faith in its precepts, doctrine, and ‘prophecy, may be attributed “the strangeness of our course,” and the unwarrantable con- duct of many towards this people. 1 :237. But I want to know if we agree with the teachings of the Bible, in our belief and practice. The Latter-day Saints - believe in doing just what the Lord has told them to do in this book. 1:239. We believe the New Testament, and consequently, to be consistent, we must believe in new revelation, visions, - angels, in all the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and all the prom- ises contained in these books, and believe it about as it reads. 1:242. We have a holy reverence for and a belief in the Bible. 14 :113. The Bible is true. It may not all have been translated aright, and many precious things may have been rejected in the compilation and translation of the Bible; but we understand, from the writings of one of the Apostles, that if all the sayings and doings of the Savior had been writ- ten, the world could not contain them. I will say that the world could not understand them. They do not understand what we have on record, nor the character of the Savior, as delineated in the Scriptures; and yet it is one of the sim- plest things in the world, and the Bible, when it is under- stood, is one of the simplest books in the world, for, as far 192 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG as it is translated correctly, it is nothing but truth, and in truth there is no mystery save to the ignorant. The revela- tions of the Lord to his creatures are adapted to the lowest capacity, and they bring life and salvation to all who are willing to receive them. 14:135. Take the Bible just as it reads; and if it be translated incorrectly and there is a scholar on the earth who pro- fesses to be a Christian, and he can translate it any better than King James’s translators did it, he is under obliga- tion to do so. If I understood Greek and Hebrew as some may profess to do, and I knew the Bible was not correctly translated, I should feel myself bound by the law of justice to the inhabitants of the earth to translate that which is in- correct and give it just as it was spoken anciently. Is that proper? Yes, I would be under obligation to do it. But I think it is translated just as correctly as the scholars could - get it, although it is not correct in a great many instances. But it is no matter about that. Read it and observe it and it will not hurt any person in the world. 14:226. By reading the Bible we find that the Gospel is con- tained not only in the New Testament, but also in the Old. Moses and the Prophets saw and predicted the apostasy of the Church. They saw that the Lord would strive with the children of men from time to time, that he would deliver to them the truth and the Priesthood; they also saw that through the wickedness of the people they would change his ordinances, break the covenants, and transgress his laws, until the Priesthood would be taken from the earth, and its inhabitants be left in apostasy and darkness. 16:74. -I have heard ministers of the Gospel declare that they believed every word in the Bible was the word of God. I have said to them, “You believe more than I do.” I be- THE SCRIPTURES 7 193 lieve the words of God are there; I believe the words of the Devil are there; I believe that the words of men and the words of angels are there; and that is not all,—I believe that the words of a dumb brute are there. I recollect one of the prophets riding, and prophesying against Israel, and the animal he rode rebuked his madness. 14:280. I believe the words of the Bible are just what they are; but aside from that I believe the doctrines concerning salva- tion contained in that book are true, and that their observ- ance will elevate any people, nation or family that dwells on the face of the earth. The doctrines contained in the Bible will lift to a superior condition all who observe them; _ they will impart to them knowledge, wisdom, charity, fill them with compassion and cause them to feel after the wants of those who are in distress, or in painful or de- graded circumstances. They who observe the precepts contained in the Scriptures will be just and true and vir- tuous and peacable at home and abroad. Follow out the doctrines of the Bible, and men will make splendid hus- bands, women excellent wives, and children will be obedient; they will make families happy and the nations wealthy and happy and lifted up above the things of this lives2A3 2175; We take this book, the Bible, which I expect to see voted out of the so-called Christian world very soon, they are coming to it as fast as possible, I say we take this book for our guide, for our rule of action; we take it as the foundation of our faith. It points the way to salvation like a fingerboard pointing to a city, or a map which desig- nates the locality of mountains, rivers, or the latitude and longitude of any place on the surface of the earth that we desire to find, and we have no better sense than to be- 194 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG lieve it; hence, I say that the Latter-day Saints have the most natural faith and belief of any people on the face of the earth. 13:236. We as Latter-day Saints have confessed before Heaven, before the heavenly hosts, and before the inhabitants of the earth, that we really believe the Scriptures as they are given to us, according to the best understanding and knowl- edge that we have of the ‘translation, and the spirit and meaning of the Old and New Testaments. 12:227. Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter- day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test. 17:46. This Book, which is the Old and New Testament, preaches but one sermon from Genesis to Revelation. 6 :284. The doctrine that we preach is the doctrine of the Bible, it is the doctrine the Lord has revealed for the salvation of . the children of God, and when men, who have once obeyed it, deny it, they deny it with their eyes wide open, and knowing that they deny the truth and set at naught the counsels of the Almighty. 14:200. I ask you, brother B, how I must believe the Bible, and how shall you and every other follower of the Lord Jesus Christ believe it? “Brother Mormon, how do you believe it?’ I believe it just as it is. I do not believe in putting any man’s interpretation upon it, whatever, unless it should be directed by the Lord himself in some way. I do not believe we need interpreters and expounders of the Scriptures, to wrest them from their literal, plain, sim- ple meaning. 1:237. There is one idea entertained by the “Mormons” which is somewhat of a stumbling-block to the people, and apos- tates handle it to suit their purpose. It is, that we consider THE SCRIPTURES 195 the Bible merely as a guide or fingerboard, pointing to a certain destination. This is a true doctrine, which we boldly advance. If you will follow the doctrines, and be guided by the precepts of that book, it will direct you where you may see aS you are seen, where you may converse with Jesus Christ, have the visitation of angels, have dreams, visions, and revelations, and understand and know God for your- selves. Is it not a stay and a staff to you? Yes; it will prove to you that you are following in the footsteps of the ancients. You can see what they saw, understand what they enjoyed. 1:243. | The Standard Church Works. With us the Bible is the first book, the Book of Mormon comes next, then the reve- lations in the book of Doctrine and Covenants, then the teachings of the living oracles, yet you will find, in the end, that the living oracles of God have to take all things of heaven and earth, above and beneath, and bring them to- gether and devote them to God, and sanctify and purify them and prepare them to enter into the Kingdom of heaven. 9:297. There is no clash in the principles revealed in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants; and there would be no clash between any of the doctrines taught by Joseph the Prophet and by the brethren now, if all would live in a way to be governed by the Spirit of the Lord. All do not live so as to have the Spirit of the Lord with them all the time, and the result is that some get out of the way. 5 3329. We have learned much from the Bible. We have also learned much from the Book of Mormon and the book of Doctrine and Covenants;'but all the salvation you can ob- tain by means of those books alone is comparatively of little 196 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG value. They contain a history of what other men have done, show the path they walked in, and the way in which they obtained the words of eternal life for themselves; but all the Scriptures from the days of Adam until now cannot, alone, save one individual. Were they all committed to memory so perfectly that they could be recited with the greatest ease, that alone would not save one of the smallest of God’s creatures, nor bring any person nearer the gate of the celestial kingdom. In visiting a foreign nation, an un- derstanding of its language, geography, manners, cus- toms, and laws is very agreeable and: beneficial. So the reading of the Bible gives comfort and happiness to the traveler to eternity, and points out to him in part the char- acter and attributes of the Being whom to know is life eternal. We have not yet attained to that knowledge, and the mere reading of the Scriptures can never put us in pos- session of it. 7:332. It is your privilege and duty to live so, as to be able to understand the things of God. There are the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, and the book of Doc- trine and Covenants, which Joseph has given us, and they are of great worth to a person wandering in darkness. They are like a lighthouse in the ocean, or a finger-post which points out the road we should travel. Where do they point? To the Fountain of light. 8:129. What do the infidel world say about the Bible? They say that the Bible is nothing better than last year’s al- manac; it is nothing but a fable of priestcraft, and it is good for nothing. The Book of Mormon, however, declares that the Bible is true, and it proves it; and the two prove each other true. The Old and New Testaments are the stick of Judah. You recollect that the tribe of Judah tarried in THE SCRIPTURES 197 Jerusalem and the Lord blessed Judah, and the result was the writings of the Old and New Testaments. But where is the stick of Joseph? Can you tell where it is? Yes. It was the children of Joseph who came across the waters to this continent, and this land was filled with people, and the Book of Mormon or the stick of Joseph contains their writings, and they are in the hands of Ephraim. Where are the Ephraimites? They are mixed through all the nations of the earth. God is calling upon them to gather out, and he is uniting them, and they are giving the Gospel to all the world. Is there any harm or any false doctrine in that? A great many say there is. If there is, it is all in the Bible. 13 174. The Christian world ea to believe the Old and New Testaments; the Jews say they believe the Old Testament. We believe both, and that is not all, we believe in the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants given by the Lord to Joseph Smith and by him to the Church. We also believe if we were destitute of the Spirit of the Lord, and our eyes were closed so that we could not see and under- _ stand things as they are by the spirit of revelation, we might say farewell to all these books, no matter how numerous. If we had all the revelation given since the days of Adam and were without the spirit of revelation to be and abide in the midst of the people, it would be impos- sible for us to be saved in the celestial kingdom of God, 12 :259-260. The book of Doctrine and Covenants is given for the Latter-day Saints expressly for their everyday walk and actions. 16:188. The Use of the Scriptures—Do y you read the Scriptures, my brethren and sisters, as though you were writing them 198 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG a thousand, two thousand, or five thousand years ago? Do you read them as though you stood in the place of the men who wrote them? If you do not feel thus, it is your privi- lege to do so, that you may be as familiar with the spirit and meaning of the written word of God as you are with your daily walk and conversation, or as you are-with your workmen or with your households. 7 :333. The people,on every hand are inquiring, “What does this scripture mean, and how shall we understand this or that passage?’ Now I wish, my brethren and sisters, for us to understand things precisely as they are, and not as the flitting, changing imagination of the human mind may frame them. The Bible is just as plain and easy of comprehension as the revelation which I have just read to you, if you under- stand the Spirit of God—the Spirit of Revelation, and know how the Gospel of salvation is adapted to the capacity of weak man. 3:336. We are not in the same attitude that the people were a few thousand years ago—they were depending on the Prophet or Prophets, or on having immediate revelation for themselves to know the will of the Lord, without the record of their predecessors, while we have the records of those who have lived before us, also the testimony of the Holy - Spirit ; and, to the satisfaction of all who desire a testimony, we can turn to this book and read that which we believe, learn the object of our pursuit, the end that we expect to accomplish—the end of the race as far as mortality is con- cerned—and the fulness of the glory that is beyond this vale of tears; consequently we have the advantage of those who lived before us. We are in pursuit of knowledge; and when you meet together, if you have a word of prophecy, THE SCRIPTURES 199 a dream, a vision, or a word of wisdom, impart the same to the people. 15:35. Is there anything in the Bible that should not be read by the scholars in schools? If there be, leave out such parts, or rather replace the language there used, with phraseology more in accordance with modern usage, so that the principles contained in the Bible may be taught in your catechisms or other books. I know that there is some plain talk in the Bible, plainer than I heard this morning; but that plain talk was the custom of the ancients. The mere phraseology there used is not of much consequence, it is the true principle which that book teaches which ren- ders it so valuable. If any of you, ladies and gentlemen, were to step on a steamboat and cross over to Liverpool, you would hear language and see customs that you never heard or saw in Yankee land. It is the same with regard to the Bible, the phraseology is that which was customary centuries ago; but no matter what the language is, that is merely custom. But I will say that the doctrines taught in the Old and New Testaments concerning the will of God towards his children here on the earth; the history of what ~ he has done for their salvation; the ordinances which he has instituted for their redemption; the gift of his Son and his atonement—all these are true, and we, the Latter- day Saints, believe in them. 13:174. ° I am a witness, so far as this is concerned, that the persons whose names are mentioned, and many others of the first Elders of the Church, were looked upon almost as angels. They were looked upon by the young members as being so filled with the Spirit and power of God, that we were hardly worthy to converse with them. You hear the names of Bishop Partridge, of Brother W. W. Phelps, who 200 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG is now sitting in this stand, of Parley P. Pratt, of David Whitmer, of Oliver Cowdery, and the names of many others of the first Elders who had been up to Zion, and I declare to you that brethren in other parts of the land, those who had not seen the persons named, felt that should they come into their presence they would have to pull off their shoes, as the ground would be so holy upon which they trod. Do you know what distance and age accomplish? They produce in people the most reverential awe that can be imagined. , When we reflect and rightly understand, we learn how easy of comprehension the Gospel is, how plain it is in its plan, in every part and principle fitted perfectly to the ca- pacity of mankind, insomuch that when. it is introduced among the lovers of truth it appears very easy and very plain, and how very ready the honest are to receive it. - But send it abroad and give it antiquity, and it is at once clothed with mystery. This is the case with all the ancient revelations. Those which were received and under- stood by the ancients are shrouded in mystery and uncer- tainty to this generation, and men are employed to reveal the meaning of the ancient Scriptures. 3:335-6. CHAPTER XII THE PRIESTHOOD The Priesthood—All ye inhabitants of the earth, hearken and hear! God has, in our day, spoken from the heavens; he has bestowed his holy Priesthood on the children of men; he has called upon all people to repent. 8:136. Let us submit to him, that we may share in this in- isvible, almighty, God-like power, which is the everlasting Priesthood. 3:259. . Lhe Priesthood of the Son of God, which we have in our midst, is a perfect order and system of government, and this alone can deliver the human family from all the evils which now afflict its members, and insure them happiness and felicity hereafter. 13:242. If anybody wants to know what the Priesthood of the Son of God is, it is the law by which the worlds are, were, and will continue for ever and ever. It is that system which brings worlds into existence and peoples them, gives them their revolutions—their days, weeks, months, years, their seasons and times and by which they are rolled up as a scroll, as it were, and go into a higher state of existence. £53127: When we talk of the celestial law which is revealed from heaven, that is, the Priesthood, we are talking about the principle of salvation, a perfect system of government, of laws and ordinances, by which we can be prepared to pass from one gate to another, and from one sentinel to another, until we go into the presence of our Father and God. This law has not always been upon the earth; and in its absence, other laws have been given to the children 202 ‘DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG of men for their improvement, for their education, for their government, and to prove what they would do when left to control themselves; and what we now call tradition has grown out of these circumtances. 2:139. The Priesthood of the Son of God in its operations com- prises the Kingdom of God. 11:249. Some of the brightest spirits who dwell in the bosom of the Father are making their appearance among this people, of whom the Lord will make a Royal Priesthood, a pécu- liar nation that he can own and bless, talk with, and asso- ciate with. 11:132. Men who are vessels of the holy Priesthood, who are charged with words of eternal life to the world, should. strive continually in their words and actions and daily de- portment to do honor to the great dignity of their calling and office as ministers and representatives of the Most Elicia zd(y. The Gospel has brought to us the holy Priesthood, which is again restored to the children of men. The keys of that Priesthood are here; we have them in our posses- sion; we can unlock, and we can shut up. We can obtain salvation, and we can administer it. 4:299. This Priesthood has been on the earth at various times. Adam had it, Seth had it, Enoch had it, Noah had it, Abra- ham and Lot had it, and’it was handed down to the days of the Prophets, long after the days of the ancients. This High Priesthood rules, directs, governs, and controls all the Priesthoods, because it is the highest of all. 9:87. But the Lord has so ordained that no man shall receive the benefits of the everlasting Priesthood without humbling himself before him, and giving him the glory for teaching him, that he may be able to witness to every man of the THE PRIESTHOOD 203 truth, and not depend upon the words of any individual on the earth, but know for himself, live “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,” love the Lord Jesus Christ and the institutions of his Kingdom, and finally enter into his glory. Every man and woman may be a revelator, and have the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy, and foresee the mind and will of God concerning them, eschew evil, and choose that which is good. 2:189. The Priesthood is given to the people and the keys thereof, and, when properly understood, they may actually unlock the treasury of the Lord, and receive to their full- est satisfaction. But through our own weaknesses, through the frailty of human nature, we are not capable of doing SO:fr 6019 1-2; | The Priesthood does not wait for ignorance; it instructs those who have not wisdom, and are desirous of learning correct principles. 7:64. It is the business, duty, and power of the eternal Priest- hood to commence laying the foundation to bring back the days, years, and intelligence that have been lost through transgression. J intend to pursue this course so long as I possibly can. I trust that I shall not commit an act that will annoy my feelings when I meet my Savior. I pray for this every day and every moment. 8:62. 7 The Lord Almighty will not suffer his Priesthood to be -again driven from the earth. 2:183-184. But mark it well, if we live according to the holy Priest- hood bestowed upon us, while God bears rule in the midst of these mountains, I promise you, in the name of Israel’s God, that he will give us seed-time and harvest. We must forfeit our right to the Priesthood, before the blessings of 204 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG the heavens cease to come upon us. Let us live our re- ligion and hearken to the counsel given to us. 10:292. Much has been said about the power of the Latter-day Saints. Is it the people called Latter-day Saints that have this power, or is it the Priesthood? It is the Priesthood; and if they live according to that Priesthood, they can commence their work here and gain many victories, and be prepared to receive glory, immortality, and eternal life, that when they go into the spirit-world, their work will far surpass that of any other man or being that has not been blessed with the keys of the Priesthood here. 7 :288-9. There is not a despot upon the earth whose power has not originally sprung from the Priesthood, and there is not a law in the Priesthood but what is founded on the revela- tions of Jesus Christ. These are the laws upon which all governments were originally based. Truth will endure for- ever, and every person that cannot abide truth will fail in obtaining eternal life. Truth is what we have. Let us live to it, and we shall abide for ever and no power can prevent it. 7:149. . When the faithful Elders, holding this Priesthood, go into the spirit world they carry with them the same power and Priesthood that they had while in the mortal taber- nacle. 3:371. When the holy Priesthood is upon the earth, and the fulness of the Kingdom of God has comé to the people, it requires a strict obedience to every point of law and doc- trine and to every ordinance which the Lord reveals. 10 :286. Were your faith concentrated upon the proper object, your confidence unshaken, your lives pure and holy, every one fulfilling the duties of his or her calling according to the THE PRIESTHOOD 205 Priesthood and capacity bestowed upon you, you would be filled with the Holy Ghost, and it would be as impossible for any man to deceive and lead you to destruction as for a feather to remain unconsumed in the midst of intense heat: -- 7.277, An individual who holds a share in the Priesthood, and continues faithful to his calling, who delights himself con- tinually in doing the things God requires at his hands, and continues through life in the performance of every duty will secure to himself not only the privilege of receiving, but the knowledge how to receive the things of God, that he may know the mind of God continually; and he will be enabled to discern between right and wrong, between the things of God and the things that are not of God. And the Priesthood—the Spirit that is within him, will continue to increase until it becomes like a fountain of living water ; until it is like the tree of life; until it is one continued source of intelligence and instruction to that individual. 3:192. It is the privilege of every person who is faithful to the Priesthood, who can overcome the enemy, thwart the de- sign of death, or him that hath the power of it, to live upon the earth until their appointed time; and they may know, see, and understand, by revelation, the things of God just as naturallly as we understand natural things that are around us. 3:192-193. All the acts we perform should be governed by the guid- ance of the Priesthood. 7:64. _ There is no act of a Latter-day Saint—no duty re- quired—no time given, exclusive and independent of the Priesthood. Everything is subject to it, whether preaching, business, or any other act pertaining to the proper conduct of this life. 7:66. 206 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Until a selfish, individual interest is banished from our minds, and we become interested in the general welfare, we shall never be able to magnify our holy Priesthood as we should. 11:115. No man will gain influence in this Kingdom, save what he gains by the influence and power of the Holy One that has called him to truth, holiness, and virtue. That is all the influence I have, and I pray God that I may never have any different influence. 7:140. Let me say to the brethren and sisters, when you are chastened by any of your leaders, never consider that the enemy does it, but receive it always as a kindness from the hand of a friend and not as from an enemy. If your presidents were your enemies they would let you alone in your faults. If you are beloved of the Lord you will be chastened; receive it with joy. 10:174. In trying all matters of doctrine, to make a decision valid, it is necessary to obtain a unanimous voice, faith and decision. In the capacity of a Quorum, the three First Presidents must be one in their voice; the Twelve Apostles must be unanimous in their voice, to obtain a righteous de- cision upon any matter that may come before them, as you may read in the Doctrine and Covenants. Whenever you see these Quorums unanimous in their declaration, you may set it down as true. Let the Elders get together, being faithful and true; and when they agree upon any point, you may know that it is true. 9:91-92. I would like to see the High Council and Bishops and all Judges filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, that when a person comes before them they can read and under- stand that person, and be able to decide a case quickly and justly. When men have a just appreciation of right and THE PRIESTHOOD 207 wrong, their decision can be made as well the first minute after hearing a statement of the case, as to waste hours and days to make it. I would like the Bishops and other of- ficers to have sufficient power and wisdom from God to make them fully aware of the true nature of every case that may come before them. But there are some of our great men who are so ignorant that a personal favor will so bias their minds that they will twist the truth and sustain a person in evil. Some, with a trifling consideration, can so prejudice the mind of a High Councilor, a High Priest, a Bishop, or an Apostle, that he will lean to the individual instead of the truth. I despise a man that would offer me money to buy me to his favor. 10:42. In all High Councils, in Bishops’ Courts, and in all other departments for transacting our business, the Church and Kingdom of God, with the Lord Almighty at the head, will cause every man to exhibit the feeling of his heart, for you recollect it is written that in the last days the Lord will reveal the secrets of the hearts of the children of men. 3:47. When I am brought to the test to fight for my religion, which I trust I never will be, I will call men who are full of the power of God for such an emergency. 7.143. I relate these circumstances to show you that a person who is ordained to the office of an Elder in this Kingdom has the same Priesthood that the High Priests, that the Twelve Apostles, that the Seventies, and that the First Presidency hold; but all are not called to be one of the Twelve Apostles nor are all called to be one of the First Presidency, nor to be one of the First Presidents of all the Seventies, nor to be one of the Presidents of a Quorum of Seventies, nor to preside over the High Priests’ Quorum ; but every man in his order and place, possessing a portion 208 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG of the same Priesthood, according to the gifts and callings to each. Does not this clear up the subject? This will ex- plain it to you so that you can understand it. When we find where our callings and positions are in the midst of the people of God, and every person willing to act in the discharge of his duty, there is enough for us all to do. All persons can have all they desire to do to promote the King- dom of God on the earth; they can exercise themselves in all that God has granted to them to prove themselves worthy before God and the people. 9:89. Did they destroy it when they took the life of Joseph? No. “Mormonism” is here, the Priesthood is here, the keys of the Kingdom are here on the earth; and when Joseph went, they did not go. .And if the wicked should succeed in taking my life, the keys of the Kingdom will remain with. the Church. 5:76-7. If I find a man, as I do once in a while, who thinks that he ought to be sustained in a higher position than he oc- cupies, that proves to me that he does not understand his true position, and is not capable of magnifying it. Has he not already the privilege of exhibiting all the talents he has—of doing all the good he is capable of in this Kingdom? Is he curtailed in the least, in anywise or place, in bringing forth his wisdom and powers, and exhibiting them before the community and leading out? No, not in the least. Are any of you infringed upon or abridged in the least? Is there a sister who has not the privilege of exhibiting all the talent and power she will, or is capable of, for the benefit of her sisters and her children? Are the sisters deprived of any liberty in displaying their taste and talent to improve the community? When I hear persons say that they ought to occupy a THE PRIESTHOOD 209 station more exalted than they do, and hide the talents they are in possession of, they have not the true wisdom they ought to, have. There is a lack in them, or they would im- prove upon the talents given. 7:161-2. I am more afraid that this people have so much confi- dence in their leaders that they will not inquire for them- selves of God whether they are led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a _.reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the pur- poses of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they could give to their leaders, did. they know for them- selves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way. Let every man and woman know, by the whis- pering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not. 9:150. You may take the Quorums in this Church—the First Presidency, the Twelve, the Presidents of the High Priests, the High Councilors, and the Presidents of the Seventies; and a person may go to each of those Quorums for counsel upon any subject, and he will invariably receive the same counsel. Why is this the case? Because they are all actu- ated by the same spirit. 5:328-9. Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, all the Patriarchs and Proph- ets, Jesus and the Apostles, and every man that has ever written the word of the Lord, have written the same doc- trine upon the same subject; and you never can find that Prophets and Apostles clashed in their doctrines in ancient days; neither will they now, if all would at all times be led by the Spirit of salvation. 5 :329. Where the Priesthood is not, the people are expected to 210 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG live according to the best knowledge they have; but even then they cannot with impunity commit many heinous faults. The Lord more readily overlooks them in conse- quence of their unenlightened condition, and there is a kingdom prepared for them. 10:286. When a man merely from a spirit of conviction goes forth to build up the Kingdom of God—to reform the na- tions of the earth, he can go so far as morality operates upon and enlightens him; but he is without authority from heaven. We are under no obligation to obey any man or being in matters pertaining to salvation, unless his words have the authority and sanction of the holy Priesthood. Soke: I never passed John Wesley’s church in London without stopping to look at it. Was he a good man? Yes; I sup- pose him to have been, by all accounts, as good as ever walked on this earth, according to his knowledge. Has he obtained a rest? Yes, and greater than ever entered his mind to expect; and so have thousands of others of the various religious denominations. Why could he not build up the Kingdom of God on the earth? He had not the Priesthood; that was all the difficulty he labored under. Had the Priesthood been conferred upon him, he would have built up the Kingdom: of God in his day as it is now being built up. He would have introduced the ordinances, powers, grades, and quorums of the Priesthood; but, not holding the Priesthood, he could not do it. Did the Spirit of God rest upon him? Yes, and does, more or less, at times, upon all people. 7:5. Many persons think, if they see a Prophet they see one possessing all the keys of the Kingdom of God on the earth. This is not so; many persons have prophesied without hav- THE PRIESTHOOD Pit ing any Priesthood on them at all. It is no particular revelation or gift for a person to prophesy. You take a good statesman, for instance, he will tell you what will become of a nation by their actions. He forsees this and that, and knows the results of any line of policy that may be pursued. To be a prophet is simply to be a foreteller of future events; but an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ has the keys of the holy Priesthood, and the power thereof is sealed upon his head, and by this he is authorized to proclaim the truth to the people, and if they receive it, well; if not, the sin be upon their own heads. 13:144. Seek diligently to know the will of God. How can you know it? In matters pertaining to yourselves as individuals, you can obtain it directly from the Lord; but in matters pertaining to public affairs, his will is ascertained through the proper channel, and may be known by the general counsel that is given you from the proper source. 1:78. I have already said that Christ set in his Church Apostles and Prophets; he also set in his Church evangelists, pastors and teachers; also the gifts of the Spirit, such as diverse tongues, healing the sick, discernment of spirits, and vari- ous other gifts. Now, I would ask the whole world, Who has received revelation that the Lord has discontinued these offices and gifts in his Church? I have not. I have had revelation that they should be in the Church, and that there is no Church without them. I have had many revelations proving to me that the Old and New Testaments are true. Their doctrines are comprised in the Gospel that we preach, which is the power of God unto salvation to all who be- lieve. 13:144. I plead with the Elders of Israel day by day, when I have an opportunity, to live their religion—to live so that 21 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG the Holy Ghost will be their constant companion; and then they will be qualified to be judges in Israel, to preside as Bishops, presiding Elders, and High Councilors, and as men of God, to take their families and friends by the hand and lead them in the path of truth and virtue, and eventually into the Kingdom of God. 6:331. The First Presidency—lIn the setting forth of items of doctrine which pertain to the progress and further building up of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, and the revealing -of his mind and will, he has but one mouth through which to make known his will to his people. When the Lord wishes to give a revelation to his people, when he wishes to reveal new items of doctrine to them, or administer chastisement, he will do it through the man whom he has appointed to that office and calling. The rest of the offices and callings of the Church are helps and governments for the edifying of the body of Christ and the perfection of the Saints, etc., every president, bishop, elder, priest, teacher, deacon and member standing in his order and officiating in his standing and degree of Priesthood as ministers of the words of life as shepherds to watch over departments and sections of the flock of God in all the world, and as helps to strengthen the hands of the Presidency of the whole Church. DARE The Lord Almighty leads this Church, and he will never suffer you to be led astray if you are found doing your duty. You may go home and sleep as sweetly as a babe in its mother’s arms, as to any danger of your leaders leading you astray, for if they should try to do so the Lord would quickly sweep them from the earth. Your leaders are try- ing to live their religion as far as they are capable of doing so. 9:289. THE PRIESTHOOD tS The First Presidency have of right a great influence over this people; and if we should get out of the way and lead this people to destruction, what a pity it would be! How can you know whether we lead you correctly or not? Can you know by any other power than that of the Holy Ghost? I have uniformly exhorted the people to obtain this living witness, each for themselves; then no man on earth can lead them estray. 6:100. Be careful, all the world, and touch not the anointed of the Lord. Afflict not the people who have the oracles of salvation for all the human family. 8:195. To possess and retain the spirit of the Gospel, gather Israel, redeem Zion, and save the world must be attended to first and foremost, and should be the prevailing desire in the hearts of the First Presidency of the Elders of Israel, and of every officer in the Church and Kingdom of God. 7 3174, ‘- 0 3] Perhaps it may make some of you stumble, were I to ask you a question—Does a man’s being a Prophet in this Church prove that he shall be the President of it? I answer, No! A man may be a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and it may have nothing to do with his being the President of the Church. Suffice it to say, that Joseph was the President of the Church, as long as he lived. He always filled that responsible station by the voice of the people. Can you find any revelation appointing him the President of the Church? The keys of the Priesthood were committed to Joseph, to build up the Kingdom of God on the earth, and were not to be taken from him in time or in eternity, but when he was called to preside over the Church, it was by the voice of the people; though he held the keys of the Priesthood, inde- pendent of their voice. 1:133. 214 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG I would beseech and pray the people to live so that if I do’not magnify my office and calling, you will burn me by your faith and good works, and I shall be removed. 7:281. The spirit of Joseph which fell upon me is ready to fall upon somebody else when I am removed. 5:57. The first name I shall present to you is that of Brigham Young, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints. If any person can say that he should not be sustained in this office, say so. If there is no objection, as it is usual in the marriage ceremony of the Church of England, “Let them for ever afterwards hold their peace,” and not go snivelling around, saying that you would like to have a better man, and one who is more te of leading the Church. 7:228. Suppose that Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams had been taken away or had apostatized, as one of them did soon after the revelation I have referred to was given, and there had been only Joseph Smith left of the First Presi- dency, would he alone have had authority to set in order the Kingdom of God on the earth? Yes. Again: Suppose that eleven of the Twelve had been taken away by the power of the Adversary, that one Apostle has the same — power that Joseph had, and could preach, baptize, and set in order the whole Kingdom of God upon the earth, as mttch so as the Twelve, were they all together. Again: If in the providence of God he should permit the enemy to destroy these two first Quorums, and then destroy the Quorum of the Seventy, all but one man, what is his power? It would be to go and preach, baptize, confirm, lay on hands, ordain, set in order, build up, and establish the whole Kingdom of God as it is now. Suppose the enemy had power to destroy all but one of the High Priests from the THE PRIESTHOOD pred ia" face of the earth, what would that one possess in the power of his Priesthood? He would have power and authority to go and preach, baptize, confirm, ordain, and set in order the Kingdom of God in all its perfection of the earth. Could he do this without revelation? No. Could the Seventies? No. Could the Twelve? No.* And we ask, could Joseph Smith or the First Presidency do this without revelation? No. Not one of them could do such a work without revela- tion direct from God. I can go still further. Whoever is ordained to the office of an Elder to a certain degree pos- sesses the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood; and suppose only one Elder should be left on the earth, could he go and set in order the Kingdom of God? Yes, by revelation. 9:88. Although Brothers Willard Richards, Heber C. Kimball, and myself are out of the Quorum of the Twelve, our Apostleship has not been taken from us. I preached con- siderable upon this subject in Nauvoo, to give the people the understanding of the different callings of men. 6:320. Many may think that a man in my standing ought to be perfect; no such thing. If you would only think of it for a moment you would not have me perfect, for if I were perfect the Lord would take me to Paradise quicker than you would be willing to have me go there. I want to stay with you; and I expect to be just nearly perfect PHOS Te to lead you on. 10:212. T had the promise, years ago, that I never should aposta- tize and bring an evil upon this people. God revealed that through Joseph, long before he died; and if I am not doing right, you may calculate that the Lord is going to take me home. He will not send me to hell, but he will take me home to himself. “I will take you up here, Brigham, and give you a few lessons.” 9:142. 216 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG (After putting the motion for himself to be sustained as “Prophet, Seer, and Revelator,” the President re- marked) : I will say that I never dictated the latter part of that sentence. I make this remark, because those words in that connection always made me feel as though I am called more than I am deserving of. I am Brigham Young, an Apostle of Joseph Smith, and also of Jesus Christ. If I have been profitable to this people, Iam glad of it. The brethren call me so; and if it be so, Iam glad. 5 :296. The Apostle and Melchizedek Priesthood—The calling of an Apostle is to build up the Kingdom of God in all the world; it is the Apostle that holds the keys of this power, and nobody else. If an Apostle magnifies his calling, he, is the word of the Lord to his people all the time. 6:282. It is the duty and privilege of the Twelve Apostles to have the Holy Ghost for their constant companion, and live always in the Spirit of Revelation, to know their duty and understand their calling; this is also the duty and privilege of the First Presidency of the Church. 11:135. I can tell you the spirit of the Twelve, which will be a consolation to you, and also to the Twelve. If I could see every one of the Elders with their wives and children as — obedient to every requirement made of them—the children to the parents, the wives to the husbands, and the husbands to the Priesthood—as the Twelve are—my soul would be happy. I will say further: those of the Twelve that travel the most and serve God, are the most obedient. 10:310. In the last week’s News I published a portion of a reve- lation, showing the authority of the First Presidency of the Church, composed at first of Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. When this revelation was < THE PRIESTHOOD 217 given, the two last-named brethren were Joseph Smith’s counselors, and this First Presidency possessed the power and authority of building up the Kingdom of God upon all the earth, and of setting the Church in order in its perfec- tion. You read in the revelation alluded to that when the Twelve were called and ordained, they possessed the same power and authority as the three First Presidents; and in reading further you find that there must needs be ap- pendages and helps growing out of this Priesthood. The Seventies possess the same power and authority; they hold the keys of establishing, building up, regulating, or- daining and setting in order the Kingdom of God in all its ' perfections upon the earth. We have a Quorum of High Priests, and there are a great many of them. They are a local body—they tarry at home; but the Seventies travel and preach; so also do the High Priests, when they are called. upon. They possess precisely the same Priesthood that the Seventies and the Twelve and the First Presidency possess ; but are they ordained to officiate in all the author- ity, powers, and keys of this Priesthood? No, they are not. Still they are High Priests of God; and if they magni- fy their Priesthood, they will receive at some time all the authority and power that it is possible for men to receive. 9:87. The Bishopric by right belongs to the literal descendants of Aaron, but we shall have to ordain from the other tribes, men who hold the High Priesthood, to act in the Lesser, until we find a literal descendant of Aaron, who is pre- pared to receive it. The Lesser Priesthood, then, you perceive, comes within the purview of the Apostleship, because a man that holds it has a right to act or officiate as a High Priest, as one of 218 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG the High Council, as a Patriarch, as a Bishop, Elder, Priest, Teacher, and Deacon, and in every other office and calling that is in the Church, from first to last, when duty demands it be 36. Now will it cause some of you to marvel that I was not ordained a High Priest before I was ordained an Apostle?’ Brother Kimball and myself were never ordained High Priests. How wonderful! I was going to say how little some of the brethren understood the Priesthood, after the Twelve were called. In our early career in this Church, on one occasion, in one of our Councils, we were telling about some of the Iwelve wanting to ordain .us High Priests, and wgat I said to Brother Patten when he wanted to ordain me in York State: said I, “Brother Patten, wait until I can lift my hand to heaven and say, I have magnified the office of an Elder.. After our conversation was over in the Council, some of the brethren began to query, and said we ought to be ordained High Priests; at the same time I did not consider that an Apostle needed to be ordained a High Priest, an Elder, or a Teacher. I did not express my views on the subject, at that time, but thought I would hear what brother Joseph would say about it. It was William E. McLellin who told Joseph, that I and Heber were not ordained High Priests, and wanted to know if it should not be done. Said Joseph, “Will you insult the Priesthood? Is that all the knowledge you have of the office of an Apos- tle? Do you not know that the man who receives the Apostleship, receives all the keys that ever were, or that can be, conferred upon mortal man? What are you talking about? I am astonished!” Nothing more was: said about Wes I have tried to show you, brethren, as briefly as possible, THE PRIESTHOOD 219 the order of the Priesthood. When a man is ordained to be an Apostle, his Priesthood is without beginning of days, or end of life, like the Priesthood of Melchizedek; for it was his Priesthood that was spoken of in this language and not the man. 1:136. Twenty-seven years ago, on the 5th of this month, in the year 1834, a.company started for Kirtland to redeem the land of Zion. Brother Heber C. Kimball and my brother Joseph were in that camp. There had not then been ordained any Twelve Apostles, nor any Seventies, al- though there was a revelation pertaining to the Apostles and Seventies. There were High Priests, but no High Priests’ Quorum. I am relating this as a little matter of history that will no doubt be interesting to those who were not there. After we returned from Missouri, my brother Joseph Young and myself had been singing after preaching in a meeting; and when the meeting was dismissed, Brother Joseph Smith, said, “Come, go down to my house with me.” We went and sung to him a long time, and talked with him. He then opened the subject of the Twelve and Seventies for the first time I ever thought of it. He said, “Brethren, I am going to call out Twelve Apostles. I think we will get together, by-and-by, and select Twelve Apostles, and select a Quorum of Seventies from those who have been up to Zion, out of the camp boys.” In 1835 the last of January or in February, or about that time, we held our meetings from day to day, and Brother Joseph called out Twelve Apostles at that time. He had a revelation when we were singing to him. Those who were acquainted with him knew ~ when the Spirit of Revelation was on him, for his coun- tenance wore an expression peculiar to himself while under 220 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG that influence. He preached by the Spirit of Revelation, and taught in his council by it, and those who were acquainted with him could discover it at once, for at such times there was a peculiar clearness and transparency in his face. He followed up that revelation until he organized the Church, and so along until the baptism for the dead was revealed. 9 :89. How came these Apostles, these Seventies, these High Priests, and all this organization we now enjoy? It came by revelation. Father Cahoon, who lately died in your neighborhood, was one of the first ordained to the office of High Priest in this Kingdom. In the year 1831 the Prophet Joseph went to Ohio. He left the State of New York on the last of April, if my memory serves me, and ar- rived in Kirtland sometime in May. They held a General Conference, which was the first General Conference ever called or held in Ohio. Joseph then received a revelation, and ordained High Priests. You read in the book of Doc- trine and Covenants how he received the Priesthood in the first place. It is there stated how Joseph received the Aaronic Priesthood. John the Baptist came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. When a person passes behind the veil, he can only officiate in the spirit-world; but when he is resurrected he officiates as a resurrected being, and not as a mortal being., You read in the revelation that Joseph was ordained, as it is written. When he received the Melchizedek Priesthood, he had another revelation. Peter, James, and John came to him. You can read the revelation at your leisure. When he received this revelation , in Kirtland, the Lord revealed to him that he should begin and ordain High Priests; and he then ordained quite a num- ber, all whose names I do not now recollect; but Lyman THE PRIESTHOOD 271 Wight was one; Fathers Cahoon and Morley, John Mur- dock, Sidney Rigdon, and others were also then ordained. These were the first that were ordained to this office in the Church. I relate this to show you how Joseph proceeded step by step in organizing the Church. At that time there were no Seventies nor Twelve Apostles. 9:88-89. Joseph Smith never would permit the Seventies to get together and believe themselves a separate body from the rest of the Church. I never cared much about this, for I was not a particle afraid that they would get any power that truly does not belong to them; for, if they did, I was always satisfied that it would be blown to the four winds. I want to inform the Seventies living in Bishop Miller’s Ward (and what I now say applies to all the other Wards and Bishops) if he calls on them to act as Teachers, it is their imperative duty to act as Teachers, seeking to benefit and bless the people by enlarging their understandings, that they may prove themselves before God and one another. There is a world of intelligence to impart, and the Priest- hood (in its various callings, appointments, helps, and gov- ernments) is the means, through its ministers, of imparting it to the people. It is not a duty of a Seventy or High Priest, who is appointed a Teacher or a Bishop, to neglect the duties of those callings to attend a Seventies’ or High Priests’ meeting. Attend to the wishes of your Bishop, and never ask who has the most power. The man who has the most power with God will wield it, and earth and hell can- not hinder it.. Every man who has true influence has ob- tained it before God through faithfulness, and in all such cases there is not the least danger but what he will have it before the Saints. It is the man who converses with the heavens, who delights in doing so, and knows for himself 222, DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG that this is the Kingdom of God, who has true influence. wee Boa There is no retrograde movement in ordaining a High Priest to the office of a Bishop, for, properly speaking, he is set apart to act in that office. 10:96. | We shall dissolve the present High Council of this Stake. Many of them are far advanced in years, and some of them live at considerable distances from this city. They have labored according to the best of their ability. 7:337. The Bishop and the Aaronic Priesthood—The office of a Bishop belongs to the lesser Priesthood. He is the highest officer in the Aaronic Priesthood, and has the privilege of using the Urim and Thummim—has the administration of angels, if he has faith, and lives so that he can receive and enjoy the blessings Aaron enjoyed. At the same time, could Aaron rise up and say, “I have as much power and author- ity as you, Moses?” No; for Moses held the keys and authority above all the rest upon the earth. He holds the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which is the Priest- hood of the Son of God, which holds the keys of all these Priesthoods, dispensing the blessings and privileges of both Priesthoods to the people, as he did in the days of the Chil- dren of Israel when he led them out of Egypt. 9:87. I will say a few words with regard to a Bishop. Ex- cept we find a literal descendant of Aaron, a man has to be ordained ty the High Priesthood to administer as did Aaron and his sons. Can the Bishop baptize the people, according to his Bishopric? He can. When the people he has bap- tized assemble for confirmation, can he confirm them? He cannot, under the power of his Bishopric; but as he has been ordained to the office of a High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, to prepare him to act in the office of a THE PRIESTHOOD 223 Bishop in the Priesthood of Aaron, when he has baptized the people under the authority of his Bishopric, he has a right as a High Priest to confirm them into the Church by the laying on of hands. 9:280. A Bishop in his calling and duty is with the Church all the time; he is not called to travel abroad to preach, but is at home; he is not abroad in the world, but is with the Saints. 2:89. | In the capacity of a Bishop, has any person a right to direct the spiritual affairs of the Kingdom of God? No. In that capacity his right is restricted to affairs in a temporal and moral point of view. He has a right to deal with the transgressor. I do not care what office a transgressor bears in the Church and Kingdom of God, if he should be one of the Twelve Apostles, and come into a Bishop’s neighborhood, and purloin his neighbor’s books, defile his neighbor’s bed, or commit any breach of the moral law, the Bishop has a right to take that man before himself and his council, and there hold him to answer for the crime he has been guilty of, and deal with him for his fellowship in the Churchs.719 791; Who, then, has the greatest power? Those who best do the will of God. When a Bishop calls upon a man to of- ficiate as an assistant to him, he does not call upon him as a Seventy or as a High Priest, but as one of his own family— as a member of his Ward. 9:93. Instead of my believing for a moment that Paul wished to signify to Timothy that he must select a man to fill the office of-a Bishop that would have but one wife, I believe directly the reverse; but his advice to Timothy amounts simply to this—it would not be wise for you to ordain a man to the office of a Bishop unless he has a wife; you 224 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG must not ordain a single or unmarried man to that calling. 2:88. The Bishops should be a perfect example to their Wards in all things. 16:44. Let each Bishop attend faithfully to his Ward, and see that every man and woman is well and faithfully and prof- itably employed; that the sick and aged are properly cared for that none suffer. Let each Bishop be a tender and in- dulgent father to his Ward, administering a word of com- fort and encouragement here, a word of advice and counsel there, and a word of chastisement in another place, where needed, without partiality, wisely judging between man and man, caring for and seeking earnestly the welfare of all, watching over the flock of God with the eye of a true shep- herd, that wolves and dogs may not enter-among the flock to rend them, .211°:252. The Bishops should, through their teachers, see that every family in their Wards, who is able, should donate what they would naturally consume on the fast day to the poor. 12 :116. If a Bishop will act to the extent of his calling and of- fice, and magnify it, there will not be an individual in his Ward that is not employed to the best advantage. He would see that all lived as they should, walking humbly with their God. There would not be a person in his Ward that he does not know, and he would be acquainted with their circum- stances, conduct, and feeling. 8:146. The Bishops should set those whom they have confi- dence in, those whom they know to be honest, to be watch- men on the tower, and let them find out who are suffering. 3 :245. There are many of the Bishops here today, and my ad- THE PRIESTHOOD 225 vice to them is for them to be honest with me, to be honest with their God, to keep their covenants sacred, and to make a clean breast of all their business transactions that their consciences may be void of offense towards God and man. 8 :316. When your Bishop calls upon you, or advises you to do anything that will be for your good, do not call that oppres- sion. All the instruction he gives will be calculated to do you good, to raise you in that scale of intelligence that will make of you wise men and wise women. When we are recommended to do that which will lead to good, that can- not very well be construed into oppression. 10:313. If the people of a Ward are living in the faithful per- formance of their several duties, their faith and their prayers will be concentrated before the Lord, in the name of Jesus, for and in behalf of their Bishop, that he may know his business and be made fully capable to fulfil the duties of his calling to the honor of God and the salvation of the people. 11:135. You have often heard me and my brethren say that if the people in the capacity of a Ward, for instance, would let their faith be perfectly united, and their whole desires rise to the Father, through the name of Jesus Christ, and hold their Bishop in his calling between God and them, it would hardly be possible for that Bishop to do wrong, for he would be filled with wisdom. 6:98-99. Do our Bishops labor for pay? No, if they are not cap- able of getting a living and sustaining themselves and families, and of filling the office of Bishop without pay, they are hardly worthy of the Bishopric. If a High Priest is called to be a president or to travel and preach the Gospel to the nations of the earth, he must do it without pay; and 226 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG we think that any man who is not able to keep himself and family and travel and preach one-half or two-thirds of his time without being paid, is not so good a financier as he ought to be. 14:108. I say to the Bishop who has just addressed us, won’t you do as I have formerly directed you, and appoint good, wise, judicious men to go through your Ward, to find out . what is in that Ward, and the situation of every family, whether they have money, flour, or costly clothing or whether they are destitute and suffering? This is your business and calling. Do not let there be one place, in the habitations of the Saints in your Wards, about which you are uninformed. Brother Woolley has reported the circum- stance of a Bishop finding a woman who had been living upon the charity of her neighbors, and who, at the same time, had valuable property, and money hid up. I can re- fer you to scores of like circumstances, and what is more, to some of the Elders, those who are supposed to be among the best of our Elders. 3:244. Bishops’ Counselors should be examples to the Church; they should be like fathers to the Church. If they are really — the Counselors of the Bishop, they should practice every- thing that is good that he practices; and if the Bishop ‘him- self should neglect any duty, they should perform their duty as counselors, and should teach, guide, direct, and counsel the Bishop to improve in his life. 13:275. The Wards will be organized hereafter; Bishops will be placed over them, with their two Counselors, all of whom will be ordained High Priests, if not already so ordained, and then be set apart to act in their several offices. They then will form a court; and all the other quorums of Priest- hood will be set in order. 19:43. THE PRIESTHOOD 227 Church Organization and Government—The living or- acles of the Lord, * * * are always in the midst of his people. 10:302. Teach the people true knowledge, and they will govern themselves. 10:190. The government of this Church is based upon true prin- ciples, and the reason people fall out by the way is because of their ignorance—because they do not thoroughly canvass their acts, and wisely ponder the probable results. 7:65. We shall never have the keys of authority committed to us to be rulers until we will rule just as God would rule if he were here himself. 14:97. | But the Kingdom of heaven, when organized upon the earth, will have every officer, law and ordinance necessary for the managing of those who are unruly, or who trangress its laws, and to govern those who desire to do right, but cannot quite walk to the line; and all these powers and authorities are in existence in the midst of this people. Pad Ol. I am for the Kingdom of God. I like a good government, and then I like to have it wisely and justly administered. The government of heaven, if wickedly administered, would become one of the worst governments upon the face of the earth. No matter how good a government is, unless it is administered by righteous men, an evil government will be made of it. 10:177. “But we thought that the government you are talking about was a theocratic government.” It is; and it is the only true form of government on the earth—the only one that possesses all the true principles of republicanism. It puts every man and woman right, puts everything in its place, and gives to each one his due according to his work; for so will they be judged in that day. 7:8. 228 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG People have reason to fear the bogus or spurious theoc- racy. There are but few upon the earth who do not in their hearts acknowledge a Supreme Being, and also believe that Being to be holy; and, if they could be dictated by that Being, and be sure that they were dictated by the influence from him, there are but few who would object to that influence, and that government. 7:147. I wish you to build up every man who is in the faith of the Gospel—who is in the faith of God, angels, and good men; and if you strive to pull down good men who are around you, you are sure to fall yourselves. 8:71. There is only one way to obtain power and influence in the Kingdom of God, and only one way to obtain foreknowl- edge, and that is to live so that that influence will come from our Creator, enlightening the mind and revealing things that are past, present and future pertaining to the earth and its inhabitants, and to the dealings of God with the children of men; in short, there is no source of true in- formation outside of the Spirit of Revelation; it maketh manifest all things, and revealeth the dispositions of com- munities and of individuals. By possessing this Spirit, mankind can obtain power that is durable, beneficial, and that will result in a higher state of knowledge, of honor and of glory. This can be obtained only by strictly marking the path of truth, and walking faithfully therein. 10:104. It is the right and privilege of every Elder in Israel to enjoy the Holy Ghost, and the light of it, to know every- thing which concerns himself and his individual dutiés, but it is not his right and privilege to dictate his superior in office, nor to give him counsel, unless he is called upon to do so, then he may make suggestions. 11:135. Now ask yourselves, and let me ask you, who has been THE PRIESTHOOD ~ 229 to you, individually, and told you to vote just as you have voted here today? Has any man visited your habitations to tell you that when you come to this house you must all vote precisely alike? I will pause right here and will re- quest that, if any person present has been so instructed, he or she will let us know it. I do not see any person rise, and I need not look for any one to do so, from the simple fact that not a word on this subject has been said to the Latter- day Saints. Our doctrine is true arid we like it; our faith is one and we are one in it, our object is one and we unit- edly pursue the straight and narrow path that leads to it. 14:91. If the time was that the Elders of Israel could not be chastened and corrected for their wrongs, and be set right, -you may know that they have proved recreant to the faith. And if those who are appointed to lead this people dare not rise up and tell them of their iniquity and chastise them therefor, and teach them the way of life and salvation, you may know that your leaders have fallen from their station. 5 :124. We will first present the Authorities of the Church; and I sincerely request the members to act freely and inde- pendently in voting—also in speaking if it be necessary. There has been no instance in this Church of a person’s being in the least curtailed in the privilege of speaking his © honest sentiments. It cannot be shown in the history of this people that a man has ever been injured, either in person, property, or character, for openly expressing, in the proper time and place, his objections to any man holding authority in this Church, or for assigning his reasons for such ob- jections. Persons have frequently ruined their own char- acters by making false accusations. 7 :227-228. 230 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Our ecclesiastical government is the government of heaven. | No being possesses intelligence, in any degree, that he has not received from the God of heaven, or, in other words, from the Fountain of all intelligence, whether he acknowl- edges his God in it or not. No man, independent of the Great Ruler of the universe, is capable of devising that which we see and are well acquainted with. All mechan- ism, good government, wholesome principle, and true phjl- osophy of whatever name or nature, flows from God to finite man. What for? To determine what he will do with it. It is for his improvement and advancement in the arts of civilized life, morality, and true religion. This has been taught you from the beginning as the unmistakable features of our holy religion. 7:141. Let the Presidents and Apostles and Elders do the work the Lord has set them to do, and obey the counsel which is given them, and the Kingdom will continue to roll, to in- crease in strength, in importance, in magnitude and in power, in wisdom, intelligence and glory; and no one need be concerned, for it is the Kingdom which the Lord our God has established, and has sustained by his matchless wisdom and power from the beginning to this day. 11:253. It is a common adage, “Old men for counsel, and young men for war.” Until men born in the Priesthood grow old therein in faithfulness, I would say, with comparatively few exceptions, “Young men for counsel, and young men for war.” For knowledge and understanding, I would rather, as a general thing, select young men from eighteen years of age—the sons of men who have been in this Church from the beginning, than to select their fathers. Their minds have THE PRIESTHOOD Bat been but little, if any, trammeled with erroneous traditions and teachings. Let the yoke of the Gospel be put upon those young mén Brother Joseph referred to in his remarks, who have been sowing their wild oats for years, and they are generally better and more correct in the offices of the Priesthood than many of the gray-haired fathers. They understand more about God, about Jesus Christ, and the government of God on the earth, than do many of the fath- ers and grand-fathers. 7:335. It is true that under some circumstances we may have to look at the others. For instance, here is the High Coun- cil, they are called to act upon cases that come before them. Of course their duty, then, is to examine into the conduct of their brethren and sisters; and this is required of them. And if they do it without prejudice, without selfishness, by the power of the Holy Ghost, divested of every improper feeling, judging righteous judgment between man and man, the performance of this duty will purify them just as much any other labor., 11:292. | It may be considered that we are a mixed congregation, consisting of Bishops, Seventies, High Priests, Elders, the Twelve, and the First Presidency; but I consider we are, strictly speaking, a meeting of the Elders of Israel; for if we were to be instructed in the duties of any one of these Quorums, that instruction would be equally good for all. - 6:314, 7 ; High Councilors, do you have any trials before you? “Yes.” Have the brethren complained of each other? “Yes.” Are their feelings alienated one from the other? Is there a party spirit manifested in the Council? “Sometimes.” Do the brethren go off satisfied with the decisions of the Coun- cil? Bishops, do you have any trials? Are the feelings of roe DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG the brethren in your Wards alienated? “Yes.” What should they do in such cases? They should follow the rules laid down, and be reconciled to their brethren forthwith. I think that it can be shown that the great majority of dif- ficulties between brethren arises from misunderstandings rather than from malice and a wicked heart, and instead of talking the matter over with each other in a saint-like spirit, they will contend with each other until a real fault is created, and they have brought a sin upon themselves. When we have done good ninety-nine times and then do an evil, how common it is, my brethren and sisters, to look at that one evil all the day long and never think of the good. Before we judge each other we should look at the design of the heart, and if it is evil, then chasten that individual, and take a course to bring him back again to righteousness. 122173: When you are rebuked by each other—when brethren meet you and say, “This is wrong in you,” you should re- ceive it kindly, and express your thanks for the reproof, and acknowledge the wrong frankly, and admit that you may frequently do wrong when you do not know it, and say, “T wish you to enlighten my mind, to take me by the hand, and let me go along hand-in-hand and strengthen and su- stain each other.” What, in your weaknesses? Yes. Do you expect to see a perfect man? Not while you stay here. 8 :367. You may, figuratively speaking, pound one Elder over the head with a club, and he does not know but what you have handed him a straw dipped in molasses to suck. There are others, if you speak a word to them, or take a straw and chasten them, whose hearts are broken; they are as tender in their feelings as an infant, and will melt like wax THE PRIESTHOOD 233 before the flame. You must not chasten them severely; you must chasten according to the spirit that is in the per- son. Some you may talk to all day long, and they do not know what you are talking about. There is a great variety. Treat people as they are. 8:367. Just a few words to the Presidency of this Stake of Zion. It is now their duty to see that the officers within their jurisdiction perform their several duties, it is sufficient work for them, too, if they will attend to it. The High Council, I hope, will not have much business to do. I am told that there have only been three cases during the last twenty-three years, that have gone for trial before the High Council from Farmington. That is doing very well. To the now acting Bishops, who will be ordained Bishops, as well as to Brother Hess, who I believe is the only ordained Bishop in the county, I will say that you will now be re- quired to look after your several Wards more assiduously than heretofore; see that Teachers are diligent in the per- formance of their duties, and that all difficulties that may arise among the brethren of the Ward be settled, if pos- sible, by the Teachers; and also see that all who claim mem- bership in this Church observe the moral law of our re- ligion. We shall not expect to hear of people breaking the Sabbath, and a hundred other things all of which are in- consistent with our holy callings, and opposed to the ‘ac- complishment of the work that the Father has given us to do. You are called upon now to make yourselves familiar with the revelations and commandments that have been given us of the Lord for our perfection, for our sanctifica- tion preparatory to our exaltation, and so live that our acts and conversations may conform to the same. You are called upon now to improve your ways, to seek with all 234 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG earnestness for an increase of faith that you may live ac- cording to the higher laws, which is your privilege to do, and which is so necessary for our peace and comfort and for the good order of society and for the salvation of the Latter-day Saints. 19:43. CHAP THR x TILT THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL Importance of the Principles of the Gospel—By faith- fully attending to the first principles of the Gospel laid down in the New Testament, you are introduced into the knowledge of the works of God in the dispensation of the fulness of time. 1:244. To understand the first principles of the Gospel—to rightly understand them, a man must have the wisdom that comes from above; he must be enlightened by the Holy Ghost; his mind must be in open vision; he must enjoy the blessings of salvation himself, in order to impart them to others. 6:283. 3 Need of Ordinances—There is no ordinance that God has delivered by his own voice, through his Son Jesus Christ, or by the mouths of any of his Prophets, Apostles or Evangelists, that is useless. Every ordinance, every com- mandment and requirement is necessary for the salvation of the human family. 13:215. With regard to the ordinances of God, we may remark that we yield obedience to them because he requires it; and every iota of his-requirements has a rational philos- ophy with it. We do not get up things on a hypothesis. That philosophy reachés to all eternity, and is the philos-. ophy that the Latter-day Saints believe in. Every particle of truth that every person has received is a gift of God. We receive these truths, and go on from glory to glory, from eternal lives to eternal lives, gaining a knowledge of all things, and becoming Gods, even Sons of God. These are the celestial ones. These are they whom the Lord has 236 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG chosen through their obedience. They have not spurned the truth, when they have heard it. These are they that have not spurned the Gospel, but have acknowledged Jesus and God,in their true character; that have acknowledged the angels in their true character. These are they that work for the salvation of the human family. 19:50. Because we believe im the ordinance of baptism, the or- dinance of the sacrament is not to be done away. To learn that, if you believe in the laying on of hands for the recep- tion of the Holy Ghost, you are not to deny the laying on of hands for the healing of the sick. It is not for people to take only part of the religion of Christ, and say, “It is all we require;” but take the whole truth wherever you find it. It is good; claim it, take it to yourself, and cleave to it, for it will do you good. Cease to separate truth from truth. 8 :260. However much we may profess attachment to God and his cause we are not entitled to the blessings and privileges of his Kingdom until we become citizens therein. How can we do this? By repenting of our sins, and obeying the re- quirements of the Gospel of the Son of God which has been delivered to us. Hundreds and thousands of people have be- lieved on the Lord Jesus Christ and repented of their sins, and have had the Holy Spirit to witness unto them that God is love, that they loved him and that he loved them, and yet they are not in his Kingdom. . They have not complied with the necessary requirements, they have not entered in at the door. 13:57. Faith—The Gospel that we preach is the power of God unto salvation; and the first principle of that Gospel is, as © I have already said, faith in God, and faith in Jesus Christ his Son, our:Savior. We must believe that he is the char- THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 237. acter he is represented to be in the Holy Scriptures. Believe that he told the truth when he said to his disciples, “Go ye forth and preach the Gospel to every creature; he that be- lieveth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.” We must believe that this same Jesus was crucified for the sins of the world, that is for the original sin, not the actual individual transgressions of the people; not but that the blood of Christ will cleanse from all sin, all who are disposed to act their part by repentance, and faith in his name. But the original sin was atoned for by the death of Christ, although its effects we still see in the diseases, distempers and every species of wickedness with which the human family is afflicted. 13:143. Faith is an eternal principle; belief is an admission of — the fact. Faith, to us, is the gift of God; belief is inherent in the children of men, and is the foundation for the recep- tion of faith. Belief and unbelief are independent in men, the same as other attributes. Men can acknowledge or re- ject, turn to the right or to the left, rise up or remain seated, you can say that the Lord and his Gospel are not worthy of notice, or you can bow to them. 8:16. Belief is inherent in the creature—implanted within him for his use and benefit—to believe or disbelieve. Your own experience may satisfy you that faith is not brought into requisition by the presentation of either facts or falsehoods, to the external senses, or to the inward perceptions of the mind. If we speak of faith in the abstract, it is the power of God by which the worlds are and were made, and is a gift of God to those who believe and obey his commandments. On the other hand, no living, intelligent being, whether serving God or not, acts without belief. He might as well undertake to live without breathing as to live without the 238 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG principle of belief. But he must believe the truth, obey the truth, and practice the truth, to obtain the power of God called faith. 8:259-260. When men are in the habit of philosophising upon every point, only relying upon what we call human reason, they are constantly liable to error. But place a man in a situa- tion where he is obliged or compelled, in order to sustain himself, to have faith in the name of Jesus Christ, and it brings him to a point where he will know for himself; and happy are those who pass through trials, if they maintain their integrity and their faith to their calling. 7:158. When you believe the principles of the Gospel and at- tain unto faith, which is a gift of God, he adds more faith, adding faith to faith. He bestows faith upon his creatures as a gift; but his creatures inherently possess the privilege of believing the Gospel to be true or false. 8:17. If the people will only be full of good works, I will in- sure that they will have faith in time of need. 3:154. There is no saving faith merely upon the principles of believing or acknowledging a fact. Take a course to let the Spirit of God leave your hearts, and every soul of you would apostatize. 7:55. It is the easiest thing in the world to believe the truth. It is a great deal easier to believe truth than error. It is easier to defend the truth than to defend error. 19:42. We are under obligation to trust in our God; and this is the ground-work of all we can do ourselves. 4:356. The first principle of the Gospel is faith in God—faith in a Supreme Being. This is a point that meets the infidel, and is one upon which I have reflected and talked a great deal, and I have come to this conclusion—that good, solid, sound sense teaches me never to judge a matter until I THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 239 understand it, and infidels should never pass their opinion with regard to the character of a Supreme Being until they know whether there is one or not. If this principle were an article in the creed of the infidel world, I think they would not be quite so sceptical as they are; I think we should not meet with any person who would deny the ex- istence of a Deity. The infidel looks abroad and’sees the works of nature, in all their diversity—the mountain pierc- ing the clouds with its snowy peaks, the mighty river, fertilizing, in its course to the sea, the valleys and plains in every direction, the sun in his glory at mid-day, the moon in her silvery splendor, and the myriad organizations from man to the minutest form of insect life, all giving the most irrefutable evidence of a Designer and Creator of infinite wisdom, skill and power, and yet he says there is no Deity, no Supreme Ruler, but all is the result of blind chance. How preposterous! Now, here is a book called the Bible. It is enclosed in what we call the cover, consisting of boards, paper and leather. Within the covers we see a vast amount of writing—syllables, words and sentences; now if we say there never was a person to compose, write, print or bind this book, but that it is here wholly as the result of chance, we shall only give expression to the faith, if faith it can be called, of those who are termed infidels; in fact this is infidelity. I do not want to say much about it, it is too vain! 13:142. : When you read the revelations, or when you hear the will of the Lord concerning you, for your own sakes never receive that with a doubtful heart. 3:336. To explain how much confidence we should have in God, were I using a term to suit myself, I should say implicit confidence. I have faith in my God, and that faith corresponds 240 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG with the works I produce. I have no confidence in faith without works, 4:24, My faith is, when we have done all we can, then the Lord is under obligation, and will not disappoint the faith- ful; he will perform the rest. 4:91. A great many good people, who possess much of the Spirit of the Lord, are naturally given to doubting, having so little self-reliance that they sometimes doubt whether they are Saints in truth or not. These often doubt when they should not. So long as they are walking humbly be- fore God, keeping his commandments, and observing his ordinances, feeling willing to give all for Christ, and do everything that will promote his Kingdom, they need never doubt, for the Spirit will testify to them whether they are of God or not. There are some who are always fearful, trembling, doubting, wavering, and at the same time doing everything they can for the promotion of righteousness. Yet, they are in doubt whether they are doing the best possible good, and they fear and fail here and there, and will doubt their own experience and the witness of the Spirit to them. 12:169. When a person is placed in circumstances that he can- not possibly obtain one particle of anything to sustain life, it would then be his privilege to exercise faith in God to feed him, who might cause a raven to pick up a piece of dried meat from some quarter where there was plenty, and drop. it over the famishing man. When I cannot feed my- self through the means God has placed in my power, it is then time enough for him to exercise his providence in an unusual manner to administer to my wants. But while we can help ourselves, it is our duty to do so. Ifa Saint of God be locked up in prison, by his enemies, to starve to THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 241 death, it is then time enough for God to interpose, and feed him. 1:108. : Are you full of faith? You can tell whether I am or not. by looking at me. You can tell whether the brethren who have been speaking to you are full of faith in the Gospel by the look of their countenances. You can see this if there is not a word spoken; we can tell by our feelings when we look at a congregation whether they have faith or not. I see there is a great amount of faith in the midst of the Latter-day Saints, and I wish there was a little more pa- tience and obedience. 15:37. If the Latter-day Saints will walk up to their privileges, and exercise faith in the name of Jesus Christ, and live in the enjoyment of the fulness of the Holy Ghost constantly day by day, there is nothing on the face of the earth that they could ask for, that would not be given to them. The Lord is waiting to be very gracious unto this people, and to pour out upon them riches, honor, glory and power, even that they may possess all things according to the promises he has made through his Apostles and Prophets. 11:114. When faith springs up in the heart, good works will follow, and good works will increase that pure faith within them. 3:155. The expression, “true believer,” needs qualifying, for many believe who do not obey—I will qualify it by saying, a believer in Jesus Christ, who manifests his faith to God, angels, and his brethren, by his obedience. Not but that there are believers who do not obey, but the only true be- lievers are they who prove their belief by their obedience to the requirements of the Gospel. 1:234. Our Heavenly Father does not always reveal to his chil- dren the secret workings of his providences, nor does he ¢ 9 2427.5 / DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG show them the end from the beginning; for they have to learn to trust in him who has promised to fight our battles, and crown us with victory, if we are faithful as was faith- ful Abraham. 11:13. Repentance—Sin consists in doing wrong when we know and can do better, and it will be punished with a just retribution, in the due time of the Lord. 2:133. Though we may do the best we know how at this time, can there be no improvement made in our lives? There can. If we do wrong ignorantly, when we learn it is wrong, then it is our duty to refrain from that wrong immediately and for ever, and the sin of ignorance is winked at, and passes into oblivion. 2:130. | When men truly and heartily repent, and make manifest to the heavens that their repentance is genuine by obedi- ence to the requirements made known to them through the laws of the Gospel, then are they entitled to the adminis- tration of salvation, and no power can withhold the good spirit from them. 10:18. Now, my brethren, you who have sinned, repent of your sins. I can say to you in regard to Jesus and the atonement (it is so written, and I firmly believe it), that Christ has died for all. He has paid the full debt, whether you receive the gift or not. But if we continue to sin, to lie, steal, bear false witness, we must repent of and forsake that sin to have the full efficacy of the blood of Christ. Without this it will be of no effect; repentance must come, in order that the atonement may prove a benefit to us. Let all who are doing wrong cease doing wrong; live no longer in trans- gression, no matter of what kind; but live every day of your lives according to the revelations given, and so that your examples may be worthy of imitation. Let us remember THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 243 that we never get beyond the purview of our religion— never, never! 11:375. Some of our old traditions teach us that a man guilty of atrocious and murderous acts may savingly repent when on the scaffold; and upon his execution will hear the ex- pression, “Bless God! he has gone to heaven, to be crowned in glory, through the all-redeeming merits of Christ the Lord.” This is all nonsense. Such a character never will see heaven. Some will pray, “O that I had passed through the veil on the night of my conversion!” ‘This proves the false ideas and vain notions entertained by the Christian world. 8:61. When I first came into the Church it was a subject of considerable thought to me why people whom I knew to be as good and moral as they could be, should have to re- _ pent. But I could see afterwards that.if they had nothing else to repent of they could and ought to repent of their false religions, of their narrow, contracted creeds in which they were bound, of the ordinances of men, and get some- thing better. These narrow, contracted religions have spread infidelity in the world. They should repent of these and take hold of the things of God and receive the truths. of heaven. “Well,” say the ministers, “we have lived ac- cording to the light we have received.” We say, are you willing to receive more? If so, here is more for you. So far as your faith in Christ goes, and your morality, we say, Amen. But here is something more. 16:43., The Savior has warned us to be careful how we judge, forgiving each other seven times seventy in a day, if we repent, and confess our sins one to another. Can we be more merciful and forgiving than our Father in Heaven? We cannot. Therefore let people do the best they can, and 244 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG they will pave the way for the rising generation to walk up into the light, wisdom, and knowledge of the angels, and of the redeemed from this earth, to say nothing of other earths, and they will be prepared to enjoy in the resurrec- tion all the blessings which are for the faithful, and enjoy them in the flesh. 2:132. We should never cease reforming and seeking to the Lord our God. 4:269. All I have ever asked for or contended for is a reforma- tion in the life of this people; that the thief should stop his stealing, the swearer his swearing, the liar his lying, the deceiver his deceiving, and the man who loves the world more than his God and his religion wean his affections from those objects and place them where they of right belong. I do not wish anybody to cherish a wild enthusiasm, so common in the world, which is produced by the excitement of animal passions, and makes people weep and cry out in an insane manner. I wish the people to make themselves acquainted with facts pertaining to God, to heaven, to man- kind upon the earth, their errand here, for what they are created, the nature of their organization, who has power over them, who controls them, how much they can control themselves, etc., etc.; and then let us see whether we can be men and conduct ourselves like Saints, or live and act like the wicked. 9:103. Keep your follies that do not concern others to your- selves, and keep your private wickedness as still as possi- ble; hide it from the eyes of the public gaze as far as you can. I wish to say this upon this particular point in regard to people’s confessing. We wish to see people honestly confess as they should and what they should. 8 :362. THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 245 . If I have injured any person, I ought to confess to that person and make right what I did wrong. 8:361. But if you have stolen your neighbor’s cattle, own it, and restore the property, with fourfold if it is requested. If you have taken your neighbor’s spade, own it, and return it, with fourfold if he requires it. I believe in coming out and being plain and honest with that which should be made public, and in keeping to yourselves that which should be kept. If you have your weaknesses, keep them hid from your brethren as much as you can. You never hear me ask the people to tell their follies. But when we ask the brethren, as we frequently do, to speak in sacrament meet- ings, we wish them, if they have injured their neighbors, to confess their wrongs; but do not tell about your non- sensical conduct that nobody knows of but yourselves. Tell to the public that which belongs to the public. If you have sinned against the people, confess to them. If you have sinned against a family or a neighborhood, go to them and confess. If you have sinned against your Ward, confess to your Ward. If you have sinned against one individual, take that person by yourselves and make your confession to him. And if you have sinned against your God, or against yourselves, confess to God, and keep the matter to your- selves, for I do not want to know anything about it. 8:362. Baptism—We, the Latter-day Saints, believe in being baptized by immersion for the remission of sins, according to the testimony of the disciples of Jesus and the revela- tions of the Lord given in these last days. Infants are pure, they have neither sorrow of heart, nor sins to repent of and forsake, and consequently are incapable of being baptized for the remission of sin. If we have sinned, we must know good from evil; an infant does not know this, it cannot 246 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG know it; it has not grown into the idea of contemplation of good and evil; it has not the capacity to listen to the parent or teacher or to the priest when tuey tell what is right or wrong or what is injurious; and until these things are understood a person cannot be held accountable and conse- quently cannot be baptized for the remission of sin. 13 :237. The Lord has instituted laws and ordinances, and all have their peculiar design and meaning. And though we may not know the origin of the necessity of being baptized for the remission of sins, it answers that portion of the law _we are now under to teach the people in their ignorance that water is designed for purification, and to instruct them to be baptized therein for the remission of their sins. If thé people could fully understand this matter, they would per- ceive that it is perfectly reasonable and has been the law to all worlds. 7:162-163. What is required of us as soon as we come to the years of accountability? It is required of us, for it is an institu- tion of heaven, the origin of which you and I cannot tell, for the simple reason that it has no beginning, it is from eternity to eternity—it is required of us to go down into the waters of baptism. Here is a fountain or element, typical of the purity of the eternities. Go down into the waters, and there be baptized for the remission of sins, and then have hands laid upon us to confirm us members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then receive the Spirit of Truth, or the Holy Ghost. Then live accord- ing to every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, through those men whom he has appointed here upon the earth, until we are perfect. 19:48. If you have been righteous from your birth up, and have never committed known sins and transgressions, be THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 247 baptized to fulfil all righteousness, as Jesus was. If you © can say you have no sins to repent of, forsake your false theories, and love and serve God with an undivided heart. 14 :281. Has water, in itself, any virtue to wash away sin? Cer- tainly not; but the Lord said, “If the sinner will repent of his sins, and go down into the waters of baptism, and there be buried in the likeness of being put into the earth and buried, and again be delivered from the water, in the like- ness of being born—if in the sincerity of his heart he will do this, his sins shall be washed away. Will the water of itself wash thern away? No; but keeping the command- ments of God will cleanse away the stain of sin. 2:4. In the beginning God cursed the earth; but did he curse all things pertaining to it? No, he did not curse the water, but he blessed it. Pure water is cleansing—it serves to purify ; and you are aware that the ancient Saints were very tenacious with regard to their purification by water. From the beginning the Lord instituted water for that purpose among others. I do not mean from the beginning of this earth alone; and although we have no immediate concern in inquiring into the organization of other earths that do not come within reach of our investigation, yet I will say that water has been the means of purification in every world that has been organized out of the immensity of matter. 7:162. All Latter-day Saints enter the new and everlasting covenant when they enter this Church. They covenant to ° cease sustaining, upholding and cherishing the kingdom of the Devil and the kingdoms of this world. They enter the new and everlasting covenant to sustain the Kingdom of God and no other kingdom. They take a vow of the most 248 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG solemn kind, before the heavens and earth, and that, too, upon the validity of their own salvation, that they will sus- tain truth and righteousness instead of wickedness and falsehood, and build up the King fom of God, instead of the kingdoms of this world. 12:230. You have not the power to baptize yourselves, neither have you power to resurrect yourselves; and you could not legally baptize a second person for the remission of sins until some person first baptized you and ordained you to this authority. 6:275. Gift of the Holy Ghost—In the New Testament and Book of Mormon, we learn that when the Gospel is preached the people are taught to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to repent of their sins, be baptized for the remis- sion of sin, and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands; the Holy Ghost is then the special gift of the Father and is his minister. He also gives intelligence by angels, as well as by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and by opening the minds of the Saints to behold in vision things as they are in eternity. When true doctrines are advanced, though they may be new to the hearers, yet the principles contained therein are perfectly natural and easy to be understood, so much so that the hearers often imagine that they had always known them. This arises from the in- fluence of the Spirit of Truth upon the spirit of intelligence that is within each person. The influence that comes from heaven is all the time teaching the children of men. 9:254. We believe we are entitled to the gift of the Holy Ghost in extent according to the discretion and wisdom of’ God and our faithfulness; which gift brings all things to our remembrance, past, present, and to come, that are neces- ~sary for us to know, and as far as our minds are prepared THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL» 249 to receive the knowledge of God revealed by that all-wise Agent. The Holy Ghost is God’s minister, and is dele- gated to visit the sons and daughters of men. All intelli- gent beings pertaining to this earth are instructed from the same source. 9:254. The Holy Ghost reveals unto you things past, present, and to come; it makes your minds quick and vivid to under- stand the handiwork of the Lord. Your joy is made full in beholding the footsteps of our Father going forth among the inhabitants of the earth; this is invisible to the world, but it is made visible to the Saints, and they behold the Lord in his providences, bringing forth the work of the last days. 4:22. My knowledge is, if you will follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, every man and woman will be put in possession of the Holy Ghost; every person will become a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and an expounder of truth. They will know things that are, that will be, and that have been. They will understand things in heaven, things on the earth, and things under the earth, things of time, and things of eternity, according to their several callings and capacities. 1 :243. There is a variety of blessings; a different blessing being probably given to one, two, three or four of this con- gregation. Thus, one will have faith to lay hands upon the sick and rebuke disease, and drive it from the person af- flicted. Many may receive this blessing of faith, the gift of healing. Some may receive faith to the discerning of spirits; they can discern the spirit of a person, whether it is good or evil. They have such power that when a person enters this congregation they can tell the spirit of such 250 . ‘DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG person; then they have received the gift of discerning of spirits. Some may receive the gift of tongues, that they will get up and speak in tongues, and speak in many other languages beside their mother tongue, the language that they were brought up in, that they were first taught, and be able to proclaim the Gospel of life and salvation that all men could understand it. These are the blessings; but others might receive the gift of prophecy, get up and prophesy what is to befall this nation, what will befall this or that individual, and what will befall the different na- tions of the earth, etc. 16:164. The gifts of the Gospel are given to strengthen the faith of the believer. 10:324. Suppose you obey the ordinances of the Gospel, and do not speak in tongues today, never mind that. Suppose you do not have the spirit of prophecy, no matter. “Suppose you do not receive any particular gift attended by the rush- ing of a mighty wind, as on the day of Pentecost, there is no particular necessity that you should. On the day of Pentecost there was special need for it, it was a peculiarly trying time. Some special and powerful manifestation of the power of the Almighty was necessary to open the eyes of the people and let them know that Jesus has paid the debt, and that they had actually crucified him who, by his death, had become the Savior of the world. It required this at that time to convince the people. 14:114. The gift of seeing with the natural eyes is just as much a gift as the gift of tongues. The Lord gave that gift and we can do as we please with regard to seeing; we can use the sight of the eye to the glory of God, or to our own destruction. 3:364. The gift of communicating one wit’. another is the gift THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 251 of God, just as much so as the gift of prophecy, of discern- ing spirits, of tongues, of healing, or any other gift, though sight, taste, and speech, are so generally bestowed that they are not considered in the same miraculous light as are those gifts mentioned in the Gospel. We can use these gifts and every other gift God has given us, to the praise and glory of God, to serve him, or we can use them to dishonor him and his cause; we can use the gift of speech to blaspheme his name. 3:364. Healing the Sick—We lay hands on the sick and wish them to be healed, and pray the Lord to heal them, but we cannot always say that he will. 4:284. I am here to testify to hundreds of instances, of men, women, and children being healed by the power of God, through the laying on of hands, and many I have seen raised from the gates of death, and brought back from the verge of eternity; and some whose spirits had actually left their bodies, returned again. I testify that I have seen the sick healed by the laying on of hands, according to the promise of the Savior. 1:240. When I lay hands on the sick, I expect the healing power and influence of God to pass through me to the patient, and the disease to give way. I do not say that I heal every- body I lay hands on; but many have been healed under my administration. Jesus said, on one occasion, “Who has touched me?” A woman had crept up behind him in the crowd, and touched the hem of his garment, and he knew it, because virtue had gone from him. Do you see the rea- son and propriety of laying hands on each other? When we are prepared, when we are holy vessels before the Lord, a stream of power from the Almighty can pass through the tabernacle of the administrator to the system of the patient, 252 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG and the sick are made whole; the headache, fever or other disease has to give way. My brethren and sisters, there is virtue in us if we will do right; if we live our religion we are the temples of God wherein he will dwell; if we defile ourselves, these temples God will destroy. 14:72. Instead of calling for a doctor you should administer to them by the laying on of hands and anointing with oil, and give them mild food, and herbs, and medicines that you un- derstand ; and if you want the mind and will of God at such a time, get it, it is just as much your privilege as of any other member of the Church and Kingdom of God. It is your privilege and duty to live so that you know when the word of the Lord is spoken to you and when the mind of the Lord is revealed to you. I say it is your duty to live so as to know and understand all these things. 18:71. Many people are unwilling to do one thing for them- selves in case of sickness, but ask God to do it all. 4:25. I am sent for continually, though I only go occasionally, because it is a privilege of every father, who is an Elder in Israel, to have faith to heal his family, just as much so as it is my privilege to have faith to heal my family; and if he does not do it he is not living up to his privilege. It is just as reasonable for him to ask me to cut his wood and maintain his family, for if he had faith himself he would save me the trouble of leaving other duties to attend to his request. 3:46. You may go to some people here, and ask what ails them, and they answer, “I don’t know, but we feel a dread- ful distress in the stomach and in the back; we feel all out of order, and we wish you to lay hands on us.” “Have you used any remedies?” No. “We wish the Elders to lay hands upon us, and we have faith that we shall be healed.” THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 253 That is very inconsistent according to my faith. If we are sick, and ask the Lord to heal us, and.to do all for us that is necessary to be done, according to my understanding of the Gospel of salvation, I might as well ask the Lord to cause my wheat and corn to grow, without my plowing the ground and casting in the seed. It appears consistent to me to apply every remedy that comes within the range of my knowledge, and to ask my Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, to sanctify that application to the healing of my body; to another this may appear incon- sistent. But supposing we were traveling in the mountains, and all we had or could get, in the shape of nourishment, was a little venison, and one or two were taken sick, without any- thing in the world in the shape of healing medicine within our reach, what should we do? According'‘to my faith, ask the Lord Almighty to send an angel to heal the sick. This is our privilege, when so situated that we cannot get any- thing to help ourselves. Then the Lord and his servants can do all. But it is my duty to do, wher I have it in my power. 4:24. +7) CHAPTER XIV THE SABBATH; MEETINGS; THE SACRAMENT How to Spend the Sabbath Day—Spend the Sabbath day prudently, in the love and fear of God. 19:65. Persons professing to be Saints should assemble them- selves together on the Lord’s day, except those who may be necessarily detained at home to keep the house, take care of the children, or to perform some work of necessity and mercy; the rest should assemble in the place appointed for worship and the offering up of our sacraments. 10:284. You take this book (the book of Doctrine and Cove- nants) and you, will read here that the Saints are to meet together on the Sabbath day. It is what we call the first day of the week. No matter whether it is the Jewish Sab- bath or not. I do not think there is anybody who can bring facts to prove which is the seventh day, or when Adam was put in the garden, or the day about which the Lord spoke to Moses. This matter is not very well known, so we call the day on which we rest and worship God, the first day of the week. This people called Latter-day Saints, are re- quired by the revelations that the Lord has given, to as- semble themselves together on this day. In this command- ment we are required to come together and repent of our sins and confess our sins and partake of the bread and of the wine, or water, in commemoration of the death and sufferings of our Lord and Savior. 16:168. Instead of suffering our labors to occupy the Sabbath —instead of planning our business to infringe upon the first day of the week, we should do as little as possible; if THE SABBATH; MEETINGS; THE SACRAMENT 255 it is necessary to cook food, do so; but even if that could be dispensed with, it would be better. As to keeping the Sabbath according to the Mosaic Icw, indeed, I do not; for it would be almost beyond my power. Still, under the new covenant, we should remember to preserve holy one day in the week as a day of rest—as a memorial of the rest of the Lord and the rest of the Saints; also for our temporal advantage, for it is instituted for the express purpose of benefiting man. It is written in this book (the Bible), that the Sabbath was made for man. It is a blessing to him. As little labor as possible should be done upon that day; it should be set apart as a day of rest, to assemble together in the place appointed, according to the revelation, confess- ing our sins, bringing our tithes and offerings, and present- ing ourselves before the Lord, there to commemorate the death and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. 6:277-8. Now, remember, my brethren, those who go skating, buggy riding or on excursions on the Sabbath day—and there is a great deal of this practiced—are weak in the faith. Gradually, little by little, little by little, the spirit of their religion leaks out of their hearts and their affections, and by and by they begin to see faults in their brethren, faults in the doctrines of the Church, faults in the organization, and at last they leave the Kingdom of God and go to de- struction. I really wish you would remember this, and tell it to your neighbors. 15:83. The Lord has directed his people to rest one-seventh part of the time, and we take the first day of the week, and call it our Sabbath. This is according to the order of the Christians. We should observe this for our own temporal good and spiritual welfare. When we see a farmer in such a hurry, that he has to attend to his harvest, and to haying, 256 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG fence-making, or to gathering his cattle on the Sabbath day, as far as I am concerned, I count him weak in the faith. He has lost the spirit of his religion, more or less. Six days are enough for us to work, and if we wish to play, play within the six days; if we wish to go on excursions, take one of those six days, but on the seventh day, come to the place of worship, attend to the Sacrament, confess your faults one to another and to our God, and pay attention to the ordinances of the house of God. 15:81. I said yesterday to a Bishop who was mending a breach in the canal, and expressed a wish to continue his labor on the following Sabbath, as his wheat was burning up, let it burn, when the time comes that is set apart for worship, go up and worship the Lord. 3:331. The Lord has planted within us a divinity; and that divine immortal spirit requires to be fed. Will earthly food answer for that purpose? No; it will only keep this body alive as long as the spirit stays with it, which gives us an opportunity of doing good. That divinity within us needs food from the Fountain from which it emanated. It is not of the earth, earthy, but is from heaven. Principles of eternal life, of God and godliness, will alone feed the immortal capacity of man and give true satisfaction. 7:138. We are under the necessity of assembling here from Sabbath to Sabbath, and in Ward meetings, and besides, have to call our solemn assemblies, to teach, talk, pray, sing, and exhort. What for? To keep us in remembrance of our God and our holy religion. Is this custom neces- sary? Yes; because we are so liable to forget—so prone to wander, that we need to have the Gospel sounded in our ears as much as once, twice, or thrice a week, or, be- hold, we will turn again to our idols. 6:195. ~ THE SABBATH }; MEETINGS; THE SACRAMENT 257: If you can make as good a beginning as did an old lady, you will do well. She went to a schoolhouse, and, on her return, called at a neighbor’s who inquired where she had been. She replied, “I have been to meeting.” “Has there been a meeting?’ “Oh, yes, and a glorious one, too.” “Dear me, we did not hear of it. Were there many there?” “No, there were not many.” “Who was there?” “Why, the Lord was there, and I was there, and had a blessed good meeting.” If you cannot get any person to meet with you, be sure and have the Lord meet with you, and you will soon gain confidence in yourselves and have influence with your brethren. 8:65. Worship on Every Day—Monday, Tuesday, Wednes- day, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday must be spent to the glory of God, as much as Sunday, or we shall come short of the object of our pursuit. 13:261. _ The Lord knows the wants of his mortal children, and has appointed unto them one-seventh part of the time for rest, though we cannot say, in every sense of the word, that this is a day of rest to the Latter-day Saints or to the pro- fessing Christians, some of whom are in the habit of rising at sunrise to hold prayer-meetings; they then eat breakfast and hurry away to the morning’ service until noon; in the afternoon they again have meetings, and class mectings, prayer meetings, confessing meetings, etc., and so conti1.ue until nine in the evening. To such persons I cannot con- sider it really a day of rest. 10:187. Coming to this Tabernacle to worship and do the will of God for one day in the week, and following our own in- clinations and doing our own will at all other times, is a folly ; it is useless, and a perfect burlesque on the service of God. We should do the will of God, and spend all our time 258 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG for the accomplishment of his purposes, whether we are in this Tabernacle or elsewhere. 12:34. If I had my own mind, I would devote the time for meetings like this within the measure of the six days, and on the seventh rest from all my labors, for the express pur- pose of renewing the mental and physical powers of man. They require it, as the Lord well knew; hence he estab- lished a day of rest. The natural tendency of the physical powers of man is to decay; and to preserve them as long as possible, they need this retirement from labor—this rest— this ease. 8:58. Preaching and Listening in Meetings—While we have the privilege of speaking to each other, let us speak words of comfort and consolation. When you are influenced by the Spirit of holiness and purity, let your light shine; but if you are tried and tempted and buffeted by Satan, keep your thoughts to yourselvyes—keep your mouths closed; for speaking produces fruit, either of a good or evil character. 7 :268. As we have met in the capacity of a General Conference, we shall expect to hear instructions from the Elders per- taining to the building up of the Kingdom of God on earth. This is our calling, this is the labor devolving upon us, and it should occupy our attention day by day from morning until evening and from week to week; in fact, we have no other calling or business. 13:260. Today we are able to meet together to speak to each other, to strengthen and do each other good; and by for- saking our fields for a season, to gather together to worship our God, I can assure you that our crops will be better than they would be if we were to spend all our time in our fields, We may water and plant and toil, but we should never for. THE SABBATH ; MEETINGS; THE SACRAMENT 259 get that it is God who gives the increase; and by meeting - together, our health and spirits will be better, we will look . better, and the things of this world will increase around us more, and we will know better how to enjoy them. 11:116. I will take the liberty of suggesting to my brethren who address the congregation that our sermons should be short, and if they are not filled with life and spirit let them be shorter, for we have not time at this Conference to let all the Elders who speak preach a long sermon, but we have time to say a few words in bearing testimony, to give a few words of.counsel to encourage the Saints, to strengthen the weak, to endeavor to confirm those who are wavering, and so forward the Kingdom of God. 12:27. : Brethren and sisters, I will make one request of you. When you speak, speak so that we can hear and understand you, whether it be much or little, good or bad. If you have nothing to say, take my counsel, and keep your seat. If you have anything to say, say it; and when you get through, stop. Let your feelings be governed and controlled by the principles of eternal life, as should the children of God, de- lighting in truth and righteousness. 7:270. Many’ have a foreboding in their hearts; a fearfulness, a tremor comes over them, when they arise to address a congregation. ‘They think that it will not do to tell the people just what they understand, but talk about it and talk about it. In this way they darken counsel: Do not darken counsel by your words. 4:368. 3 When people assemble to worship they should leave their worldly cares where they belong, then their minds are in a proper condition to worship the Lord, to call upon him in the name of Jesus, and to get his Holy Spirit, that 260 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG they may hear and understand things as they are in eter- nity, and know how to comprehend the providences of our God. This is the time for their minds to be open, to be- hold the invisible things of God, that he reveals by his Spirit--7ocos- Every person should be silent when we meet here to worship God. Remember and try to keep perfectly quiet, and do not whisper, talk, nor scrape your feet; and do not let your children cry if you can help it... 14:44. My greatest desire to my Father and God is that I may so speak that my remarks will be acceptable to him and beneficial to those who hear me. 7:131. I am responsible for the doctrine I teach; but I am not responsible for the obedience of the people to that doctrine. KG Fral The same weakness is in me, that is common to the most of my brethren who address you from this stand, that is, a degree of timidity, which arises from a sense of the im- portance of the work in which we are engaged; but my resolution overbalances this. 1:334. ; I am extremely anxious so to convey my ideas to the people that they will understand them as I do. Our lan- guage is deficient, and I do not possess in this particular _ the natural endowment that some men enjoy. I am a man of few words, and unlearned in the learning of this genera- tion. 9:287. I have never yet seen the time that I had wisdom, strength, and ability enough to preach a Gospel discourse —to commence it, and finish it, setting before the people the plan of salvation sufficiently full, that thereby they might be saved. But it is only given in portions—a little here, and a little there, by feeble man, 6:283. THE SABBATH ; MEETINGS ; THE SACRAMENT 261 When I have endeavored to address a congregation, | have almost always felt a repugnance in-my heart to the practice of premeditation, or of pre-constructing a dis- course to deliver to the people, but let me ask God. my Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, to give me his Spirit, and put into my heart the things he wishes me to speak whether they be for better or worse. These have been my private feelings, as a general thing. 1 :264. I need the attention of the congregation and the faith of those who have faith; I need the wisdom of God and his Spirit to be in my heart to enable me to speak to the edifi- cation of the people. Although I have been a public speaker for thirty-seven years, it is seldom that I rise before a con- gregation without feeling a child-like timidity; if I live to the age of Methuselah I do not know that I shall outgrow it. There are reasons for this which I understand. When I look upon the faces of intelligent beings I look upon the image of the God I serve. There are none but what have a certain portion of divinity within them; and though we are clothed with bodies which are in the image of our God, yet this mortality shrinks before that portion of divinity which we inherit from our Father. This is the cause of my timidity, and of all others who feel this embarrassment when they address their fellow beings. 13:139. In addressing a congregation, though the speaker be unable to say more than half a dozen sentences, and those “awkwardly constructed, if his heart is pure before God, those few broken sentences are of more value than the greatest eloquence without the Spirit of the Lord and of more real worth in the sight of God, angels, and all good men. In praying, though a person’s words be few and awkwardly expressed, if the heart is pure before God, that 262 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG prayer will avail more than the eloquence of a Cicero. What does the Lord, the Father of us all, care about our mode of expression? The simple, honest heart is of more avail with the Lord than all the pomp, pride, splendor, and eloquence produced by men. When he looks upon a heart full of sincerity, integrity, and child-like simplicity, he sees a principle that will endure forever—‘‘That is the spirit of my own kingdom—the spirit I have given to my children.” 8 :283-4. I believe, according to my feelings, that if I had all the mastery of language that has ever been obtained by the learned, my spirit would delight more in childlike con- versation, and that too, in a simple language, than in the most learned literary style that is used. A plain, clear method of expressing ideas is Ae most pleasing to me. 4 :341. I believe it is our uey to imitate everything that is good, lovely, dignified and praiseworthy. We ought to imitate the best speakers, and study to convey our ideas to each other in the best and choicest language, especially when we are dispensing the great truths of the Gospel of peace to the people. I generally use the best language I can command. 11:255. Testimony Meetings—You know that the first Thursday in each month we hold as a fast day. How many here know the origin of this day? Before tithing was paid, the poor were supported by donations. They came to Joseph and wanted help, in Kirtland, and he said there should be a fast day, which was decided upon. It was to be held once a month, as it is now,* and all that would have been eaten : *At present the first Sandee of the month is designated fast ay. THE SABBATH } MEETINGS ; THE SACRAMENT 263 that day, of flour, or meat, or butter, or fruit, or anything else, was to be carried to the fast meeting and put into the hands of a person selected for the purpose of taking care of it and distributing it among the poor. 12:115. Do not hesitate to tell your feelings. 4:368. In our fast-day meetings, the Saints meet to express their feelings and to strengthen each other in their faith in the holy Gospel. 7 :267. We wish the Latter-day Saints to meet at their respec- tive houses, erected for that purpose, on the day appointed for a fast, and take with them of their substance to feed the poor and the hungry among us, and, if it is necessary, to clothe the naked. We expect to see the sisters there; for they are generally first and foremost in deeds of charity and kindness. Let the hearts of the poor be made glad, and let their prayers and thanksgiving ascend unto God, and receive an answer of rich blessings upon our heads. 12:126. Do you not receive as much of the spirit of intelligence, of the spirit of knowledge, and the consoling influences of the Holy Ghost, to have people rise and testify of the things of God which they do know, of those things which they have experienced themselves? Does not that vividly bring to your minds the goodness of the Lord in revealing to you the truths of the Gospel? Does not that strengthen your faith, give you an increase of confidence and witness to you that you are a child of God? Most assuredly it does. Therefore, when any testify of the things of God, it strengthens their brethren, precisely as it did in days of old when they observed the counsel to, “Speak often one to another,” “strengthen the brethren,” and so on. 4:367. If any of you feel that there is no life in your meetings, as I occasionally hear some of the brethren say, then it be- 264 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG —_ comes your duty to go and instill life into that meeting, and do your part to produce an increase of the Spirit and power of God in the meetings in your locality. 10:309. I always feel to urge our youth to attend meetings when strangers preach, that they may be able to understand that which is not of God, and learn the difference between the doctrine taught by us and others. 13:323. Now, then, if our brethren of the Presbyterians, Metho- dists or any others visit here and want to preach to you, certainly let them preach, and have your children hear them. They will tell you to keep the Sabbath and to love your father and mother; they will tell you to be true, honest, industrious, to be faithful to your studies, to read the Bible and all good books, to study the sciences, etc., which is all good, and as far as such teaching goes just as good as it can be. I say, parents, do not be afraid of having your children learn everything that is worth learning. And if any of our Christian brethren want to go into our Sabbath schools to teach our children, let them do so. They will not teach them anything immoral in the presence of those who are in charge of the schools. 14:196. Whether we'are poor or rich, if we neglect our prayers and our sacrament meetings, we neglect the Spirit of the Lord, and a spirit of darkness comes over us. 10:300. When a man opens or closes a meeting with prayer, every man, woman, and child in the congregation who pro- fesses to be a Saint should have no desire or words in their hearts and mouths but what are being offered by the man who is mouth for all the congregation. 6:42. > The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper—The revelations of God to Joseph Smith instruct the Latter-day Saints to live their religion day by day, and to meet on the first day THE SABBATH ; MEETINGS ; THE SACRAMENT 265 of the week to break bread, confess their faults one to an- other and pray with and for each other. I would like this tradition fastened not only upon the people generally, but particularly upon the Bishops and other leaders of this Church. 9:369. I say to the brethren and sisters, in the name of the Lord, it is our duty and it is required of us, by our Father in Heaven, by the spirit of our religion, by our covenants with God and each other, that we observe the ordinances of the house of God, and especially on the Sabbath day, to attend to the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Then at- tend the Ward meetings and the Quorum meetings. 15:82. In the ordinance we here attend to in the afternoon, we show to the Father that we remember Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother ; we testify to him that we are willing to take upon us his name. When we are doing this, I want the minds here as well as the bodies. I want the whole man here when you come to meeting. 8:137. This is a very solemn ordinance. The Christian world accepts it, in preference to any other, as one of the ordi- - nances of the house of God. With some, this ordinance is the first and the last; and with others this ordinance is not thought to be of sufficient importance to be attended to. I wish to say to the Latter-day Saints, and also to those who do not believe in the fulness of the Gospel, that this ordinance, which we are now attending to this afternoon, is, in reality, no’more sacred than any other ordinance of the house of God in the eyes of him who has instituted the same. The validity of one divine law is the same as the validity of another with our Father and God. 11:39-40. I would exhort my brethren and sisters to receive this ordinance every Sabbath, when they meet together, as is 266 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG our practice; not following the customs of others, for with some denominations this is administered once a month, with others once in three months, with others never, they not believing in outward ordinances. We are in the habit of partaking of the contents of the cup each Sabbath when we meet together, and I do pray you, my brethren and sisters, to comtemplate this ordinance thoroughly, and seek unto the Lord with all your hearts that you may obtain the promised blessings by obedience to it. Teach its observ- ance to your children; impress upon them its necessity. Its observance is as necessary to our salvation as any other of the ordinances and commandments that have been instt- tuted in order that the people may be sanctified, that Jesus may bless them and give unto them his spirit, and guide and direct them that they may secure unto themselves life eternal. Impress the sacredness of this important ordi- nance upon the minds of your children. 19:91. We do this in remembrance of the death of our Savior; it is required of his disciples until he comes again, no matter how long that may be. No matter how many generations come and go, believers in him are required to eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of his death and sufferings until he comes again. Why are they required to do this? To witness unto the Father, to Jesus and to the angels that they are believers in and desire to follow him in the re- generation, keep his commandments, build up his Kingdom, revere his name and serve him with an undivided heart, that they may be worthy to eat and drink with him in his Father’s Kingdom. This is why the Latter-day Saints par- take of the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. I know that in the Christian world sermon after sermon is preached on this subject; yet people there differ in their THE SABBATH } MEETINGS ; THE SACRAMENT 267 belief concerning these emblems. The Mother Church, of the Christian world, believes that the bread becomes the actual flesh of Jesus, and that the wine becomes his blood ; this is preposterous to me. It is bread, and it is wine; but both are blessed to the souls of those who partake thereof. But to be followers of the Lord Jesus more is required than merely to partake of the bread and wine—the emblems of his death.and suffering—it is necessary that strict obedience be rendered to his requirements. .13:139-140. In what consists the benefit we derive from this ordi- nance? It is in obeying the commands of the Lord. When we obey the commandments of our Heavenly Father, if we have a correct understanding of the ordinances of the house of God, we receive all the promises attached to the obedi- ence rendered to his commandments. 2:3. It is one of the greatest blessings we could enjoy, to come before the Lord, and before the angels, and before each other, to witness that we remember that the Lord Jesus Christ has died for us. This proves to the Father that we remember our covenants, that we love his Gospel, that we love to keep his commandments, and to honor the name of the Lord Jesus upon the earth. 6:277. In the days of ancient Israel, while in the land of Pales- tine, they were not blessed so profusely as we are with the crystal streams from the mountains. They were in the habit of drinking a great deal of wine, and among the few who have continued to inhabit that land, this habit, I be- lieve, has been. kept up to the present time. It is a wine country. But the Lord has said to us it mattered not what we partake of when we administer the cup to the people, inasmuch as we do it with an eye single to the glory of God; it is then acceptable to him. Consequently we use water as 268 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG though it were wine; for we are commanded to drink not of wine for this sacred purpose except it be made by our own handsawiG7; In some of our Wards and settlements the administering of the Sacrament has been introduced in the Sunday schools. It is very pleasing and gratifying to the spirit that I pos- sess, for the parents to see that their children attend Sun- day school and receive the proper instruction with regard to their faith. After the Sunday school is over, let the parents take the pains to bring their children to meeting. 19392, I will now express a wish in relation to all who may rise here to ask a blessing on the bread and water of the Sacrament, or to preach to such large congregations as as- semble here. When the Elders rise here to speak, I want them to raise their voices so that the people can hear them, that the audience may be able to say “Amen” to all the good ; and if there is evil, refuse it. When any one rises to preach, pray, sing, exhort, or bless the Sacramental em- blems, let him do so with voice sufficient for all to hear. 8 :183. CHAPTER XV TITHING; THE UNITED ORDER _ The Law of Tithing—One thing is required at the hands of this people, and to understand which there is no neces- sity for receiving a commandment every year, viz.: to pay their tithing. I do not suppose for a moment, that there is a person in this Church, who is unacquainted with the duty of paying tithing, neither is it necessary to have reve- lation every year upon the subject. There is the Law—pay one-tenth. 1:278. ; I like the term, because it is scriptural, and I would rather use it than any other. The Lord instituted tithing;. it was practiced in the days of Abraham, and Enoch and Adam and his children did not forget their tithes and offer- ings. You can read for yourselves with regard to. what the Lord requires. I want to say this much to those who pro- fess to be Latter-day Saints—if we neglect our tithes and offerings we will receive the chastening hand of the Lord. We may just as well count on this first as last. If we neg- lect to pay our tithes and offerings we will neglect other things and this. will grow upon us until the spirit of the Gospel is entirely gone from us, and we are in the dark, and know not whither we are going. 15:163. If the Lord requires one-tenth of my ability to be de- voted to building temples, meeting houses, school houses, to schooling our children, gathering the poor from the na- tions of the earth, bringing home the aged, lame, halt and blind, and building houses for them to live in, that they may be comfortable when they reach Zion, and to sustain- ing the Priesthood, it is not my prerogative to question the - 270 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG -authority of the Almighty in this, nor of his servants who have charge of it. If I am required to pay my tithing it is my duty to pay it. In the days of Joseph, when my circumstances were very, very straitened, I never had $500, $100, one dollar, fifty cents or twenty-five cents, but what, if it were wanted, it went as free as a cup of water froma well—Joseph was welcome to it. Was I tried in this? Yes, for many and many has been the time in my poverty, when if I had a dollar or fifty cents in my possession I have thought, “I can buy a pint or a half pint of molasses for my children to sop their bread in,” but it was called for, and it went as free as the water of the river here would be to a thirsty person. And as for my time, from the day that I entered this Church until now, I have paid no attention to any business except that of building up this Kingdom. The question may be asked, “Do you.not attend to your pri- vate affairs and business?” Yes, when I can, but I do not know that I have ever spent one minute in attending to business belonging to Brigham Young, when the business of the Church and Kingdom of God on the earth required his attention. Yet I would not say that this is any ex- cuse for not strictly paying my tithing. I have paid a great deal of tithing, more perhaps than any other man, or any other ten men who were ever in the Church, and yet my tithing is not paid. But I pay tithing, and when the grain upon my farm is ripened, or the cattle upon it are matured, I say to my men, “Be sure and pay the tithing on whatever we have raised.” But in some instances I have found that it was neglected. 16:111. It is very true that the poor pay their tithing better than the rich do. If the rich would pay their tithing we should have plenty. The poor are faithful and prompt in paying TITHING; THE UNITED ORDER 271 their tithing, but the rich can hardly afford to pay theirs —they have too much. If he has only ten dollars he can pay one; if he has only one dollar he can pay ten cents; it does not hurt him at all. If he has a hundred dollars he can possibly pay ten. If he has a thousand dollars he looks over it a little and says, “I guess I will pay it; it ought to be paid anyhow;” and he manages to pay his ten dollars or his hundred dollars. But suppose a man is wealthy enough to pay ten thousand, he looks that over a good many times and says, “I guess I will wait until I get a little more, and then I will pay a good deal.” And they wait and wait, like an old gentleman in the East; he waited and waited and waited to pay his tithing until he went out of the world, and this is the way with a great many. They wait and continue waiting, until, finally, the character comes along who is called Death, and he slips up to them and takes away their breath, then they are gone and can- not pay their tithing, they are too late, and so it goes. 15 163-164. 3 | . The Saints abroad are required to pay their tithing. 82182. . When men are Saints, they will bring their thousands and lay them at the feet of the Bishops, Apostles, and Prophets, saying, “Here is my money; it is now where it should be.” 6:175. When a man wishes to give anything, let him give the best he has got. The Lord has given to me all I possess; I have nothing in reality, not a single dime of itis mine. You may ask, “Do you feel as you say?” Yes, I actually do. The coat I have on my back is not mine, and never was; the Lord put it in my possession honorably, and I wear it; but if he wishes for it, and all there is under it, he 272 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG is welcome to the whole. I do not own a house, or a single farm of land, a horse, mule, carriage, or wagon, or wife, nor child, but what the Lord gave me, and if he wants them, he can take them at his pleasure, whether he speaks for them, or takes them without speaking. 2:307. When my Bishop came to value my property, he wanted to know what he should take my tithing in. I told him to take anything I had, for I did not set my heart upon any one thing; my horses, cows, hogs, or any other thing he might take; my heart is set upon the work of my God, upon the public good of his great Kingdom. 1:376. If we live our religion we will be willing to pay tithing. 10 :283. Here is a character—a man—that God has created, or- ganized, fashioned and made,—every part and particle of my system from the top of my head to the soles of my feet, has been produced by my Father in Heaven; and he re- quires one-tenth part of my brain, heart, nerve, muscle, sinew, flesh, bone, and of my whole system, for the build- ing of temples, for the ministry, for sustaining missionaries and missionaries’ families, for feeding the poor, the aged, the halt and blind, and for gathering them home from the nations and taking care of them after they are gathered. He has said, “My son, devote one-tenth of yourself to the good and wholesome work of taking care of your fellow-beings, preaching the Gospel, bringing people into the Kingdom; lay your plans to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves; direct the labors of those who are able to labor; a:d one-tenth part is all-sufficient if it is devoted properly, carefully and judiciously for the advancement of my Kingdom on the earth.” 16:69. The Lord Has Given All—It is not for me to rise up TITHING; THE UNITED ORDER 273 and say that I can give to the Lord, for in reality I have nothing to give. I seem to have something. Why? Because the Lord has seen fit to bring me forth, and has blessed my efforts in gathering things which are desirable, and which are termed property. 2:300. We are not our own, we are bought with a price, we are the Lord’s; our time, our talents, our gold and silver, our wheat and fine flour, our wine and our oil, our cattle, and all there is on this earth that we have in our possession is the Lord’s, and he requires one-tenth of this for the build- ing up of his Kingdom. Whether we have much or little, one-tenth should be paid in for tithing. 14:88. What object have I in saying to the Latter-day Saints, do this, that or the other? It is for my own benefit, it is for your benefit; it is for my own wealth and happiness, and for your wealth and happiness that we pay tithing and render obedience to any requirement of Heaven. We can not add anything to the Lord by doing these things. Tell about making sacrifices for the Kingdom of heaven. There is no man who ever made a sacrifice on this earth for the Kingdom of heaven, that I know anything about, except the Savior. He drank the bitter cup to the dregs, and tasted for every man and for every woman, and redeemed the earth and all things upon it. But he was God in the flesh, or he could not have endured it. “But we suffer, we sacri- fice, we give something, we have preached so long.” What for? “Why, for the Lord.” I would not give the ashes of a rye straw for the man who feels that he is making sacri- fice for God. Weare doing this for our own happiness, wel- ‘fare and exaltation, and for nobody else’s. This is the fact, and what we do, we do for the salvation of the inhabitants 10 274 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG of the earth, not for the salvation of the heavens, the angels, or the Gods. 16:114. I do not expect to see the day when I am perfectly in- dependent, until I am crowned in the celestial kingdom of my Father, and made as independent as my Father in Heaven. I have not yet received my inheritance as my own, and I expect to be dependent until I do, for all that I have is lent to me. 3:245. | We own nothing but the talents God has given to us to improve upon, to show him what we will do with them. 8 :293. People Not Compelled to Pay Tithing—The people are not compelled to pay their tithing, they do as they please about it, it is urged upon them only as a matter of duty be- tween them and their God. 12:36. We do not ask anybody to pay tithing, unless they are disposed to do so; but if you pretend to pay tithing, pay it like honest men. 8:202. Some complain and say that they are taxed by tithing. We ask no tithing of any man. In this we are as independ- ent as the Lord is. I say, do not pay another dollar in tithing unless you want to. 8:345. Pay your tithing, just because you like to, not unless you want to. They say we cut people off the Church for not paying tithing ; we never have yet, but they ought to be. God does not fellowship them. The law of tithing is an eternal law. The Lord Almighty never had his Kingdom on the earth without the law of tithing being in the midst of his people, and he never will. It is an eternal law that God has instituted for the benefit of the human family, for their salvation and exaltation. This law is in the Priest- TITHING; THE UNITED ORDER 275 hood, but we do not want any to observe it unless they are willing to do so: 14:89. | Use of the Tithing—It may be supposed by some that the tithing is used to sustain and feed the First Presidency and the Twelve; this is a false impression. I can say, with- out boasting, that there is not another man in this Kingdom has done more in dollars and cents to build it up than I have, and yet I have not done a farthing’s worth of myself, for the means I have handled God has given me; it is not mine, and if it ever is mine it will be when I have overcome and gained my exaltation and received it from him who rightfully owns all things. 10:270. The little moiety that is now paid on tithing is used to bring the poor here, to find them houses to live in, bread to eat, and wood to burn. Now, suppose we had a little more of this surplus on hand, could we not help the breth- ren on their way to preach the Gospel to the nations? Yes, -we could. Some of them will leave families that will, prob- ably, be destitute, and if we had means on hand we could donate to help them, and to prevent them from running continually to the Bishops. 12:36. The Lord requires one-tenth of that which he has given me; it is for me to pay the one-tenth of the increase of my flocks and of all that I have, and all the people should do the same. The question may arise, “What is to be done with the tithing?’ It is for the building of temples to God; for the enlarging of the borders of Zion; sending Elders on missions to preach the Gospel and taking care of their families. By and by we shall have some temples to go into, and we will receive our blessings, the blessings of heaven, by obedience to the doctrine of tithing. We shall have temples built throughout these mountains, in the 276 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG valleys of this Territory and the valleys of the next Terri- tory, and finally, all through these mountain valleys. We expect to build temples in a great many valleys. We go to the Endowment House, and before going, we get a recom- mendation from our Bishop that we have paid our tithing. 16 :168. In regard to this whining of the world about Brigham’s handling the tithing, I can say that he has put in ten dollars where he has taken one out of the treasury, and he has paid more tithing than any other man in the Church. Every- body should pay their tenth. A poor woman ought to pay her tenth chicken, if she has to draw out ten times its value for her support. It is all the Lord’s and we are only his stewards. 16:45. It is my business to control the disbursements of the tithing paid by the Saints, and not the business of every Elder in the Kingdom who thinks the tithing belongs to him. 8:170. The United Order—The Lord has declared it to be his” will that his people enter into covenant, even as Enoch and his people did, which of necessity must be before we shall have the privilege of building the Center Stake of Zion, for the power and glory of God will be there, and none but the pure in heart will be able to live and enjoy it. 18:263. When the Lord gave the revelation instructing us in our duty as to consecrating what we have, if the people then could have understood things precisely as they are; and had obeyed that revelation, it would have been neither more no less than yielding up that which is not their own, to him to whom it belongs. And so it is now.. 2:303. When they bow down to worship the Lord, they ac- knowledge that the earth is his, and the cattle upon a TITHING; THE UNITED ORDER Lid, thousand hills; and tell the Lord there is no sacrifice they are not willing to make for the sake of the religion of Jesus Christ. The people were crying this continually among the churches when the Book of Mormon came forth, and the Lord spoke through Joseph, revealing the law of consecration, to see whether they were willing to do as they said in their prayers. 2:305. There is another revelation still prior to this time, stat- ing that it is the duty of all people who go to Zion to consecrate all their property to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This revelation was referred to at the April Conference in 1854. It was one of the first com- mandments,or revelations given to this people after they had the privilege of organizing themselves as a Church, as a body, as the Kingdom of God on the earth. I ob- served then, and I now think, that it will be one of the last revelations which the people will receive into their hearts and understanding, of their own free will and choice, and esteem it as a pleasure, a privilege, and a bless- ing unto them to observe and keep most holy. 2:299, I have said, and say today, that according to the age of the people we have improved as fast as the church of Enoch. I trust we improve faster, for we have not as much time as they had. In some of the first revelations which were given to this Church, the Order of Enoch was given for a pattern to this people; and Enoch patterned after the heavens. In the commencement of the Church, the Lat- ter-day Saints could not receive it, and they were driven from city to city, as the Lord said they should be, through the mouth of his servant Joseph, until they should be willing to receive this Order. 12:210. Will the time ever come that we can commence and 278 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG organize this people as a family? It will. Do we know how? Yes; what was lacking in these revelations from Joseph to enable us to do so was revealed to me. Do you think we will ever be one? When we get home to our Father and God, will we not wish to be in the family? Will it not be our highest ambition and desire to be reck- oned as the sons of the living God, as the daughters of the Almighty, with a right to the household, and the faith that belongs to the household, heirs of the Father, his goods, his wealth, his power, his excellency, his knowl- edge and wisdom? 11:326. | I will say, first, that the Lord Almighty has not the least objection in the world to our entering into the Order of Enoch. I will stand between the people and all harm in this. He has not the least objection to any man, every man, all mankind on the face of the earth turning from evil and loving and serving him with all their hearts. With regard to all those orders that the Lord has revealed, it depends upon the will and doings of the people, and we are at liberty, from this Conference, to go and build up a settlement, or we can join ourselves together in this city, do it legally—according to the laws of the land—and enter into covenant with each other by a firm agreement that we will live as a family, that we will put our property -into the hands of a committee of trustees, who shall dictate the affairs of this society. 16:8. -And when this people become one, it will be one in the Lord. They will not look alike. We will not all have grey, blue, or black eyes. Our features will differ one from another, and in our acts, dispositions, and efforts to accumulate, distribute, and dispose of our time, talents, wealth, and whatever the Lord gives to us, in our journey TITHING; THE UNITED_ORDER 279 through life, we will differ just as much as in our features. The point that the Lord wishes to bring us to is to obey his counsel and observe his word. ‘Then every one will be dictated so that we can act asa family. 12:57. But to the text. We want to see a community organ- ized in which every person will be industrious, faithful and prudent. What will you do with the children? We will bring them up until they are of legal age, then say, “Go where you please. We have given you a splendid edu- cation, the advantage of all the learning of the day, and if you do not wish to stay with the Saints, go where you please.” What will you do with those who apostatize after having entered into covenant and agreement with others, that their property shall be one, and be in the hands of trustees, and shall never be taken out? If any of these parties apostatize, and say we wish to withdraw from this community, what will you do with them? We will say to them, “Go, and welcome,” and if we are disposed to give them anything, it is all right. 15 :226. I know how to start such a society, right in this city, and how to make its members rich. - I would go to now, and buy out the poorest Ward in this city, and then com- mence with men and women who have not a dollar in the world. Bring them here from England, or any part of the earth, set them down in this Ward and put them to work, and in five years we would begin to enter other Wards, and we would buy this house and that house, and the next house, and we would add Ward to Ward until we owned the whole city, every dollar’s worth of property there is in it. _We could do this, and let the rich go to California to get gold, and we would buy their property. Would you like to know how to do this? I can tell you 280 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG in a very few words—never want a thing you cannot get, live within your means, manufacture that which you wear, and raise that which you cat. Raise every calf and lamb; raise the chickens, and have your eggs, make your butter and cheese, and always have a little to spare. The first year we raise a crop, and we have more than we want. We buy nothing, we sell a little. The next year we raise more; we buy nothing and we sell more. In this way we could pile up the gold and silver and in twenty years a hundred families working like this could buy out their neighbors. I see men who earn four, five, ten or fifteen dollars a day and spend every dime of it. Such men spend their means foolishly, they waste it instead of taking care of it. They do not know what to do with it, and they seem to fear that it will burn their pockets, and they get rid of it. If you get a dollar, sovereign, half-eagle or eagle, and are afraid it will burn your pockets, put it into a safe. It will not burn anything there, and you will not be forced to spend, spend, spend as you do now. 16:11. I have looked upon the community of Latter-day Saints in vision and beheld them organized as one great family of heaven, each person performing his several duties in his line of industry, working for the good of the whole more than for individual aggrandizement; and in this I have be- held the most beautiful order that the mind of man can con- template, and the grandest results for the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God and the spread of righteousness upon the earth. Will this people ever come to this order of things? Are they now prepared to live according to that patriarchal order that will be organized among the true and faithful before God receives his own? We all concede the point that when this mortality falls off, and with it its cares, anx- TITHING; THE UNITED ORDER 281 ieties, love of self, love of wealth, and love of power, and all the conflicting interests which pertain to this flesh, that then, when our spirits have returned to God who gave them, we will be subject to every requirement that he may make of us, that we shall then live together as one great family; our interest will be a general, a common interest. Why can we not so live in this world? 12:153. CHAPTER XVI THE WORD OF WISDOM Moderation—By temperance and moderation lay the foundation for the development of the mind. 19:68. Indulgénce, of appetite is not worthy the notice of men and women, though the body must be sustained, for that is. a duty God has placed upon us. 8:141. Satisfying the appetite brings to-an end the pleasure of eating ; and where food is partaken of chiefly to gratify the pleasureable sensation derived from eating, disease is engen- dered, and true misery springs out of this unwise gratifica- tion. Some healthy, strong-constitutioned persons can eat large quantities of food with apparent impunity; but, in so doing, the tax they place upon their systems will ultimately bring disease and death. 8:139. As I said to the brethren the other day in the Thir- teenth Ward schoolhouse, with regard to worldly pleasure, comfort, and enjoyment: you may take as much as you please of the Spirit of the Lord, and it will not make your stomach or head ache. You may drink nine cups of strong spiritual drink, and it will not hurt you; but if you drink nine cups of strong tea, see what it will do for you. Let a person that is very thirsty and warm satiate his appetite with cold water, and when he gets through he will perhaps have laid the foundation for death, and may go to an un- timely grave, which is frequently done.. Excessive eating, drinking, or exercise all tend to the grave. 11:329. The blessings of food, sleep, and social enjoyment are ordained of God for his glory and our benefit, and it is for us to learn to use them and not abuse them, that his King- THE WORD OF WISDOM 283 dom may advance on the earth, and we advance in it. 6:149. The Word of Wisdom—This Word of Wisdom pro- hibits the use of hot drinks and tobacco. I have heard it argued that tea and coffee are not mentioned therein; that is very true; but what were the people in the habit of taking as hot drinks when that revelation was given? Tea and coffee. We were not in the habit of drinking water very hot, but tea and coffee—the beverages in common use. And the Lord said hot drinks are not good for the body nor the belly, liquor is not good for the body or the belly, but for the washing of the body, etc. Tobacco is not good, save for sick cattle, and for bruises and sores, its cleansing prop- erties being then very useful. 13:277. I know that some say the revelations upon these points are not given by way of commandment. Very well, but we are commanded to observe every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 13:3. Now I want you should recollect—Bishops, Elders of Israel, High Priests, Seventies, the Twelve Apostles, the First Presidency, and all the House of Israel, hearken ye. O my people! keep the word of the Lord, observe the Word of Wisdom, sustain one another, sustain the household of faith, and let our enemies alone. 12:29. Now, Elders of Israel, if you have the right to chew to- bacco, you have a privilege I have not; if you have a right to drink whisky, you have a right that I have not; if you have a right to transgress the Word of Wisdom, you have a right that I have not. 12:30. I said to the Saints at our last annual Conference, the Spirit whispers to me to call upon the Latter-day Saints to observe the Word of Wisdom, to let tea, coffee, and to- bacco alone, and to abstain from drinking spirituous drinks. 284 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG This is what the Spirit signifies through me. If the Spirit of God whispers this to his people through their leader, and they will not listen nor obey, what will be the consequences of their disobedience? Darkness and blindness of mind with regard to the things of God will be their lot; they will cease to have the spirit of prayer, and the spirit of the world will increase in them in proportion to their disobedience until they apostatize’entirely from God and his ways, 12:118. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command the IXlders of Israel—those who have been in the habit of get- ting drunk—to cease drinking strong drink from this time henceforth. But some may think they need it as soon as they go out of this house. Let me be your physician in this matter. So long as you are able to walk and attend to your business, it is folly to say that you need ardent spirits to keep you alive. The constitution that a person has should be nourished and cherished; and whenever we take.any- thing into the system to force and stimulate it beyond its natural capacity, it shortens life. I:am physician enough to. know that. When you are tired and think you need a little spirituous Ifquor, take some bread and butter or bread and milk, and lie down and rest. Do not labor so hard as to deem it requisite to get half drunk in order to keep up your spirits. If you will follow this counsel, you will be full of life and health, and you will increase your intelli- gence, your joy, and comfort. 7 :337. I now again request the authorities of this Church in their various localities to sever from this society those who will not cease getting drunk. 7 :338. It is my positive counsel and command that drinking liquor be stopped. If I had the influence the world gives me THE WORD OF WISDOM 285 credit for, I would not have a single drunkard, thief, or har in this society. I do not profess to have that influence, but I can raise my voice against those evils. 1:337. This Word of Wisdom which has been supposed to have become stale, and not in force, is like all the counsels of God, in force as much today as it ever was. There is life, ever- lasting life in it—the life which now is and the life which is tarcomnes -12::209. It is a piece of good eounsel which the Lord desires his people to observe, that they may live on the earth until the measure of their creation is full. This is the object the Lord had in view in giving that Word of Wisdom. To those who observe it he will give great wisdom and under- standing, increasing their health, giving strength and en- durance to the faculties of their bodies and minds until they shall be full of years upon the earth. This will be their blessing if they’ will observe his word with a good and willing heart and in faithfulness before the Lord. 12:156. Mankind would not become attached to these unnec- essary articles were it not for the poison they contain. The poisonous or narcotic properties in spirits, tobacco and tea are the cause of their being so much liked by those whoa use them. 13:276. I say to all the Elders of Israel, if it makes you sick and so sleepy that you cannot keep out of bed unless you have tobacco, go to bed and there lie. How long? Until you can get up and go to your business like rational men, like men who have heads on their shoulders and who are not ~ controlled by their foolish appetites. I have said to my family, and I now say to all the sisters in the Church, if you cannot get up and do your washing without a cup of tea in the morning, go to bed, and there lie. How long? 286 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Until the influence of tea is out of the system. Will it take aimonth? No matter if it does; if it takes three months, six months, or a year, it is better to lie there in bed until the influence of tea, coffee and liquor is out of the system, so that you may go about your business like rational persons, than to give way to these foolish habits. They are destruc- tive to the human system; they filch money from our pock- ets, and they deprive the poor of the necessaries of life. Vomeyo. The sisters may inquire, “What can we do?” Rule your own passions, and exercise faith until you can govern and control your appetites, instead of drinking tea, coffee, and hot drinks. That is one of the smallest duties I can think of. Permit your bodies to have natural forms; also take pains to have the bodies of your daughters grow na- turally, and teach them what they are made for, and that they, through faith, must overcome every besetting sin and every unholy passion and appetite. 8:283. And now that we have commenced to observe the Word of Wisdom, never treat resolution with a cup of tea or coffee, for as sure‘as you treat resolution once, it will plead hard for a treat again. Keep the Word of Wisdom—help the poor, feed the hungry, and clothe the naked. Never let it be said of the Territory of Utah that a poor person had to go to the second house for a morsel to eat. 12:54-55. Many of our sisters think they cannot live without tea. I will tell you what we can do—I have frequently said it to my brethren and sisters—if they cannot live without tea, coffee, brandy, whiskey, wine, beer, tobacco, etc., they can die without them. This is beyond controversy. If we had the determination that we should have, we would live without them or die without them. Let the mother THE WORD OF WISDOM 287 impregnate her system with these narcotic influences when she is bringing forth a family on the earth, and what does she do? She lays the foundation of weakness, palpitation of the heart, nervous affections, and many other ills and diseases in the system of her offspring that will afflict them from the cradle to the grave. Is this righteous or unrighte- ous, good or evil? Let my sisters ask and answer the question for themselves, and the conclusion which each and every one of them may come to is this, “If I do an injury to my child, I sin.” 13:276. Last week I received a note in which was enclosed three dollars from a sister; I cannot tell her name, for she did not give it. She said she had not drunk any tea since Conference, and she had saved about three dollars, which she enclosed for me to do good with. I felt “God bless - her,” and she will be blessed as sure as she lives. 12:52. If you observe faithfully the Word of Wisdom, you will have your dollar, your five dollars, your hundred dollars, yea, you will have your hundreds of dollars to spend for that which will be useful and profitable to you. Why should we continue to practice in our lives those pernicious habits that have already sapped the foundation of the human con- stitution, and shortened the life of man to that degree that a generation passes away in the brief period of from twen- ty-seven to twenty-nine years? The strength, power, beau- ty and glory that once adorned that form and constitution of man have vanished away before the blighting influences of inordinate appetite and love of this world. The health and power and beauty that once adorned the noble form of man must again be restored to our race; and God designs that we shall engage in this great work of restoration. Then let us not trifle with our mission, by indulging in the use 288 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG of injurious substances. These lay the foundation of dis- ease and death in the systems of men, and the same are committed to their children, and another generation of feeble human beings is introduced into the world. Such children have insufficient bone, sinew, muscle, and consti- tution, and are of little use to themselves, or to their fellow creatures ; they are not prepared for life. 12:118. A man who indulges in any habit that is pernicious to the general good in its example and influence, is not only an enemy to himself but to the community so far as the influence of that habit goes. A man who would not sacrifice a pernicious habit for the good it would do the community is, to say the least of it, lukewarm in his desires and wishes for public and general improvement. So we see that almost the very first teachings the first Elders of this Church received were aS to what to eat, what to drink, and how to order their natural lives that they might be united temporally as well as spiritually. This is the great purpose which God has in view in sending to the world, by his servants, the Gospel of life and salva- PION esl 2" bos: There is more strength and nutriment in a bowl of water gruel than there is in tea; and there is no unhealthy influence in the water gruel, but there is in tea and coffee. ike ta OF Live Long. Take care of yourselves, and live as long as you can, and do all the good you can. 4:302. The first principle that pertains to the intelligence God has bestowed upon us is to know how to preserve the present organization with which we are endowed. It is man’s first duty to his existence, a knowledge of which would cause him to use all prudent efforts for the preserva- THE WORD OF WISDOM 289 tion of his life on the earth until his work here is completed. 8 :281. Prepare to die, is not the exhortation in this Church and Kingdom; but prepare to live is the word with us, and improve all we can in the life hereafter, wherein we may enjoy a more exalted condition of intelligence, wisdom, light, knowledge, power, glory, and exaltation. Then let us seek to extend the present life to the uttermost, by observing every law of health, and by properly: balancing labor, study, rest, and recreation, and thus prepare for a better life. Let us teach these principles to our children, that, in the morning of their days, they may be taught to lay the foundation of health and strength and constitu- tion and power of life in their bodies. 11:132. This is the duty of the human family, instead of wasting their lives and the lives of their fellow-beings, and the precious time God has given us to improve our minds and bodies by observing the laws of life, so that the longevity of the human family may begin to return. By and by, ac- cording to the Scriptures, the days of a man shall be like the days of a tree. But in those days people will not eat and drink as they do now; if they do their days will not be like a tree, unless it be a very short-lived tree. This is our business. 14:89. | We are trying to become natural in our habits, and are striving to fulfil the end and design of our creation. 13:233. The fathers and mothers have laid the foundation for many of these diseases, from generation to generation, until the people are reduced to their present condition. True, some live to from fifty to ninety years of age, but it is an unusual circumstance to see a man an hundred years old, or a woman ninety. The people have laid the foundation of 290 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG short life through their diet, their rest, their labor, and their doing this, that, and the other in a wrong manner, with impropér motives, and at improper times. 2:269. You, mothers and daughters in Israel, who are taking this course, how do you expect to live to accomplish the work the Lord has assigned you? You get up in the morn- ing and have your cup of tea, your fried ham, your cold beef and mince pies, and everything you can possibly cram into the stomach, until you surfeit the system and lay the foundation for disease and early death. Says the mother—“Do eat, my little daughter, you are sick; take a piece of pie, toast, or meat, or drink a little tea or coffee; you must take something or other.” Mothers in Israel, such a course engenders disease, and you are laying a foundation that will cut off one-half or two-thirds of the lives of your children. 12:37, Eating for Health—Instead of doing two days’ work in one day, wisdom would dictate to our sisters, and to every other person, that if they desire long life and good health, they must, after sufficient exertion, allow the body to rest before it is entirely exhausted. When exhausted, some argue that they need stimulants in the shape of tea, coffee, spirituous liquors, tobacco, or some of those narcotic substances which are often taken to goad on the lagging powers to greater exertions. But instead of these kind of stimulants they should recruit by rest. Work less, wear less, eat less, and we shall be a great deal wiser, healthier, and wealthier people than by taking the course we now do. It is difficult to find anything more healthy to drink than good cold water, such as flows down to us from springs and snows of our mountains. This is the beverage we should drink. It should be our drink at all times. If we THE WORD OF WISDOM 291 constantly drink even malt liquor made from our barley and wheat, our health would be injured more or less there- by. It may be remarked that some men who use spirituous “liquors and tobacco are healthy, but I argue that they would be much more healthy if they did not use it, and then they are entitled to the blessings promised to those who observe the advice given in the “Word of Wisdom.” Some few persons who have been addicted to the use of hot drinks, etc. have reached the age of eighty, eighty-three, and eighty-four years, but had they not been addicted to such habits of living they might have reached the age of an hundred.or an hundred and five years. 12:122. I do not mean to go without food and go to fasting. This is the other extreme. A sufficient amount of food that will agree with the-stomach is healthy, and should be partaken of. Aged or middle aged, youth or children, - never should go without food until their stomachs are faint, demanding something to sustain their systems, and contin- ue to undergo this; for this lays the foundation of weakness, and this weakness will tempt disease. But keep the stom- ach in a perfectly healthy condition. Now I do not mean fasting, but eating moderately; and if my sisters will go home and commence to adopt this rule, you will find that you begin to get better, your children and neighbors will get better. We do not expect all to be free from sickness. I have had a great deal of sickness in my life. I do not expect to be free from the ills, the weakness, debility and disease that prey upon the human family, but we can amend otfr ways, and amend our life by being prudent; and I wish the sisters to understand this, and to adopt these instructions. 19:68. The citizens of this city are tolerably comfortable; a 292 * _ DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG great many of them have an abundance of fruit, and they enjoy it. It is very healthy for them and their children to eat in the season thereof. 11:141. As we got richer and built warm houses, and have lived more richly, indulging in sweet cake, plum pudding, roast beef and so on, we have had more or less disease among Usk ho 42, ' Go into their houses and you will find beef, pork, apple pie, custard pie, pumpkin pie, mince pie, and every luxury, and they live so as to shorten their days and the days of their children. You may think that these things are not of much importance; no more they are, unless they are ob- served, but let the people observe them and they lay the foundation for longevity, and they will begin to live out their days, not only a hundred years, but, by and by, hun- dreds of years on the earth. Do you think they will stuff themselves then with tea and coffee, and perhaps with a little brandy sling before breakfast and a little before going . to bed, and then beef, pork, mutton, sweet meats, and pas- try, morning, noon and night? No; you will find they will live as our first parents did, on fruits and on a little simple food, and they will never overload the stomach. 12:37. Suppose I happen to say, “Come, wife, let us have a good dinner today”; what does she get? Pork and beef boiled, stewed, roasted, and fried potatoes, onions, cabbage, and turnips, custard, eggs, pies of all kinds, cheese and sweet meats. 2:269. A thorough reformation is needed in regard to our eat- ing and drinking, and on this point I will freely express my- self, and shall be glad if the people will hear, believe and obey. If the people were willing to receive the true knowl- edge from heaven in regard to their diet they would cease THE WORD OF WISDOM 293 eating swine’s flesh. I know this as well as Moses knew it, and without putting it in a code of commandments. The beef fed upon our mountain grasses is as healthy food as we need at present. Beef, so fattened, is as good as wild meat, and is quite different in its nature from stall-fed meat. But we can eat fish; and I ask the people of this community, Who hinders you from raising fowls for their eges? Who hinders you from cultivating fruit of every variety that will flourish in the different parts of this Territory? There has not been a day through the whole winter that I have not had fresh peaches, and plenty of apples and strawberries. Who hinders any person in this community from having these different kinds of food in their families? Fish is as healthy a food as we can eat, if we except vegetables and fruit, and with them will become a very wholesome diet. 12:192. When we go on a trip to the settlements and stop at the brethren’s houses, it is, “Brother Brigham, let us mani- fest our feelings towards you and your company.” I tell them to do so, but give me a piece of Johnny-cake; I would rather have it than their pies and tarts and sweet meats. Let me have something that will sustain nature and leave my stomach and whole system clear to receive the Spirit of the Lord and be free from headache and pains of every kind. The Americans, as a nation, are killing themselves with their vices and high living. As much as a man ought to eat in half an hour they swallow in three minutes, gulp- ing down their food like the canine quadruped under the table, which, when a chunk of meat is thrown down to it, swallows it before you can say “twice.” If you want a reform, carry out the advice I have just given you. Dispense ~ 294 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG with your multitudinous dishes, and, depend upon it, you will do much towards preserving your families from sick- ness, disease and death. : If this method were adopted in this community, I will venture to say that it would add ten years to the lives of our chidlren. That is worth a great deal. 13:153-154. — If the days of man are to begin to return, we must cease all extravagant living. When men live to the age of a tree, their food will be fruit. Mothers, to produce off- spring full of life and days, must cease drinking liquor, tea, and coffee, that their systems may be free from bad effects. If every woman in this Church will now cease drinking tea, coffee, liquor, and all other powerful stimulants, and live upon vegetables, etc. not many generations will pass away before the days of man will again return. But it will take generations to eradicate entirely the influences of deleterious substances. 8:63. Living out-of-Doors—People need not be afraid of living out of doors, nor sleeping out of doors. This country is much healthier than the lowlands in the States, or than many places in the Old World. 4:92. Good pure air is the greatest sustainer of animal life. Other elements of life we can dispense with for a time, but this seems to be essential every moment; hence the nec- essity of well ventilated dwelling-houses, especially the rooms occupied for sleeping. You can live without water and food longer than you can without air, and water is of more importance than meat and bread. 8:168. The out-door air is what the people need for health, it is good for them to camp out. Close houses are injurious to the health; if our houses were every one of them levelled to the ground, and we were obliged to live in our wagons THE WORD OF WISDOM 295 and tents, the people would be healthier, from year to year, than they are now. Good houses are comfortable and very convenient, and please our feelings, and are tolerably healthful when properly ventilated. 2 :284. What gives the people colds and makes them sick? You hear many say “I had not had a cold this fall, until I came into our new house.” Brethren and sisters that have come into the city from living in the canyons, and those who have arrived from the States this season, have not been troubled with colds until they came into warm houses; that gives them colds, by depriving their lungs of the bene- fit they are organized to receive from the atmosphere. roe Neh We should have plenty of pure, fresh air. If children are kept in close bed-rooms, they become puny and weakly. Let them sleep where they can have abundance of pure air, in well ventilated rooms, or out of doors, in the summer time, in a safe place; it will be most beneficial for their health. 12:218. , Exercise and Mental Vigor—Do you know that it is your privilege so to live that your minds may all the time be perfectly within your control? Study to preserve your bodies in life and health, and you will be ablé to control your minds. 8:135. My mind becomes tired, and perhaps some of yours do. _If so, go and exercise your bodies. 6:148. In the eastern country there was a man who used to go crazy, at times, and then come to his senses again. One of his neighbors asked him what made him go crazy; he replied, “I get to thinking, and thinking, until finally I think so far that I am not always able to think back again.” Can you think too much for the spirit which is put in the taber- 296 DISCOURSES, OF BRIGHAM YOUNG nacle? You can, and this is a subject which I wish the brethren instructed upon, and the people to understand. The spirit is the intelligent part of man, and is intimately connected with the tabernacle. Let this intelligent part labor to excess, and it will eventually overcome the tab- ernacle, the equilibrium will be destroyed, and the whole organization deranged. Many people have deranged them- selves by thinking too much. ~The thinking part is the immortal or invisible portion, and it is that which performs the mental labor; then the tabernacle, which is formed and organized for that express purpose, brings about or effects the result of that mental labor. Let the body work with the mind, and let them both labor fairly together, and, with but few exceptions, you will have a strong-minded, athletic individual, power- ful both physically and mentally. When you find the thinking faculty perfectly -active, in a healthy person, it should put the physical organization into active operation, and the result of the reflection is car- ried out, and the object is accomplished. In such a person you will see mental and physical health and strength com- bined, in their perfection. 3:247. As for health, it is far healthier to walk than to ride, and better every way for the people. 4:103. Many persons are so constituted, that if you put them in a parlor, keep a good fire for them, furnish them tea, cake, sweet meats, etc., and nurse them tenderly, soaking their feet, and putting them to bed, they will die in a short time; but throw them into snow banks, and they will live a great many years. Brother Heywood would have been in his grave long ago, if he had not led an out-door life, and THE WORD OF WISDOM : 297 such is the case with others; but he is again here, and we have the privilege of seeing him. 4:295. Physiological Differences—The study and practice of anatomy and surgery are very good; they are mechanical, and are frequently needed. Do you not think it is neces- sary to give medicine sometimes? Yes, I can see the faces of this congregation, but I do not see two alike; and if I could look into your nervous systems and behold the oper- ations of disease, from the crowns of your heads to the soles of your feet, I should behold the same difference that I see in your physiognomy—there would be no two precisely alike. Doctors make experiments, and if they find a medi- cine that will have the desired effect on one person, they set 1t down that it is good for everybody, but it is not so, for upon the second person that medicine is administered to, seemingly with the same disease, it might produce death. If you do not know this, you have not had the experience that I have. I say that unless a man or woman who administers medicine to assist the human system to overcome disease, understands, and has that intuitive knowledge, by the Spirit, that such an article is good for that individual at that very time, they had better let him alone. Let the sick do without eating, take a little of some- thing to cleanse the stomach, bowels and blood, and wait patiently, and let nature have time to gain the advantage over the disease. 15:225. Feeding Children—Now, mothers, if you want to do good, do not let your sons and daughters drink either tea or coffee, while under your protection. 11:352. Some mothers, when bearing children, long for tea and coffee, or for brandy and other strong drinks, and if they give way to that influence the next time they will want 298 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG more, and the next still more, and thus lay the foundation for drunkenness in their offspring. An appetite 1s engen- dered, bred, and born in the child, and it is a miracle if it does not grow up a confirmed drunkard. 2:270. Infants, children, youth, young men, and young women, thousands and tens of thousands of them, go to an untimely grave through the diseases engendered in their systems by their progenitors. 13:276. Sisters, will you take notice, and instruct those who are not here today, to adopt this rule—stop your children | from eating meat, and especially fat meat; let them have composition* to drink, instead of unhealthy water; let them eat a little milk porridge; let them eat sparingly and not oppress the stomach so as to create a fever. No matter whether it is a child or a middle-aged person, whenever the stomach is over-loaded and charged with more than is required it creates a fever; this fever creates sickness, until death relieves the sufferer. 19:68. Many husbands are made sick and many children are sent to an untimely grave through eating badly prepared food, the result of ignorance or carelessness. 10:28. Children should have milk, bread, water, and potatoes; and everything that would lay the foundation for disease should be strenously kept from their stomachs, that no appetites may be formed for pernicious subtances, which, when formed, cannot be overcome easily, if at all. 2:21. I will tell you how you can enjoy health. You let your children have a little milk in the morning. Give them a little bread with it—not soft bread; teach your children to eat crust—hard baked bread, that the Americans would call stale, but the English would not. Teach them to eat this, *Define Composition. THE WORD OF WISDOM ; 299 and to eat sparingly. Instead of drinking unhealthy water, boil such water, and let it stand until it is cool. If the chil- dren are in the least troubled with summer complaint, and are weak in their bowels, make a weak composition tea, sweeten it with loaf sugar and put a little nice cream in it; and let the children make a practice of drinking composition instead of cold water. Mothers, keep the children from eat- ing meat; and let them eat vegetables that are fully ma- tured, not unripe, and bread that is well baked, not soft. Do not put your loaf into the oven with a fire hot enough to burn_it before it is baked through, but with a slow heat, and let it remain until it is perfectly baked; and I would: prefer, for my own eating, each and every loaf to be not thicker than my two hands—you tell how thick they are— and I would want the crust as thick as my hand. 19:67. Be careful of your bodies; be prudent in laying out your energies, for when you are old you will need the strength and power you are now wasting. Preserve your lives. Until you know and practice this, you are not thoroughly good soldiers nor wise stewards. 8:136-137. CHAPTER XVII THE FAMILY Virtue—Purity preserves, sustains and _ increases. , 16 :108. The principle of pure affection is the gift of God, and it is for us to learn to control it and exercise proper dominion over it. 6:149, Learn the will of God, keep his commandments and do his will, and you will be a virtuous person. 3:204. Any man who humbles a daughter of Eve to rob her of her virtue, and cast her off dishonored and defiled, is her destroyer, and is responsible to God for the deed. If the refined Christian society of the nineteenth century will tolerate such a crime, God will not; but he will call the . perpetrator to an account. He will be damned; in hell he will lift up his eyes, being in torment, until he has paid the uttermost farthing, and made a full atonement for his sins. 11 :268. The defiler of the innocent is the one who should be branded with infamy and cast out from respectable society, and shunned as a pest, or, as a contagious disease, is shunned. The doors of respectable families should be closed: against him, and he should be frowned upon by all high- minded and virtuous persons. Wealth, influence and posi- tion should not screen him from their righteous indignation. His sin is one of the blackest in the calendar of crime, and he should be cast down from the high pinnacle of respecta~ bility and consideration, to find his place among the worst of felons. 11 :267. I would rather follow her to the grave, and send her THE FAMILY 301 home pure, than suffer my daughter to be prostituted. I will not suffer any female member of my family to be pol- luted through the corruptions of wicked men. 2:322. Ever since I knew that my mother was a woman I loved the sex, and delighted in their chastity. The man whe abuses, or tries to bring dishonor upon the female sex is a fool, and does not know that his mother and his sisters were women. 12:194. Marriage—Let every man in the land over eighteen years of age take a wife, and then go to work with your hands and cultivate the earth, or labor at some mechanical business, or some honest trade to provide an honest living for yourselves and those who depend upon you for their subsistence; observing temperance, and loving truth and virtue; then would the woman be cared for, be nourished, honored and blest, becoming honorable mothers of a race of men and women farther advanced in physical and mental perfection than their fathers. This would create a revolu- tion in our country, and would produce results that would be of incalculable good. 12:194-195. Young men, fit you up 4 little log cabin, if it is not more than ten feet square, and then get you a bird to put in your little cage. You can then work all day with satisfaction to yourself considering that you have a home to go to, and a loving heart to welcome you. You will then have something to encourage you to labor and gather around you the com- forts of life, and a place to gather them to. Strive to make your little home attractive. Use lime freely, and let your houses nestle beneath the cool shades of trees, and be made fragrant with perfume of flowers. 12:204. The Lord says—Let my servants and handmaidens be sealed, and let their children be sealed. -12:164. 302- DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG We understand that we are to be made kings and priests unto God; now if I be made the king and lawgiver to my family, and if I have many sons, I shall become the father of many fathers, for they will have sons, and their sons wiil have sons, and so on, from generation to generation, and, in this way, I may become the father of many fathers, or the king of many kings. This will constitute every man a prince, king, lord, or whatever the Father sees fit to confer upon us. ac In this way we can become king of kings, and lord of lords, or father of fathers, or prince of princes, and this is the only course, for another man is not going to raise up a kingdom for you. 3:265-266. But the whole subject of the marriage relation is not in my reach, nor in any other man’s reach on this earth. It is without beginning of days or end of years; it is a hard matter to reach. We can tell some things with regard to it; it lays the foundation for worlds, for angels, and for the Gods; for intelligent beings to be crowned with glory, immortality, and eternal lives. In fact, it is the thread which runs from the beginning to the end of the holy Gospel of Salvation—of the Gospel of the Son of God; it is from eternity to eternity. 2:90. | When a man and woman have received their endow- ments and sealings*, and then had children born to them afterwards, those children are legal heirs to the Kingdom and to all its blessings and promises, and they are the only ones that are on this earth. There is not a young man in our community who would not be willing to travel from here to England to be married right, if he understood things as they are; there is not a young woman in our community, *In the Temple—For Eternity. : > THE FAMILY 303 who loves the Gospel and wishes its blessings, that would be married in any other way; they would live unmarried until they could be married as they should be, if they lived until they were as old as Sarah before she had Isaac born to her. Many of our brethren have married off their chil- dren without taking this into consideration, and thinking it a matter of little importance. I wish we all understood this in the light in which heaven understands it. 11 :118. Our children who are born in the Priesthood are legal heirs, and entitled to the revelations of the Lord, and as the Lord lives, his angels have charge over them, though they may be left to themselves occasionally. 12:174. There is no ecclesiastical law that you know anything about, to free a wife from a man to whom she has been sealed, if he honors his Priesthood. 8:345. I will give each of the young men in Israel, who have arrived at an age to marry, a mission to go straightway and get married to a good sister, fence a city lot, lay out garden and orchard and make a home. ‘This is the mission that I give to all young men in Israel. And I say to you, sisters, if you do not know how to milk a cow, you can soon learn. If you do not know how to feed the cows, you can learn. If you do not know how to feed the chickens, get them and learn how, and if your husband takes you to live in ever . so small and humble a cottage, make it neat and nice and clean, and set out flowers around the doors, and let the husband plant fruit trees and shade trees, and let wives help their husbands that they may be encouraged to take hold of more important business that will create an income sufficient to sustain their wives, and by economy and care become wealthy in a short time, and have your carriage to ride in. What a satisfaction it will be to you to know that 304 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG what you possess is the result of your industry and . economy. 12:200-201. Do Not Marry Unbelievers—Be careful, O ye mothers in Israel, and do not teach your daughters in future, as many of them have been taught, to marry out of Israel. Woe to you who do it; you will lose your crowns as sure as God lives. 12:97. What was the cause of the first, or one of the first, curses that came upon Israel? I will tell you. One of the first transgressions of the family called Israel, was their going to other families or other nations to select partners. This was one of the great mistakes made by the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for they would go and marry with other families, although the Lord had forbidden them to do so, and had given them a very strict and stringent law on the subject. He commanded’ them not to marry among the Gentiles, but they did and would do it. Inas- much as they would not do what he required of them, then he gave them what I call a portion of the law of carnal commandments. This law told them what they might and whom they might not marry. It was referred to by the Savior and his Apostles and it was a grievous yoke to place on the necks of any people; but as the children of this family would run after Babylon, and after the pride and the vanity and evils of the world, and seek to introduce them into Israel, the Lord saw fit to place this burden upon them. 16:111. How is it with you, sisters? Do you distinguish be- tween a man of God and a man of the world? It is one of the strangest things that happens in my existence, to think that any man or woman can love a being that will not re- ceive the truth of heaven. The love this Gospel produces THE FAMILY . 305 is far above the love of women; it is the love of God—the _ love of eternity—of eternal lives. 8:199-200. Birth Control—There are multitudes of pure and holy ‘spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty? —To prepare tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the families of the wicked, where they will be trained in wickedness, de- bauchery, and every species of crime. It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can. 4:56. This is the reason why the doctrine of plurality of wives was revealed, that the noble spirits which are waiting for tabernacles might be brought forth. 4:56. To check the increase of our race has its advocates among the influential and powerful circles of society in our nation and in other nations. The same practice existed for- ty-five years ago, and various devices were used by mar- ried persons to prevent the expenses and responsibilities of a family of children, which they must have incurred had they suffered nature’s laws to rule preeminent. That which was practiced then in fear and against reproving conscience, is now boldly trumpeted abroad as one of the best means of ameliorating the miseries and sorrows of humanity. In- fanticide is very prevalent in our nation. It is a crime that comes within the purview of the law, and is therefore not so boldly practiced as is the other equally great crime, which no doubt, to a great extent, prevents the necessity of infanticide. The unnatural style of living, the extensive use of narcotics, the attempts to destroy and dry up the fountains of life, are fast destroying the American element of the nation; it is passing away before the increase of the more healthy, robust, honest, and less sinful class of the ita 306 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG people which are pouring into the country daily from the Old World. The wife of the servant man is the mother of eight or ten healthy children, while the wife of his master is the mother of one or two poor, sickly children, devoid of vitality and constitution, and, if daughters, unfit, in their turn, to be mothers, and the health and vitality which nature has denied them through the irregularities of their parents are not repaired in the least by their education. 12 :120-121. The Husband—Let the father be the head of the family, the master of his own household; and let him treat them as an angel would treat them; and let the wives and the children say amen to what he says, and be subject to his dictates, instead of their dictating the man, instead of their trying to govern him. 4:55. Now let me say to the First Presidency, to the Apostles, to all the Bishops in Israel, and to every quorum, and espe- cially to those who are presiding officers, Set that example before your wives and your children, before your neighbors and this people, that you can say: “Follow me, as I follow Christ.” When we do this, all is right, and our consciences are clear! -152229. I exhort you, masters, fathers, and husbands, to be af- fectionate and kind to those you preside over. And let them be obedient, let the wife be subject to her husband, and the children to their parents. Mothers, let your minds be sanctified before the Lord, for this is the commencement, the true foundation of a proper education in your children, the beginning point to form a disposition in your offspring, that will bring honor, glory, comfort, and satisfaction to you all your life time. 1:69. Let the husband and father learn to bend his will to the THE FAMILY 307 will of his God, and then instruct his wives and children in this lesson of self-government by his example as well as by precept, and his neighbors also, showing them how to be brave and steadfast, in subduing the rebellious and sinful disposition. Such a course as this will eventually subdue that unhallowed influence which works upon the human heart. © 9:2506. It is for the husband to learn how to gather around his family the comforts of life, how to control his passions and temper, and how to command the respect, not only of his family but of all his brethren, sisters, and friends. It is the calling of the wife and mother to know what to do with everything that is brought into the house, laboring to make her home desirable to her husband and children, making herself an Eve in the midst of a little paradise of her own creating, securing her husband’s love and confi- dence, and tying her offspring to herself, with a love that is stronger than death, for an everlasting inheritance. 10:28. Let the husband make an improvement upon his kitchen and pantry and upon his bedrooms for the benefit of his family, and improve his gardens, walks, etc., beautifying your habitations and their surroundings, making pavements and planting shade trees. 10:177. I have been into houses which have not had the least convenience for the women, not so much as a bench to set their water pails on, and they have to set them on the floor, and yet their husbands will sit there year after year, and never make so much improvement as a bench to set the pail on. Yet they have the ability, but they will not exercise it. 18:75. The father should be full of kindness, and endeavor to 308 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG happify and cheer the mother, that her heart may be com- forted and her affections unimpaired in her earthly pro- tector, that her love for God and righteousness may vibrate throughout her whole being, that she may bear and bring forth offspring impressed and endowed with all the quali- — ties necessary to a being designed to reign king of kings and lord of lords. 8:62. The Wife—You cannot read in the Bible that women take the lead—that the responsibility is upon the women, ‘for it is not so. 9:143. One thing is very true and we believe it, and that is that a woman is the glory of the man; but she was not made to be worshiped by him. As the Scriptures say, Man is not without the woman, neither is woman without the man in the Lord. Yet woman was not made to be worshiped anymore than man was. Woman has her influence, and she should use that in training her children in the way they should go; if she fails to do this she assumes fearful res- ponsibilities. 14:106. I have a word to say to my sisters. When I reflect upon the duties and responsibilities devolving upon our mothers and sisters, and the influence they wield, I look upon them as the mainspring and soul of our being here. It is true that man is first. Father Adam was placed here as king of the earth, to bring it into subjection. But when Mother Eve came she had a splendid influence over him. A great many have thought it was not very good; I think it was excellent. Now, I say the women have great influence. Look at the nations of the earth. Any nation you like, no matter which, and you enlist the sympathies of the female portion of it and what is there you cannot perform? If the govern- ment wants soldiers, they are on hand; if means, it is forth- THE FAMILY 309 coming. If you want influence and power, and have the ladies on your side, they will give it you. 14:102. Now, a few words directly to my sisters here in the Kingdom of God. We want your influence and power in helping to build up that Kingdom and what I wish to say to you is simply this, if you will govern and control your- selves in all things in accordance with good, sound, common sense and the principles of truth and righteousness, there is not the least fear but what father, uncle, grandfather, brothers, and sons will follow in the wake. 14:102. You ought to love a woman only so far as she adorns the doctrine you profess. 3:360. The mothers are the moving instruments in the hands of Providence to guide the destinies of nations. Let the mothers of any nation teach their children not to make war, the children would grow up and never enter into it. Let the mothers teach their children, “War, war upon your enemies, yes, war to the hilt!” and they will be filled with this spirit. Consequently, you see at once what I wish to impress upon your mind is, that the mothers are the machinery that give zest to the whole man, and guide the destinies and lives of men upon the earth. 19:72. It is the right of the mother who labors in the kitchen, with her little prattling children around, to enjoy the Spirit of Christ, and to know her duty with regard to those chil- dren; but it is not her duty and privilege to dictate to her husband in his duties and business. If that. mother or wife enjoys the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, she will never intrude upon the rights of her husband. It is the right and privilege of the husband to know his duty with regard to his wives and children, his flocks and his herds, his fields and his possessions ; though I have seen women who, | 310 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG thought, actually knew more about the business of life than _ their husbands themselves did, and were really more capa- ble of directing a farm, the building of a house, and the management of flocks and herds, etc., than the men were; but if men were to live up to their privileges this would not be the case; for it is their right to, claim the light of truth and that intelligence and knowledge necessary to en- able them to carry on every branch of their business suc- cessfully. 11:135. Study order and cleanliness in your various occupations. Adorn your city and neighborhood. Make your homes lovely, and adorn your hearts with the grace of God. 8 :297,. tie You may say that it is hard work to please a man; yes, and woman too. But when a man does his duty in provid- ing for a family, there can reasonably be but little complaint on the part of any sensible woman. 4:314. Many of the sisters grieve because they are not blessed with offspring. You will see the time when you will have millions of children around you. If you are faithful to your covenants, you will be mothers of nations. 8:208. It is your right, wives, to ask your husbands to set out beautiful shade and fruit trees, and to get you some vines and flowers with which to adorn the outside of your dwell- ings; and if your husbands have not time, get them your- selves and plant them out. Some, perhaps, will say, “O, I have nothing but a log house, and it is not worth that.” Yes; it is worth it. Whitewash and plaster it up, and get vines to run over the door, so that everybody who passes will say, “What a lovely little cottage!’ This is your privi- lege and I wish you to exercise yourselves in your own rights. 14:105. THE FAMILY Ja 1 It is not my general practice to counsel the sisters to disobey their husbands, but my counsel is—obey your hus- bands; and I am sanguine and most emphatic on that sub- ject. But I never counselled a woman to follow her’ hus- band to the Devil. If a man is determined to expose the lives of his friends, let that man go to the Devil and to des- truction alone. 1:77. A few words to the sisters, you mothers who are trifling with the ordinances of the house of God, and the blessings that are proffered to you, I will say that the time will come, if you persist in doing so, when you will mourn, and wiil be willing to give worlds, if you possessed them, for the privilege of living your lives over again. Some of you are treating with contempt the oracles of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, and in the commission of this sin you trifle with your own salvation, as well as the salvation of your children. Repent, and turn unto God, and teach your chil- dren the importance of doing the same, and of the sacred- ness of the ordinances and the laws of God. 18:263. The duty of the mother is to watch over her children and give them their early education, for impressions received in infancy are lasting. You know, yourselves, by experi- ence, that the impressions you have received in the dawn of your mortal existence, bear, to this day, with the great- est weight upon your mind. The child reposes implicit con- fidence in the mother, you behold in him a natural attach- ment, no matter what her appearance may be, that makes him think his mother is the best and handsomest mother in the world. I speak for myself. Children have all con- fidence in their mothers; and if mothers would take proper pains, they can instill into the hearts of their children what they please. You will, no doubt, recollect reading, in the 3f2 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Book of Mormon, of two thousand young men, who were brought up to believe that, if they put their whole trust in God, and served him, no power would overcome them. You also recollect reading of them going out to fight, and so bold were they, and so mighty their faith, that it was im- possible for their enemies to slay them. This power and faith they obtained through the teachings of their mothers. These duties and responsibilities devolve upon mothers far more than upon fathers, for you know the latter are often in the field or canyon, and are frequently away from home, sometimes for several days together, attending to labors which compel them to be absent from home. But the mother is at home with the children continually; and if they are taught lessons of usefulness it depends upon her. 14 :105. Mothers, remember that when your husbands are en- gaged in the service of the Church, and are all the time oc- cupied in the duties of the Priesthood, so that they have not time to instruct their children, the duty devolves upon you. Then bring your children up in the ways of truth, and be to them both a father and mother, until they are old enough to perform duties by the side, and under the im- mediate eye, of their father. I like to see mothers bring their children to meeting, as soon as they can be brought without injuring them, and when they can tell what they vant, and call for water when they are faint. As soon as they are old enough to receive instruction, bring them here to be taught. 2:21. Were I a woman possessed of great powers of mind, filled with wisdom, and, upon the whole, a magnanimous woman, and had been privileged with my choice, and had married a man, and found myself deceived, he not answer- THE FAMILY 313 ing my expectations, and I being sorry that I had made such a choice, let me show my wisdom by not complaining about it. A woman’s wisdom and judgment has failed her once in the choice of a husband, and it may again, if she is not very careful. By seeking to cast off her husband— by withdrawing her confidence and good will from him, she casts a dark shade upon his path, when, by pursuing a proper course of love, obedience, and encouragement, he might attain to that perfection she had anticipated in him. 7 :280. Is it not a blessing to you, mothers, to raise up Pre- phets and Apostles—men filled with the glory of God, to go forth and extend the work of our God? 8:92. I can say to the sisters, if you have superior talents, arise and let your light shine. Prove to your neighbors and the community that you are capable of teaching those sisters whom you deem to be ignorant or neglectful. 7:162. Children—I wish to say to the children, obey your par- ents, be good, never suffer yourselves to do that which will mortify you through life, and that will cause you to look back with regret. While you are pure and spotless pre- serve yourselves in the integrity of your souls. Although you are young you know good from evil, and live so that you can look back on your lives and thank the Lord that he has preserved you, or has enabled you to preserve your- selves, so that you have no misconduct to regret or mourn over. Take this course and you will secure to yourselves an honorable name on earth among the good and the pure; you will maintain your integrity before heaven, and prove yourselves worthy of a high state of glory when you get through with this world. 14:200. You may say to yourselves, “If I can do as well as my 314 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG parents, I think I shall do well, and be as good as I want to be, and I should not strive to excel them.” But if you do your duty you will far excel them in everything that is good—in holiness, in physical and intellectual strength, for this is your privilege, and it becomes your duty. 2:18. Our young folks who have arrived at years of maturity should think and act for themselves. They are citizens of the earth; they have a share here, and have a part to bear— a character to form and frame and present to the world, or they will sink into oblivion and forgetfulness. 13:263. The spirits which are reserved have to be born into the world, and the Lord will prepare some way for them to have tabernacles. 3:264. I can pick out scores of men in this congregation who have driven their children from them by using the wooden rod. Where there is severity there is no affection or filial feeling in the hearts of either party; the children would rather be away from father than be with him. 9:196. Those whom I once knew as little boys are growing out of my recollection; these young men know nothing but “Mormonism.” ‘They are in some instances called wild and ungovernable; but these wild boys, properly guided and directed, will make the greatest men who have ever lived upon this earth; and I want them to throw aside their dif- fidence and come up and shake hands with me, and say, “How do you do, Brother Brigham?” for I feel warmly to- wards them. 11:118. Family Life—If every person, who professes to be a Latter-day Saint, was actually a Saint, our home would be a paradise, there would be nothing heard, nothing felt, noth- ing realized, but praise to the name of our God, doing our duty, and keeping his commandments. 3:254. THE FAMILY 315 To gain the spiritual ascendancy over ourselves, and the influences with which we are surrounded, through a rigid course of self-discipline, is our first consideration, it is our first labor, before we can pave the way for our chil- dren to grow up without sin unto salvation. 2:131. In my experience I have learned that the greatest dif- ficulty that exists in the little bickerings and strifes of man with man, woman with woman, children with children, parents with children, brothers with sisters, and sisters with brothers, arises from the want of rightly understanding each other. 4:368. In our daily pursuits in life, of whatever nature and kind, Latter-day Saints, and especially those who hold im- portant positions in the Kingdom of God, should maintain a uniform and even temper, both when at home and when abroad. They should not suffer reverses and unpleasant circumstances to sour their natures and render them fretful and unsocial at home, speaking words full of bitterness and biting acrimony to their wives and children, creating gloom and sorrow in their habitations, making themselves feared rather than loved by their families. Anger should never be permitted to rise in our bosoms, and words suggested by angry feelings should never be permitted to pass our lips. “A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.” “Wrath is cruel, and anger is out- rageous ;” but “the discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” 11 :136. Fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters are no more to me than are any other persons, unless they embrace this work. Here are my fathers, my mothers, my sisters, and my brethren in the Kingdom, and I have none outside of it, neither in any part of the earth, nor in all the eternity of 316 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG the Gods. In this Kingdom are my acquaintances, relatives, and friends,—my soul, my affections, my all. 8:199. If a child or relative of mine forsakes the Gospel, the holy Priesthood, his God, and the Kingdom of God, farewell to that child or relative, whether near or distant. J] own none as relatives, only those who love and serve our Lord . and Savior, Jesus Christ. All that belong to my Father’s house I own. I love them, I delight in their society, no mat- ter whether they are poor or rich, learned or unlearned, if they observe the laws of the Kingdom of God and live ac- cording to it. 9:155. If children have sinned against their parents, or hus- bands against their wives, or wives against their husbands, let them confess their faults one to another and forgive each other, and there let the confession stop; and then let them ask pardon from their God. Confess your sins to whoever you have sinned against, and let it stop there. If you have committed a sin against the community, confess to them. If you have sinned in your family, confess there. Confess your sins, iniquities, and follies, where that confession be- longs, and learn to classify your actions. 4:78. Let us live so that the spirit of our religion will live within us, then we have peace, joy, happiness and content- ment, which makes such pleasant fathers, pleasant mothers, pleasant children, pleasant households, neighbors, commu- nities and cities. That is worth living for, and I do think that the Latter-day Saints ought to strive for this. 15:135. I will illustrate the method of establishing confidence in each other by taking, for example, the child of four or five years of age. The mother allows that child to own a small chest in which to keep his little trinkets, such as lit- tle bosom pins, ribbons, doll clothes, etc. This is considered THE FAMILY WE by all the family the child’s chest. Now let none go into that chest and take anything from it, without the consent of the child. This is a very small matter, some may think; but begin at as small a point as this to create confidence, and let it grow up from little to much. Wives, let your husband’s stores alone, if they have not committed them to your charge. Husbands, commit that to your wives that belongs to them, and never search their boxes without their consent. I can boast of this. I have lived in the marriage relation nearly thirty years, and I never was the man to open my wife’s chest, without her consent, except once, and that was to get out a likeness that I wanted on the instant, and she was not at home to get it for me. That was the first time I ever opened a trunk in my life, that belonged to my wife, or to my child. The child’s little chest, with its contents, is as sacred to him, as mine is to me. If this principle were strictly carried out by every man, woman, and child among the Saints, it would make them a blessed people indeed. 1:315. I wish the daughters of Israel to far exceed their moth- ers in wisdom. And I wish these young men and boys to far exceed their fathers. I wish my sons to far exceed me in goodness and virtue. 2:17. I say to our young men, be faithful, for you do not know what is before you, and abstain from bad company and bad habits. Let me say to the boys sixteen years old and even younger, make up your minds to mark out the path of rectitude for yourselves, and when evil is presented, let it pass by unnoticed by you, and preserve yourselves in truth, in righteousness, virtue and holiness before the Lord. You were born in the Kingdom of God; it is to be built up; the earth has to be renovated, and the people sanctified, 318 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG after they are gathered from the nations, and it requires considerable skill and ability to do this; let our young men - prepare themselves to aid and do their part in this great work. I want you to remember this teaching with regard to our youth. 11.118. Importance of Early Training—We see the infant in its mother’s arms. What is this infant here for? What is the design in the creation of this little infant child? It lies here in its mothers’ arms; it would not resist, in the least, if it were dropped into a caldron of boiling oil; if it were thrown into fire it would not know it until it felt the flames; it might be laid down here, and the wolf might come and lick its face, and it would not know but that its mother was soothing it. You see this foundation, the starting point, the germ of intelligence embodied in this infant, calculated to grow and expand into manhood, then to the capacity of an angel, and so onward to eternal exaltation. But here is the foundation. Sent to school, the child learns to read, and continues to improve as long as it lives. Is this the end of the knowledge of man? No. It is only the begin- ning. It is the first stage of all the intelligence that the philosopher in his reflections, taking the starry world be- fore him, and looking into the immensity of the creations of God, can imagine. Here is the first place where we learn, this is the foot of the hill. 19:46. When children are old enough to labor in the field, then the father will take them in charge. If children are not taught by their mothers, in the days of their youth, to re- vere and follow the counsels of their fathers, it will be hard indeed for the father ever to control them. 1:68. Parents, have you ever noticed that your children have exercised faith for you when you have been sick? The little THE FAMILY 319 daughter, seeing you sick, will lift her heart with a pure, angelic-like prayer to heaven; and disease is rebuked when that kind of faith is exercised. God bless the children! I pray that they may live and be reared up in righteousness, that God may have a people that will spread and establish one universal reign of peace, and possess the powers of the world to come. 8:117. Influence of the Mother—Let mothers commence to teach their children while in their laps, there do you teach them to love the Lord, and keep his commandments. Teach them to keep your commandments, and you will teach them to keep the commandments of your husbands. It is not the prerogative of a child to dictate to his mother, or his father ; and it is not the prerogative of the father to rise up and dictate to his God whom he serves. 1:68. If you, mothers, will live your religion, then in the love and fear of God teach your children constantly and thor- oughly in the way of life and salvation, training them up in the way they should go, when they are old they will not depart from it. I promise you this, it is as true as the shin- ing sun, it is an eternal truth. In this duty we fail; we do not bring up our children in the way they should go, or there would be no turning away, wandering here and there from the society of the Saints. We let our children do too much as they have a mind to; if they want this or that their wishes must be gratified. 19:92. If a mother wishes to control her child, in the first place let her learn to control herself, then she may be successful in bringing the child into perfect subjection to her will. 14 :277. The first thing that is taught by the mother to the child 320 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG should be true; we should never allow ourselves to teach our children one thing and practice another. 13:244. I have often thought and said, “How necessary it is for mothers, who are the first teachers of their children and who make the first impressions on their young minds, to be strict.’ How careful they should be never to impress a false idea on the mind of a child! They should never teach them anything unless they know it is correct in every re- spect. They should never say a word, especially in the hearing of a child that is improper. How natural it is for — women to talk baby talk to their children ; and it seems just as natural for the men to do so. It is just as natural for me as to draw my breath to talk nonsense to a child on my lap, and yet I have been trying to break myself of it ever since I began to have a family. 14:105. | Teach Children the Gospel—If we do not take the pains to train our children, to teach and instruct them concern- ing these revealed truths, the condemnation will be upon us, aS parents, or at least in a measure. 19:92. Teach your children from their youth, never to set their hearts immoderately upon an object of this world. 3:357. Bring up your children in the love and fear of the Lord; study their dispositions and their temperaments, and deal with them accordingly, never allowing yourself to correct them in the heat of passion; teach them to love you rather than to fear you, and let it be your constant care that the children that God has so kindly given you are taught in their early youth the importance of the oracles of God, and the beauty of the principles of our holy religion, that when they grow to the years of man and womanhood they may always cherish a tender regard for them and never forsake _the truth. I do not wish you to lay the stress and import- THE FAMILY my ance upon outward ceremonies that many do. Parents, teach your children by precept and example, the importance of addressing the Throne of grace; teach them how to live, how to draw from the elements the necessaries of life, and teach them the laws of life that they may know how to pre- serve themselves in health and be able to minister to others. And when instructing them in the principles of the Gospel, teach them that they are true, truth sent down from heaven for our salvation, and that the Gospel incorporates every truth whether in heaven, in earth, or in hell; and teach them, too, that we hold the keys of eternal life, and that they must obey and observe the ordinances and laws pertaining to this holy Priesthood, which God has revealed and restored for the exaltation of the children of men. 19:221. If the law of Christ becomes the tradition of this people, the children will be brought up according to the law of the celestial kingdom, else they are not brought up in the way they should go. 3:327. Latter-day Saints, have your children come to meeting. Sisters, let your little girls go to Sunday school or come to meeting! Brethren, let your children go to Sunday school, or to meeting, and advise your neighbors to do the same. 14:118. In the morning, it is true, there are many in the Sun- day school, and that we recommend; but in the afterpart of the day, where are these school children? Are they playing in the streets, or are they visiting? In going to Sunday school they have done their duty so far; but they ought to be here. In their youth they ought to learn the principles and doctrines of their faith, the arguments for truth, and the advantages of truth. 15:83. Teach your children honesty and uprightness, and teach 322 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG them also never to injure others. As I say to my Sisters sometimes, “Look here, my dear sister, if your child quar- rels with your neighbor’s child, do not chasten your neigh- bor’s child. Go and make peace, be a peace-maker. ‘Teach your child never to do a wrong; and if your neighbor’s child has injured you or yours, or taken anything from you, never mind. You stop until you find out. Perhaps the child has meant no wrong. You should learn the facts in the case, and go with a meek, humble, quiet spirit, and peace will result.” 13:252. Parents Should Teach by Example: If parents will con- tinually set before their children examples worthy of their imitation and the approval of our Father in Heaven, they will turn the current, and the tide of feelings of their chil- dren, and they, eventually, will desire righteousness more than evil. 14:195. Let the father and mother, who are members of this Church and Kingdom, take a righteous course, and strive with all their might never to do a wrong, but to do good ali their lives; if they have one child or one hundred children, if they conduct themselves towards them as they should, binding them to the Lord by their faith and prayers, I care not where those children go, they are bound up to their par- ents by an everlasting tie, and no power of earth or hell can separate them from their parents in eternity; they will return again to the fountain from whence they sprang. 11,275: * We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do. We should set them an example that we wish them to imitate. Do we realize this? How often we see parents demand obedience, good behavior, kind words, pleasant looks, a sweet voice THE FAMILY S23 and a bright eye from a child or children when they them- selves are full of bitterness and scolding! How inconsist- ent and unreasonable this is! 14:192. Parents should never drive their children, but lead them along, giving them, knowledge as their minds are prepared to receive it. Chastening may be necessary betimes, but parents should govern their children by faith rather than by the rod, leading them kindly by good example into all truth and holiness. 12:174. Our children will have the love of the truth, if we but live our religion. Parents should take that course that their children can say, “I never knew my father to deceive or take advantage of a neighbor; I never knew my father to take to himself that which did not belong to him, never, never! No, but he said, ‘Son, or daughter, be honest, truc, virtuous, kind, industrious, prudent and full of good works’.” Such teachings from parents to their children will abide with them forever, unless they sin against the Holy Ghost, and some few, perhaps, will do this. 14:195. Guides for Child Training—We can guide, direct, and prune a tender sprout, and it inclines to our direction, if it is wisely and skilfully applied. So, if we surround a child with healthy and salutary influences, give him suitable in- structions and store his mind with truthful traditions, may be that will direct his feet in the way of life. 9:248. A child loves the smiles of its mother, but hates her frowns. I tell the mothers not to allow the children to in- dulge in evils, but at the same time to treat them with mildness. If a child is required to step in a certain direc- tion, and it does not seem willing to do so, gently put it in the desired way, and say, There, my. little dear, you must step when I speak to you. Children need directing and 324 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG teaching what is right in a kind, affectionate manner. 8:74. You cannot break down the indomitable will of the hu- man family. I have known children to be so abused and whipped as to render them almost or entirely worthless, and still the indomitable will remained. 6:332. Now understand it—when parents whip their children for reading novels, and never let them go to the theater, or to any place of recreation and amusement, but bind them to the moral law, until duty becomes loathsome to them; when they are freed by age from the rigorous training of their parents, they are more fit for companions to devils, than to be the children of such religious parents. 2:94. It never hurts my feelings to see young exuberant life and animation manifest themselves. Do not be discouraged about the follies of the young. 7:336. . You see, hear and witness a good deal of contention among children—some of you do, if not all—and I will give you a few words with regard to your future lives, that you may have children that are not contentious, not quarrel- some. Always be good-natured yourselves, is the first step. Never allow yourselves to become out of temper and get fretful. Why, mother says, “this is a very mischievous lit- tle boy or little girl.’ What do you see? That amount of vitality in those little children that they cannot be still. If they cannot do anything else they will tip over the chairs, cut up and pull away at anything to raise a row. They are so full of life that they cannot contain themselves; and they are something like ourselves—boys. They have so much vitality in them that their bones fairly ache with strength. They have such an amount of vitality—life, streneth and activity, that they must dispose of them; and the young ones will contend with each other. Do not be out of tem- THE FAMILY 425 per yourselves. Always sympathize with them and soothe them. Be mild and pleasant. 19:69. I believe in indulging children, in a reasonable way. If the little girls want dolls, shall they have them? Yes. But must they be taken to the dressmaker’s to be dressed? No. Let the girls learn to cut and sew the clothing for their dolls, and in a few years they will know how to make a dress for themselves and others. Let the little boys have tools, and let them make their sleds, little wagons, etc., and when they grow up, they are acquainted with the use of tools and can build a carriage, a house, or anything else. e473; Be careful of the clothing, you have. Do not let your children’s clothing lie underfoot when you undress them at night, but teach your boys and girls, when they come into the house, to find a place for their hats, cloaks, and bonnets, that, when they want them, they can put their hands upon them in a moment. When they take off their boots and shoes, let them be deposited where they can be found in the dark, that, if the children are obliged to get up at night, perhaps in case of fire, they can find their clothing, and not be under the necessity of being turned out naked. If a person can put his hand on his clothing, he can dress in the dark. 9:172-3. What did you promise your little girl if she would do so and so? Did you promise her a present for well doing? “Yes.” Have you recollected it? “No, it has gone from my mind,” says the mother. If she does ill have you prom- ised her a chastisement? “Yes.” Did you keep your word? You have not, and the child forms the conclusion in its own mind directly that the mother tells that which is not true— she says she will do this or that, and she does not do it. It 326 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG is an easy lesson for mothers to learn to pass their time with their children and never give them a false impression. Think before you speak; promise your children nothing. If you wish to make them presents, do so; if you promise a chastisement, keep your word, but be cautious! 13 :244. Mothers, will you be missionaries? We will appoint you a mission to teach your children their duty, and in- stead of ruffles and fine dresses to adorn the body, teach them that which will adorn their minds. Let what you © have to clothe them with be neat and clean and nice. Teach them cleanness and purity of body and the principles of sal- vation, and they will delight to come to these meetings. 14 :220. I delight to see the mother teach her daughters to be housekeepers, to be particular, clean, and neat; to sew, spin, and weave; to make butter-and cheese; and I have no ob- jection to their learning to cultivate flowers, herbs, and use- ful shrubs in the gardens. It is good for their health to rise early in the morning and work in the soil an hour or two before breakfast, this practice is especially beneficial to those who have weak lungs. And while you delight in raising flowers, etc., do not neglect to learn how to take care of the cream, and how to make of it good wholesome butter, and of the milk good healthy nutritious cheese; neither forget your sewing, spinning, and weaving; and I would not have them neglect to learn music and would encourage them to read history and the Scriptures, to take up a newspaper, geography, and other publications, and make themselves acquainted with the manners and customs of distant kingdoms and nations, with their laws, religion, geographical location on the face of the world, their climate, natural productions, the extent of their commerce, and the THE FAMILY Say, nature of their political organization; in fine, let our boys and girls be thoroughly instructed in every useful branch of physical and mental education. Let this education begin early. Teach little children the principles of order; the lit- tle girl to put the broom in its right place, to arrange the stove furniture in the neatest possible way, and everything in its own place. Teach them to lay away their clothing neatly, and where it can be found; and when they tear their frocks and aprons teach them how to mend the rent so neatly that the place cannot be seen at a short distance; and instead of asking your husbands to buy them ribbons and frills, teach them to make them of the material we can produce. Teach the little boys to lay away the garden hoe, the spade, etc., where they will not be destroyed by rust; and let theni have access to tools that they may learn their use, and develop their mechanical skill while young; and see that they gather up the tools when they have done with them, and deposit them in the proper place. Let both males and females encourage within them mechanical ingenuity, and seek constantly to understand the world they are in, and what use to make of their existence. 9:188-189. I would like to see the time when our sisters will take more pains to beautify their children. When your children arise in the morning, instead of sending them out of doors to wash in cold, hard water, with a little soft soap, and wiping them as though you would tear the skin off them, creating roughness and darkness of skin, take a piece of soft flannel, and wipe the faces of your children smooth and nice, dry them with a soft cloth; and instead of giving them pork for their breakfast, give them good wholesome bread and sweet milk, baked potatoes and also buttermilk 4f they like it, and a little fruit, and I would have no ob- 328 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG jections to their eating a little rice. Rice is an excellent food for children, and I wish some of the brethren would cultivate it in these valleys. Upland rice will flourish in this country. Train up your children to be beautiful and fair, instead of neglecting them until they are sunburned and become like the natives of our mountains. 12:201. Need of Parent Training—You should go to work tc study and see what you can do for the recovery of your children. Ifa child is taken sick with fever, give it some- thing to stay that fever or relieve that stomach and bowels, so that mortification may not set in. Treat the child with prudence and care, with faith and patience, and be careful in not overcharging it with medicine. If you take too much— medicine into the system, it is worse than too much food. But you will always find that an ounce of preventive is worth a pound of cure. Study and learn something for yourselves. It is the privilege of a mother to have faith and to administer to her child; this she can do herself, as well as sending for the Elders to have the benefit of their faith oon 55: CHAP Eve x Vit SOME WOMANLY DUTIES i The Housewife—I am addressing myself to the ladies of the Kingdom of God, to those who know how to keep their houses, furniture and beds pure and clean, who can cook food for their husbands, and children in a way that it will be clean, tasteful and wholesome. The woman that can do this I call a lady. In this view I differ from the world generally ; for the lady of the world is not supposed to know anything about what is going on in the kitchen; her highest ambition is to be sure and be in the fashion, at no matter what cost to her husband or father; she considers that she may as well be out of the world as out of the fashion. 11 :138. 3 A good housewife, whether she possesses much or little, will have a place for everything she has in the house, and make her house orderly and comfortable, and everything when wanted can be found in its place. 9:157. If I had nothing but a piece of an old newspaper folded for a holder I would have it where I could put my hand on it in a moment, in the dark if I wanted it. And so with the dishcloth, the broom, the chairs, tables, sofas, and everything about the house, so that if you had to get up in the night you could lay your hand on whatever you wanted instantly. Have a place for everything and everything in its place. 14:89. When I go into a house, I can soon know whether the woman is an economical housekeeper or not; and if I stay a few days, I can tell whether a husband can get rich or not. If she is determined on her own course, and will waste and 330 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG spoil the food entrusted to her, that man will always be poor. 4:313. It is an old saying that a woman can throw out of the window with a spoon as fast as a man can throw into the door with a shovel; but a good house-keeper will.be saving and economical and teach her children to be good house- keepers, and how to take care of everything that is put in their. chargé. =t2 :195: Ladies, if you are the means of plunging this whole people into debt so as to distress them, will there be any- thing required of you? I think there will, for you will be judged according to your works. Are not the men as ex- travagant as the women? Yes, certainly they are, and just as foolish. I could point out instances by the score and by the hundred of men who are just as unwise, shortsighted, and foolish as the women can be; but a condemnation of the male portion of the community will not justify the female portion of it. 14:105. Now, sisters, if you will consider these things you will readily see that time is all the capital stock there is on the earth; and you should consider your time golden, it is actu- ally wealth, and, if properly used, it brings that which will add to your’comfort, convenience, and satisfaction. Let us consider this, and no longer sit with hands folded, wast- ing time, for it is the duty of every man and of every woman to do all that is possible to promote the Kingdom of God on the earth. 18:77. If there are women who want to do good, let them do their own work, and save their sixpences and dollars for the building of temples, tabernacles, meeting-houses, school-houses, educating the youth, preaching the Gospel, and gathering the poor. 11:351. SOME WOMANLY DUTIES 331 What I say of housewives will fully apply to farmers and mechanics. I labored many years as a mechanic, and in the darkest night I could put my hand upon any tool I used. You may call this boasting, but itis not. It is merely mentioning the order in which I kept my shop. 8:296. 3 Count the steps that a woman takes when she is doing her work, let them be measured, and it will be found that in many instances she had taken steps enough to have trav- eled from fifteen to twenty miles a day; I will warrant this to be the case. 4:101. Woman’s Fashions—Beauty must be sought in the ex- pression of the countenance, combined with neatness and cleanliness and graceful manners. 18:75. Anything is ridiculous, more or less, that is not comely. 14:17. Let the beauty of your adorning be the work of your handss< 19:75: I love to see the human form and the human face adorned, but let our adorning be the workmanship of our hands, from the elements with which we are constantly surrounded. I love beauty whether adorned or unadorned. I love chaste and refined manners, especially when they are founded upon virtue. 10:6. In the works of God, you see an eternal variety, con- sequently we do not ask the people to become Quakers, and all the men wear wide-brimmed hats, and the ladies wear drab or cream-colored silk bonnets projecting in the front, perhaps six or seven inches, rounded on the corners, with ~ acape behind. 14:17. The daughters of Israel should understand what fash- ions they should have, without borrowing from the impure and unrighteous. 12:220. 332 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Create your own fashions, and make your clothing to piease yourselves, independent of outside influences; and make your hats and bonnets to shade you. I wish you, -sis- ters, to listen to these counsels, and place yourselves in a condition to administer to the poor. Get your husbands to provide you with a little of this and a little of that of which you can make something by adding your own labor. I do not mean that you shall apply to them for five dollars and ‘ten dollars to spend for that which is of no profit, but manu- facture something that-will be useful as well as beautiful and comely. 12:202. Not flaunting, flirting and gossiping, as a great many are, and thinking continually of their dresses, and of this that and the other that will minister to and gratify their vanity. Such women seldom think of their prayers. 15 :162. I am ashamed to see the tight clothes—to see the shape of the ladies. 19:75. Ask your mothers, then, to make your clothes suitable and becoming; and keep your hair smooth and nice. The hair is given to the female for adornment; and therefore let the ladies, young and old, adorn their heads with their hair. Mothers should study and children should study to preserve the skin of the children from being ruined by dirt, and the heat of a scorching sun, and to keep themselves clean and pure. 19:65. es If I were a lady and had a piece of cloth to make me a dress, I would cut it so as to cover my person handsomely and neatly ; and whether it was cut according to the fashion or not, custom would soon make it beautiful. 15:38. It adds no beauty to a lady, in my opinion, to adorn her with fine feathers. When I look at a woman, I look at ., her face, which is composed of her forehead, cheeks, nose, SOME WOMANLY DUTIES 333 mouth and chin, and I like to see it clean, her hair combed neat and nice, and her eyes bright and sparkling; and if they are so, what do I care what she has on her head, or. how or of what material her dress is made? Not the least in the world. 18:74. The Lord instructs us in a revelation, to let our cloth- ing be plain: “Let all thy garments be plain, and their beauty the beauty of the work of thine own hands.” He never said to us, “Do not make a silk or satin ribbon, or fine broadcloth,” but he has said to us, “Make the articles of clothing that you wear;” if we do not, we shall find by and by that we shall not be able to get them. 10:311. Let the sisters take care of themselves, and make them- selves beautiful, and 1f any of you are so superstitious and ignorant as to say that this is-pride, I can say that you are not informed as to the pride which is sinful before the Lord, you are also ignorant as to the excellency of the heavens, and of the beauty which dwells in the society of the Gods. Were you to see an angel, you would see a beautiful and lovely creature. Make yourselves like angels in goodness and beauty. Let the mothers in Israel make their sons and daughters healthy and beautiful, by cleanli- ness and a proper diet. Whether you have much or little clothing for your children, it can be kept clean and healthy, and be made to fit their persons neatly. Make your chil- dren lovely and fair that you may delight in them. Cease to send out your children to herd sheep with their skins exposed to the hot sun, until their hands and faces appear as though they lived in an ash heap. I call upon my sis-— ters to lead out in these things. 12:201. — It is a disgrace to a community to drag their cloth in the dirt. How many women are there here today who 334 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG walked to this Tabernacle without throwing dirt every step they took, not only on themselves but upon those who walked near them? I shun them; when I see them coming. I try to make my way in some other direction in order to avoid their dust. I can get enough of it without receiving it from them. If there is a nuisance in the path, they are sure to wipe up a portion of it with their dress, and then trail it on to their carpet or into the bedrooms and distrib- ute it through the house. On the other hand I will say, ladies, if we ask you to make your dresses a little shorter, do not be extravagant and cut them so short that we can see the tops of your stockings. Bring them down to the top of your shoes, and have them so that you can walk and clear the dust, and do not expose your persons. Have your dresses neat and comely, and conduct yourselves, in the strictest sense of the word, in chastity. 12:299. If my mother and her grandmother got one silk dress, and they lived to a hundred years old, it was all that they wanted. I think my grandmother’s silk dress came down to her children. She put her silk dress on when I went to see her. It was, I think, her wedding dress, and she had been married some seventy years. 19:74. That which is convenient should be beautiful. 15:38. As for fashion, it does not trouble me, my fashion is convenience and comfort. 14:21. | Some Duties of the Relief Societies—These societies are for the improvement of our manners, our dress, our habits, and our methods of living. 19:68. The sisters in our Female Relief Societies have done great good. Can you tell the amount of good that the mothers and daughters in Israel are capable of doing? No, SOME WOMANLY DUTIES 335 it is impossible. And the good they do will follow them to all eternity. 13:34. As I have often told my sisters in the Female Relief Societies, we have sisters here who, if they had the priv- ilege of studying, would make just as good mathemati- cians or accountants as any man; and we think they ought to have the privilege to study these branches of knowledge that they may develop the powers with which they are en- dowed. We believe that women are useful, not only to sweep houses, wash dishes, make beds, and raise babies, but that they should stand behind the counter, study law or physic, or become good bookkeepers and be able to do the business in any counting house, and all this to enlarge their sphere of usefulness for the benefit of society at large. In following these things they but answer the design of their creation. 13:61. Now, ladies, go to and organize yourselves into indus- trial societies, and get your husbands to produce you some straw, and commence bonnet and hat making. If every Ward would commence and continue this and other indus- trial pursuits, it would not be long before the females of the Wards of our Territory would have stores in their Wards, and means sufficient to send and get the articles which they need, that cannot yet be manufactured here and which they may want to distribute. 12:195. When the sisters, for instance, meet together at a quilt- ing or for a visit, if every one speaks, believes and loves the truth, and there is nothing in them that is deceptive, how easy it is to converse and pass the time! We all delight in the truth; and if a wrong, or that which is false, is mani- fested it must be corrected or banished, and truth be adopted in the place thereof. It is the easiest life to lead 336 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG on the face of the earth. How do I know it? By experi- ence; I never tried the opposite much. 14:76. I will here say to the Latter-day Saints, if you will feed the poor with a willing heart and ready hand, neither you, nor your children, will ever be found begging bread. In these things the people are right; they are right in estab- lishing Female Relief Societies, that the hearts of the widow and the orphan may be made glad by the blessings which are so abundantly and so freely poured out upon them. P2174; Sisters, do you see any children around your neighbor- hood poorly clad and without shoes? If you do, I say to you, Female Relief Societies, pick up these children and relieve their necessities, and send them to school. And if you see any young, middle-aged or old ladies in need find them something to do that will enable them to sustain them- selves; but don’t relieve the idle, for relieving those who are able but unwilling to work is ruinous to any community. The time we spend here is our life, our substance, our cap- ital, our fortune, and that time should be used profitably. Take these old ladies, there are a great many of them around rather poor, and give them something to do; that . - is their delight. You will hardly find an old lady in the community who has not been brought up to work; and they would rather knit stockings or do some other useful labor than eat the bread of charity. Relieve the wants of every individual in need in your neighborhoods. . This is in the capacity and in the power of the Female Relief So- cieties when it is not in the power of the Bishops. 14:107. I wish to call the attention of our sisters to our Relief Societies. We are happy to say that many of them have done a great deal. We wish them to continue and progress. SOME WOMANLY DUTIES 337 In our Relief Societies we wish to introduce many improve- ments. We wish our sisters of experience to teach the young girls not to be so anxious for the gratification of their imaginary wants, but to confine themselves more to their real necessities. Fancy has no bounds, and I often think it is without form and comeliness. We are too apt to give way to the imagination of our hearts, but if we will be guided by wisdom, our judgment will be corrected, and we will find that we can improve very much. We can improve the language we use. 12:298. The ladies can learn to keep books as well as the men; we have some few, already, who are just as good account- ants as any of our brethren. Why not teach more of them to keep books and sell goods, and let them do this business, and let the men go to raising sheep, wheat, or cattle, or go and do something or other to beautify the earth and help to make it like the Garden of Eden, instead of spending their time in a lazy, loafing manner? 12:374-5. I have a short sermon for my sisters. I wish you, un- der the direction of your Bishops and wise men, to estab- lish your Relief Societies, and organize yourselves under the direction of the brethren, and establish yourselves for doing business, gathering up your little amounts of means that would otherwise go to waste, and put them to usury, and make more of them, and thus keep gathering in. Let this be commenced forthwith. 12:201. 12 CHAPTER XIX OBEDIENCE - Counsel—How my heart longs to see the brethren and sisters in a condition that when the words of truth and virtue—righteous words of counsel—are poured upon them, they will meet like drops of water meeting each other. How I long to see the brethren, when they hear the words of truth poured upon them, ready to receive those words because they are perfectly congenial to their feelings, and every soul exclaim, “Those words savor of the Spirit that is in me; they are my delight, my meat, and my drink; they are the streams of eternal life. How congenial they are, instead of their being contrary to’ my feelings.” 9:3. — If we hearken to counsel, we shall-be the best people in the world; we shall be as a bright light set upon a hill, that cannot be hid, or like a candle upon a candlestick. 12:173. If I or any other man give counsel that meets with opposition, that intrudes upon the affections, meditations, _and feelings of the people, and is harsh to their ears, bitter to their souls, it is either not the words of truth, or they have not the fountain of life within them, one of the two. If the Lord speaks from the heavens, reveals his will, and. it comes in contact with our feelings and notions of things, or with our judgments, we are destitute of that fountain of truth which we should possess. If our hearts are filled with the Spirit of truth, with the Spirit of the Lord, no matter what the true words from heaven are, when God speaks, all his subjects should shout, “Hallelujah! praise God! We are ready to receive those words, for. they are true.” 9:3-4. OBEDIENCE 339 Every man in the Kingdom of God would give the same counsel upon each subject, if he would wait until he had the mind of Christ upon it. Then all would have one word and mind, and all men would see eye to eye. 5:100. If you would always pause and say, I have no counsel for you, I have no answer for you on this subject, because I have no manifestation of the Spirit, and be willing to let everybody in the world know that you are ignorant when you are, you would become wise a great deal quicker than to give counsel on your own judgment, without the Spirit of revelation. 5:100. . - The Latter-day Saints who hearken to the words of the Lord, given to them touching their political, social, and fi- nancial concerns, I say, and say it boldly, that they will have wisdom which is altogether superior to the wisdom of the children of darkness, or the children of this world. I know this by the revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ, and - by the results of my own actions. They who have heark- ened to the counsels given to them in temporal matters, have invariably bettered their condition temporally and spiritually. 12:118. Obedience—When the Lord commands the people, let them obey. 2:123. , Every son and daughter of God is expected to obey with a willing heart every word which the Lord has spoken, and which he will in the future speak to us. It is expected that we hearken to the revelations of his will, and adhere to them, cleave to them with all our might; for this is sal- vation, and any thing short of this clips the salvation and the glory of the Saints. 2:2. Obedience is one of the plainest, most every-day and home principles that you ever thought or know anything 340 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG about. In the first place, learn that you have a father, and then learn strict obedience to that parent. Is not that a plain, domestic, home principle? 6:173. I cannot save you. I can tell you how to save your- selves, but you must do the will of God. 10:317. How shall we know what to do? By being obedient to every requirement of the Gospel. 8:148. A mere theory amounts to but little, while practice and obedience have to do with stern realities. 9 :330. Every good and wholesome law we should obey strictly, and do it with a good and honest-heart. 11:134. ‘Blessed are they who obey when the Lord gives a direct commandment, but more blessed are they who obey with- out a direct commandment. 12:128. Do you think that people will obey the truth because it is true, unless they love it? No, they will not. ‘Truth is obeyed when it is loved. Strict obedience to the truth will alone enable people to dwell in the presence of the AlI- mighty. 7:55. The Lord has sent forth his laws, commandments, and ordinances to the children of men, and requires them to be strictly obeyed, and we do not wish to transgress those laws, but to keep them. We do not wish to change his or- dinances, but to observe them; we do not wish to break the everlasting covenant, but to keep that with our fathers, with Jesus, with our Father in Heaven, with holy angels, and to live according to them. 16:31. — If a man is called to go and labor for the poor, if his Bishop calls upon him to go into the canyon after a load of wood for the poor, and he goes there, with his heart up- lifted to God, and with his eye single to the building up of the Kingdom, and gets the load of wood and lays it at the OBEDIENCE 341 door of the Bishop for the poor, for the widow or for those who cannot help themselves, he is just as much in the line of his ‘duty in so doing as though he were on his knees praying. 11:293. This people have got to become of one heart and one mind. They have to know the will of God and do it, for to know the will of God is one thing, and to bring our wills, our dispositions, into subjection to that which we do understand to be the will of God is another. 3:54-5. We believe in obeying the laws of the land, we should also obey the laws of God. 16:45. Some of you may ask, “Is there a single ordinance to be dispensed with? Is there one of the commandments that God has enjoined upon the people, that he will excuse them from obeying?’ Not one, no matter how trifling or small in our own estimation. No matter if we esteem them non-essential, or least or last of all the commandments of the house of God, we are under obligation to observe them. STAR es With regard to the obedience of heavenly beings, to which reference has been made to-day; they live pure and holy, and they have attained unto this power through suf- fering. Many of them have drunk of the bitter cup even to the dregs. They have learned that righteousness will prevail, that truth is the foundation of their very existence. iit: The most effectual way to establish the religion of Heaven is to live it, rather than to die for it: I think I am safe in saying that there are many of the Latter-day Saints who are more willing to die for their religion than to live it faithfully. There is no other proof can be adduced to God, angels, and men, that a people faithfully live their 342 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG religion, than that they repent truly of their sins, obey the law of baptism for the remission of sins, and then con- tinue to do the works of righteousness day by day. 9:333. There are a great many texts which might be used, very comprehensive and full of meaning, but I know of none, either in the Old or New Testament, more so than that saying, said to have been made by the Savior, and I have no doubt it was, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” “How long? For a day? Keep the commandments of the Lord for a week? Observe and do his will for a month or a year? ‘There is no promise to any individual, that I have any knowledge of, that he shall receive the reward of the just, unless he is faithful to the end. If we fully un- © derstand and faithfully carry out in our lives the saying of Jesus, “If ye love me, keep my commandments,” we shall be prepared to go back and dwell in the presence of the Father and the Son. What are his commandments? Did he ever teach the people anything that is wrong? If we read the require- ments made by Jesus, by the Father, or by any messenger sent from the heavens to the children of men, we shall find nothing that will injure any human being or that will ‘destroy the soul of one of the sons or daughters of Adam and Eve. Many think that the sayings and doings of some of the prophets and servants.of God, in ancient and mod- ern times, said and done in obedience to the commands of the Lord Almighty, tend to evil; but it is not so. All God’s requirements tend to do good to his children. Any notion to the contrary is the result of ignorance. The © human family are enveloped in ignorance, so far as the origin and object of their existence here is concerned. ‘Their ignorance, superstition, darkness and blindness are very s OBEDIENCE 343 apparent to all who are in the least enlightened by the Spirit of truth. They seek to hide themselves in ignorance and blindness rather than learn who they are and the ob- ject of their being here. What do the human family know of God or Jesus, or of the words which I have quoted “If ye love me, keep my commandments?” “Search the Scrip- tures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life,’ says Jesus, “and they are they which testify of me.” They testify of the Savior, of his doctrines and requirements, and of the ordinances of his house; the plan of salvation is there portrayed, and any person who follows its dictation may redeem himself from the thraldom of sin, and know, by the Spirit, that Jesus is the Christ. All who will take this course will know by revelation that God is our Father; they will understand the relationship they hold to him and to their fellow-beings. The world may in vain ask the ques- tion, “Who are we?” But the Gospel tells us that we are the sons and daughters of that God whom we serve. Some say, “We are the children of Adam and Eve.” So we are, and they are the children of our Heavenly Father. We are all the children of Adam and Eve, and they are the off- spring of him who dwells in the heavens, the highest In- telligence that dwells anywhere that we have any knowl- edge of. Here we find ourselves, and when infants, the most helpless, and needing the most care and attention of any creatures that come into being on the face of the earth. Here we find in ourselves the germ and the foundation, the embryo of exaltation, glory, immortality and eternal lives. As we grow up we receive strength, knowledge and wis- dom, some more and some less; but only by keeping the commands of the Lord Jesus can we have the privilege of 344 ‘ DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG knowing the things pertaining to eternity and our rela- tionship to the heavens. 13:310. | The most excellent human or divine laws are of no use to earthly or heavenly beings, unless they are faithfully observed. Law is for the protection of the law-abider; and the penalty of the law is for the law-breaker. 9 :332. People will never be taken and sacrificed for their igno- rance, when they have had no opportunity to know and understand the truth. Such a proceeding would be con- trary to the economy of heaven. But after we receive and understand things as they are, if we then disobey, we may look for the chastening hand of the Almighty. 3:246. Walk up, O ye Latter-day Saints, and wake up! Come to the Lord, forsake your covetousness, your back-slidings, forsake the spirit of the world, and return to the Lord with full purpose of heart until you get the Spirit of Christ within you, that you, like others, can cry, “Abba Father, — the Lord, he is God, and I am his servant.” 15:6. : We have nothing to sacrifice. All we have to do is to love and serve our God, and do everything we can to bring knowledge to ourselves and to the people. 6:196. When the Gospel is preached to the honest in heart they receive it by faith, but when.they obey it labor is required. To practice the Gospel requires time, faith, the heart’s affections and a great deal of labor. Here many stop. They hear and believe, but before they go on to practice they begin to think that they were mistaken, and unbelief enters into their hearts. 16:40. When we get to understand all knowledge, all wisdom, that it'is necessary for us to understand in the flesh, we will be like clay in the hands of the potter, willing to be moulded and fashioned according to the will of him who OBEDIENCE 345 has called us to this great and glorious work, of purifying ourselves and our fellow-beings, and of preparing the na- tions of the earth for the glory that awaits them through obedience. 19:93, I believe that it is a hell intolerable for a people, a fam- ily or a single person, to strive ‘to grasp truth with one hand, and error with the other, to profess to walk in obe- dience to the commandments of God, and, at the same time, mingle heart and hand with the wicked. 3:254. Effect of Obedience—Great peace have they who love the law of the Lord and abide in his commandments. 8:121. If you wish to receive and enjoy the favor of our Heavy- enly Father, do his will. 8:33. When will this people become Saints indeed? Not until they observe every counsel that is given to them of this kind, doing. with their might the things that are required of them:*..141.:139; All who: receive eternal life and salvation will receive it on no other conditions than believing in the Son of God and obeying the principles that he has laid down. Can we devise any other means and plan of salvation? We ~ cannot. 13:213. ‘The Saints who live their religion will be exalted, for they never will deny any revelation which the Lord has given or may give, though, when there is a doctrine com- ing to them which they cannot comprehend fully, they may be found saying, “The Lord sendeth this unto me, and I pray that he will save and preserve me from denying any- thing which proceedeth from him, and give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself.” Such persons will never deny, but will allow those sub- jects which they do not understand, to remain until the 346 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG visions of their minds become open. This is the course which I have invariably pursued, and if anything came that I could not understand, I would pray until I could com- prehend it. Do not reject anything because it is new or strange, and do not sneer nor jeer at what comes from the Lord, for if we do, we endanger our salvation. It is given to us, as agents, to choose or refuse, as brother S. W. Richards has set before you, but we are agents within limits; if it were-not so there would be no law. 3:266. By obeying the ordinances of God, mankind glorify God, but if they do not obey him, they do not detract one par- ticle from his glory and power. The commandments of God are given to us expressly for our benefit, and if we live in obedience to them we shall live'so as to understand the mind and will of God for ourselves, and concerning our- selves as individuals. 12:126. How shall we know that we obey him? There is but one method by which we can know it, and that is by the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord witnessing unto our spirit that we are his, that we love him, and that he loves us. It is by the spirit of revelation we know this. We have no witness to ourselves internally, without the spirit of revelation. We have no witness outwardly, only by obe- dience to the ordinances. 12:99, Law is made for the lawless. Let the Saints live their religion, and there is not a law that can justly infringe upon them. 8:140. There is no law against doing good. There’is no law against love. There is no law against serving God. There is no law against charity and benevolence. There is no law OBEDIENCE (347 against the principles of eternal life. Live them, and no righteous law of man can reach you. 8:140. When the law of God is written on the hearts of a peo- ple, every person will know his place. 8:296. When men and women talk about giving everything for the salvation which they anticipate and live for, behold, they have nothing to give; nor have they anything to do, only to do their duty. And what is that? ‘To improve upon that which is committed to their possession—to prove them- selves worthy to their Father and God, that ere long they - may be worthy to receive crowns of glory, immortality and eternal life. Then we shall be beyond the power of Satan. 6:196. So long as the Latter-day Saints will live their religion, they shall never be confounded, worlds without end. Never be afraid; your hearts are brave, your arms are strong, and God is our defense. 10:40. Those who live their religion will enjoy the Spirit, and © that enjoyment will increase; and if we will be faithful, the Lord will make our feet as firm in these valleys as are the everlasting riches in these mountains, and no power can remove us. He will give us a sure place in these mountains until we go forth and redeem Zion. Do right, be faithful, and make no calculations about removing before the time comes. 8:285. Obedience and Free Agency—Here is a brother who says, “Why, yes, you may have some of my property or even take it all; but I want to be a man for myself; I do not want to be dictated; I want to preserve my own free- dom; I do not want to be a slave.” What an idea! It is from the enemy, and because a person has not the Spirit of the Lord to see how things are.. There is not a man of 348 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG us but what is willing to acknowledge at once that God demands strict obedience to his requirements. But in ren- dering that strict obedience, are we made slaves? No, it is the only way on the face of the earth for you and me to become free, and we shall become slaves of our own pas- sions, and of the wicked one, and servants to the Devil, if ' we take any other course, and we shall be eventually cast into hell with the devils. Now to say that I do not enjoy the volition of my own will just as much when I pray as I would to swear, is a false principle, it is false ground to take. You take the man who swears, and he has no more freedom, and acts no more on his own will than the man who prays; the man who yields strict obedience to the re- quirements of Heaven, acts upon the volition of his own will and exercises his freedom just as much as when he was a slave to passion; and I think it is much better and more honorable for us, whether children or adults, youthful, middle-aged or old, it is better to live by and better to die by, to have our hearts pure, and to yield strict obedience to the principles of life which the Lord has revealed, than be a slave to sin and wickedness. All that the Lord re- quires of us is strict obedience to the laws of life. All the sacrifice that the Lord asks of his people is strict obedience to our own covenants that we have made with our God, and that is to serve him with an undivided heart. 18:246. One of the simplest things in the world is to control a people. Is there any particular art in making this people obedient? There is just one. If you, Elders of Israel, can get the art of preaching the Holy Ghost into the hearts of the people, you will have an obedient people. This is the only art required. Teach the people truth, teach them cor- rect principles; show them what is for their greatest good OBEDIENCE 349 and don’t you think they will follow in that path? They will, just as far as it is consistent with their weaknesses and the power of darkness that is over the inhabitants of the earth—with us as with others. 12:257. A person before he can understand the law and govern- ment of God must see and understand the propriety of it and see its beauties. So it is with the whole system of sal- vation. Not that I would say we are machines, for we have our agency; but God has placed us here, and ‘he exacts strict obedience to his laws before we can derive the bene- fit and blessings their observance will yield. You may take a beautiful machine of any kind you please, and when the machinist has finished his work and set it in perfect order, how could it be expected to operate satisfactorily if a hook here or’a journal yonder were to say, I am not going to stay here, or, 1 am going to jump out of place and am going somewhere else; and then another piece of the ma- chinery would jump out of its place into another part of the machine. What would be the state of such a machine? Confusion and disorganization would soon result and the machinist might very properly say, what a pity that I be- stowed so much labor on such unruly members of my machine. 13:241. The world will not receive the Gospel, unless they can have it on their own terms, and will persecute 1G few that do receive it. 9:331. We as a people, will be chastened until we can wholly submit ourselves to the Lord and be Saints indeed. 5:354. Effects of Disobedience—When light comes, if the peo- ple reject that light, it will condemn them, and will add to their sorrow and affliction. 6:288. \ If we live our religion we shall prosper, and if we live 350 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG in the neglect of our duty, and continue to do so, there will be tribulation and anguish here, and the chastening hand of the Almighty will be on this people. 3:340. I feel in my heart to bless you; it is full of blessings and not cursing. It is something that does not occupy my feel- ings to curse any individual, but I will modify this by say- ing those who ought not to be cursed. Who ought to be? Those who know their Master’s will, and do it not; they are worthy of many stripes; it is not those who do not know, and do not do, but those who know it, and do not do it—they are the ones to be chastised. 1:248. As soon as you are overcome by the spirit of the world, you forget every good deed and kindness that has been extended to you, and you only remember the transpiring and infliction of what you deemed to be evil that would have resulted in good, had you done right. 3:358. It is the misapplied intelligence God has given us that makes all the mischief on the earth. That intelligence he designed to carry out the purposes of his will, and endowed it with capabilities to grow, spread abroad, accumulate, and endeavor to enjoy greater happiness, glory, and honor, and continue to expand wider and wider, until eternity is com- prehended by it; if not applied to this purpose, but to the grovelling things of earth, it will be taken away, and given to one who has made better use of this gift of God. 2:124-5. If we will only practice what we profess, I tell you we are at the defiance of hell. 2:186. For a man to undertake to live a Saint and walk in dark- ness is one of the hardest tasks that he can undertake. You cannot imagine a position that will sink a person more deeply in perplexity and trouble than to try to be a Saint without living as a Saint should—without enjoying the OBEDIENCE 351 spirit of his religion. It is our privilege to live so as to enjoy the spirit of our religion. That is designed to re- store us to the presence of the Gods. Gods exist, and we had better strive to be prepared to be one with them. 7 :238. Anything that is impure must, sooner or later, perish; no matter whether it is in the faith and practice of an in- dividual, town, nation, or government. That kingdom, principality, power or person that is not controlled by prin- ciples that are pure and holy must eventually pass away and perish, 14:75. I know it is hard to receive chastisement, for no chas- tisement is joyous, but grievous at the time it is given; but if a person will receive chastisement and pray for the Holy Spirit to rest upon him, that he may have the Spirit of truth in his heart, and cleave to that which is pleasing to the Lord, the Lord will give him grace to bear the chastise- ment, and he will submit to and receive it, knowing that it is for his good. 3:47. Men must quit swearing and taking the name of God in vain; they must refrain from lying, stealing, cheating, and doing that which they know they ought not to do, or they must be severed from this Church and Kingdom. 4 :307. The Latter-day Saints, in all their travels, have not been as rebellious as the Children of Israel were. 11:279. CHAPTER XX GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, DEVOTION, LIBERALITY, HONESTY | Gratitude—I do not know of any, excepting the un- pardonable sin, that is greater than the sin of ingratitude. 14::277. We rejoice because the Lord is ours, because we are sown in weakness for the express purpose of attaining to greater power and perfection. In everything the Saints may rejoice—in persecution, because it is necessary to purge them, and prepare the wicked for their doom; in- sickness and in pain, though they are hard to bear, because we are thereby made acquainted with pain, with sorrow, and with every affliction that mortals can endure, for by contrast all things are demonstrated to our senses. We have reason to rejoice exceedingly that faith is in the world, that the Lord reigns, and does his pleasure among the inhabitants of the earth. Do you ask if I rejoice because the Devil has the advantage over the inhabitants of the earth, and has afflicted mankind? I most assuredly an- swer in the affirmative; I rejoice in this as much as in any- thing else. I rejoice because I am afflicted. I rejoice be- cause lam poor. I rejoice because Iam cast down. Why? Because I shall be lifted up again. I rejoice that I am poor because I shall be made rich; that I am afflicted, because I shall be comforted, and prepared to enjoy the felicity of perfect happiness, for it is impossible to properly appre- ciate happiness except by enduring the opposite. 1:359. Humility—I delight extremely in plain simplicity. 4:341. GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, LIBERALITY, HONESTY 35S The humble will live, their spirits will be buoyant, and they will live to a great age. 8:181. We have to humble ourselves and become like little chil- dren in our feelings—to become humble and childlike in spirit, in order to receive the first jlluminations of the spirit of the Gospel, then we have the privilege of growing, of increasing in knowledge, in wisdom, and in undefstand- inomerds 92: : The hearts of the meek and humble are full of joy and comfort continually. 4:22, ~ When a person sees things as they are, flattery and re- proach are all the same to him, he sees no difference. If he finds that he is pleasing God and his brethren, he is exceedingly rejoiced, and feels an increase of humility and resignation. When a man is proud and arrogant, flattery fills him with vanity and injures him; but it is not so when he is increasing in the faith of God. 12:50. I exhort the brethren not to boast over our enemies’ downfall. Boast not, brethren. God has come out of his hiding-place, and has commenced to vex the nations that have rejected us, and he will vex them with a sore vexation. 8 :324. Devotion to the Gospel—To the Latter-day Saints ] say, live your religion, sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, and we shall be prospered. 13:3[8. A man, or a woman, desiring to know the will of God, and having an opportunity to know it, will apply their hearts to this wisdom until it becomes easy and familiar to them, and they will love to do good instead of evil. 3 :363. To enjoy the protection of the Almighty, we have got 354 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG - to live our religion—to live so that we have the mind of Christ within us. 4:358. All I ask of you is to apply your hearts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be Saints. I will not ask anything else on this earth of you, only to live so as to know the mind and will of God when you receive it, and then abide in it. If you will do that, you will be prepared to do a great many things, and you will find that there is much good to be done. 3:375. ~ When you know how to be a Saint today, you are in a fair way to know how to be a Saint tomorrow. And if you can continue to be a Saint today, you can through the week, and through the year, and you can fill up your whole life in performing the duty and labor of a Saint. 2:53. If I am organized and capacitated to receive this glory and.this exaltation, I must be the friend of him who has brought me forth and instituted this exaltation for me; I must not be his enemy at any time. 4:198. I have sought to teach you how to get rich, but I never taught you to neglect your duty; I never instructed you nor taught you to forsake the Lord; and today I would rather not own one farthing, and take my valise in my hand, as I did at the rise of the Church, and travel among the na- tions of the earth, and beg my bread from door to door, than to neglect my duty and lose the Spirit of Almighty God. If I have wealth and cannot use it to the glory of God and the building up of his Kingdom, I ask the Lord to take it from me. 13:280. There is not a wicked man on the face of the earth but what reveres a pure servant of God. They may not ac- knowledge it with their organs of speech, but in their hearts, sentiments and feelings they revere such a char- GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, LIBERALITY, HONESTY oon acter. When they see a pure and holy man or woman, say they, “I wish I was as good as you are.” ‘Then let us take a pride in acknowledging our religion and living it, by being virtuous, true and good in everything, and then take pride in educating your minds until you can conquer and control yourselves in everything. Educate your chil- dren in all the knowledge the world can give them. God has given it to the world, it is all his. Every true prin- ciple, every true science, every art, and all the knowledge that men possess, or that they ever did or ever will possess, is from God. We should take pains and pride to instill this knowledge into the minds of our neighbors, and our breth- ren, and rear-our children so that the learning and educa- tion of the world may be theirs, and that virtue, truth and holiness may crown their lives that sees may be saved in the Kingdom of God. 12:326. I say to this community, Be humble, be faithful to your _ God, true to his Church, benevolent to the strangers that may pass through our Territory, and kind to all people,-. serving the Lord with all your might, trusting in him; but never fear the frowns of an enemy, nor be moved by the flatteries of friends or of enemies from the path of right. Serve your God; believe in him, and never be ashamed of him, and sustain your character before him. I say to the aged, to the middle-aged, and to the young— All be true to.your God, true to your brethren, and kind to all, serving God with all your heart. And may he bless you for Jesus’ sake. Amen. 1:146. While speaking the other day to the people, I observed that “the race was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong,’ neither riches to men of wisdom. I happened to cast my eyes upon Ira Ames, who was sitting in the con- 356 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG gregation. I knew he had been in the Church a consider- able length of time, I have been personally acquainted with him for twenty years. My eye also caught many more of the first Saints at the same time. These men know that “Mormonism” is true, they have moved steadily forward, and have not sought to become noted characters as many have; but, unseen as it were, they have maintained their footing steadily in the right path. 1 could place my hand upon many in this congregation, who will win the race, though they are not very swift, to outward appearance, and they make no great pretensions; they are found continually attending to their own business. They do not appear to be ereat warriors, or as if they were likely to win the battle. But what is their true character? They have faith today, they are filled with faith, their words are few, but they are full of integrity. You will find them tomorrow as they were yesterday, or are today. Visit them when you will, or under what circumstances, and you find them unalterably the same; and finally when you have spent your life with them, you will find that their lives throughout have been | well spent, full of faith, hope, charity, and good works, as far as they have had the ability. These are the ones who will win the race, conquer in the battle, and obtain the peace and righteousness of eternity. 1:89. - You may examine from the beginning to this day, and continue to watch in the future, and where you find a man who wishes to steady the ark of God, without being called to do so, you will find a dark spot in him. The man full of light and intelligence discerns that God steadies his own ark, dictates his own affairs, guides his people, controls his kingdom, governs nations, and holds the hearts of all liv- ing in his hands, and turns them hither and thither at his GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, LIBERALITY, HONESTY 357 pleasure, not infringing upon their agency. There is not the least danger of disagreeing with persons enjoying the Holy Spirit. 8:66. To be great is to be good before the Heavens and before all good men. 10:111. Give Freely—Let us not love the things of this world above the things of God, but strip for the race and harness for the battle of the Gospel plan of salvation. 10:328. How contracted in mind and short-sighted we must be to permit the perishable things of this world to swerve us in the least degree from our fidelity to the truth. It shows that we lack knowledge which we should possess. 11:283. Suppose that you are required to do ten pieces of work, but of the ten only one is necessary for the promotion of the Kingdom of God; which had you better do—perform the ten pieces of labor, to be sure of doing the right piece, | or neglect the whole ten because you do not know which the right one is? Had you not better do the whole ten pieces, that you may be sure of performing that which the Lord really requires at your hands? 8:12-13. I wish you to understand, however, that a man giving his means to build up the Kingdom of God is no proof to me that he is true in heart. I have long since learned, that a person may give a gift with an impure design. 10:268. Man may think, and some of them do, that we have a right to work for ourselves; but I say we have no time to do that in the narrow, selfish sense generally entertained when speaking about working for self. We have no time allotted to us here on the earth to work for ourselves in that sense; and yet when laboring in the most disinterested and fervent manner for the cause and Kingdom of God, it is all for ourselves. Though our time be entirely occupied 358 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG in laboring for the advancement of the Kingdom of God on the earth we are in reality laboring most effectually for self, for all our interest and welfare, both in time and eter- nity, are circumscribed and bound up in that Kingdom. 14:101. | Be Honest—Woe to those who profess to be Saints and are not honest. Only be honest with yourselves, and you will be honest to the brethren. 2:53. Men must be honest, they must live faithfully before their God, and honor their calling and being on the earth. You ask if that is possible? Yes; the doctrine which we have embraced takes away the stony hearts. 3:118-119. We need to learn, practice, study, know and understand how angels live with each other. When this community comes to the point to be perfectly honest and upright, you will never find a poor person; none will lack, all will have sufficient. Every man, woman, and child will have all they need just as soon as they all become honest. When the majority of the community are dishonest, it maketh the honest portion poor, for the dishonest serve and enrich themselves at their expense. 6:76. It is much better to be honest; to live here uprightly, and forsake and shun evil, than it is to be dishonest. It is the easiest path in the world to be honest,—to be upright before God; and when people learn this, they will practice ay DAAC ay Honest hearts produce honest actions—holy desires pro- duce corresponding outward works. Fulfil your contracts and sacredly keep your word. ¥1397, I have no fellowship for a man that will make a promise and not fulfil it. 13:301. GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, LIBERALITY, HONESTY _ 359 Simple truth, simplicity, honesty, uprightness, justice, mercy, love, kindness, do good to all and evil to none, how easy it is to live by such principles! A thousand times easier than to practice deception! 14:76. ; Honesty in Labor—lI have tried to suppress dishonesty in individuals, and have tried thereby to make them honest. If I hire a carpenter and pay him three dollars a day, and he is three days in making a six-panel door that a good workman can make in one, or even a door and a half, I do not want to pay him three dollars a day for that labor. 6:73; We want the Saints to increase in goodness, until our mechanics, for instance, are so honest and reliable that this Railroad Company will say, “Give us a ‘Mormon’ Elder for an engineer, then none need have the least fear to ride, for if he knows there is danger he will take every measure nec- essary to preserve the lives of those entrusted to his care.” I want to see our: Elders so full of integrity that they will be preferred by this Company for their engine builders, watchmen, engineers, clerks, and business managers. If we live our religion and are worthy the name of Latter- day Saints, we are just the men that all such business can be entrusted to with perfect safety; if it can not it will prove that we do not live our religion. 12:300. If you see honest persons, you see those who are ready to take hold and labor with their might, even though they have but one potato in a day; they will suffer rather than impoverish the Church. 3:340. One liar is like a bad king. A corrupt and wicked king can corrupt a whole nation. One liar can deceive thou- sands. 16:30. A very simple person can tell the truth, but it takes a 360 , DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG very smart person to tell a lie and make it appear like the truth. 11:304. F Consistency and Sincerity—O, consistency, thou art one of the fairest jewels in the life of a Saint. 11:136. If we teach righteousness, let us also practice righteous- ness in every sense of the word; if we teach morality, let us be moral; let us see to it that we preserve ourselves within the bounds of all the good which we teach to others. I am sure this course will be good to live by and good to die by, and when we get through the journey of life, here, what a consolation it will be to us to know that we have done as we have wished others to do by us in all respects. BESO: There is not one man in this city, nor in the Territory, who hates the truth and the Latter-day Saints, whose influ- ence I dread, no, not even the hundreth part, as I do a smooth, slick hypocrite who professes to be a Latter-day Saint. The former cannot sow the seeds of infidelity and unbelief in the hearts of the people; but the latter can. 182359. A person who is a thief, a liar, and a murderer in his heart, but professes to be a Saint, is more odious in the sight of God, angels and good men, than a person who comes out and openly declares that he is our enemy. I know how to take such a man, but a devil with a Saint’s cloak on is one of the meanest characters you can imagine. I say, blessings on the head of a wicked Gentile who is my avowed. enemy, far sooner than upon an enemy cloaked with a Saint’s profession. 3:120. But I hope and trust in the Lord my God that I shall never be left to praise this people, to speak well of them, for the purpose of cheering and comforting them by the art — GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, LIBERALITY, HONESTY 361 of flattery; to lead them on by smooth speeches day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year, and let them roll sin as a sweet morsel under their tongues, and be guilty of transgressing the law of God. I hope I shall never be left to flatter this people, or any people, on the earth, in their iniquity, but far rather chasten them for their wickedness and praise them for their good- ness. 4:22. The religion that we have embraced must last a man from Monday morning until Monday morning, and from Saturday night until Saturday night, and from one new year until another; it must be in all our thoughts and words, in all our ways and dealings. We come here to tell the people how to be saved; we know how, conse- quently we can tell others. Suppose our calling tomorrow is to conduct a railroad, to go into some philosophical busi- ness, or no matter what, our minds, our faith or religion, our God and his Spirit are with us; and if we should happen to be found in a room dedicated for purposes of amusement and an accident should occur, and an Elder engaged in the dance is called upon to go and lay hands on the sick, if he is not prepared to exercise his calling and his faith in God as much there as at any other time and in any other place, he never should be found there, for none have a legal right to the amusements which the Lord has ordained for his children except those who acknowledge his hand in all things and keep his commandments. 14:117. CHAPTER Rx oly. HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENTS Saints Should be Happy—Then learn to be happy when _ you have the privilege. 5 :294. The whole world are after happiness. It is not found in gold and silver, but it is in peace and love. 12:314. What will give a man joy? That which will give him peace... 7:3. If the heart is cheerful, all is light and glory within; there is no sorrow. 6:41. When man is industrious and righteous, then is he happy. 9:244. ‘The person who enjoys the experience of the knowl- edge of the Kingdom of God on the earth, and at the same | time has the love of God within him, is the happiest of any individuals on the earth. 18:236. What principal object have human beings in view? Happiness. Give me glory, give me power, give me wealth, give me a good name, give me influence with my fellow- men, give me all these, and it does not follow that I am thereby made happy; that depends altogether upon what principle those acquisitions were gained. 7:3. The only heaven for you is that which you make your- selves. My heaven is here—(laying his hand upon his heart). I carry it with me. When do I expect it in its perfection? When I come up in the resurrection; then I shall have it, and not till then. 4:57. You never saw a true Saint in the world that had sorrow, neither can you find one. If persons are destitute of the fountain of living water, or the principles of eternal life, / HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENT 363 then they are sorrowful. If the words of life dwell within us, and we have the hope of eternal life and glory, and let that spark within us kindle toa flame, to the consuming of the least and last remains of selfishness, we never can walk in darkness and are strangers to doubt and fear. 6:41. If this is the work of God, let us understand its beauty and glory. I do not say that all are like myself; but from the day 1 commenced preaching the Gospel to this present moment, I never had a feeling in my heart to occupy much time in preaching hell to the people, or in telling them much about being damned. There are the kingdoms and worlds which God has prepared, and which are waiting for the — just. There are more beauty, glory, excellency, knowledge, power, and heavenly things than I have time to talk about, without spending my time in talking about the hells pre- pared for the damned. I have not time to talk much about them. 8:42. It does make the Devil mad. That is true, it makes him mad that he cannot afflict this people so as to make them have a sad countenance. 4:299. ‘To make ourselves happy is incorporated in the great design of man’s existence. I have learned not to fret my- self about that which I cannot help. If I can do good, I will do it; and if I cannot reach a thing, I will content my- self to be without it. This makes me happy all the day tone:e 2-95, Where is happiness, real happiness? Nowhere but in God. By possessing the spirit of our holy religion, we are happy in the morning, we are happy at noon, we are happy in the evening; for the spirit of love and union is with us, and we rejoice in the spirit because, it is of God, and we rejoice in God, for he is the giver of every good thing. Every 364 | DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Latter-day Saint, who has experienced the love of God in his heart, after having received the remission of his sins, through baptism, and the laying on of hands, realizes that he is filled with joy, and happiness, and consolation. He may be in pain, in error, in poverty, or in prison, if neces- sity demands, still, he is joyful. This is our experience, and each and every Latter-day Saint can bear witness to it. 18 :213. | Truly happy is that man or woman, or that people, who enjoys the privileges of the Gospel of the Son of God, and who know how to appreciate his blessings. 1 :309. Men and women, for slight causes, make shipwreck of faith, lose the spirit of the Gospel, losing the object for which they left their homes and their friends. We are all searching for happiness; we hope for it, we think we live for it, it is Our aim in this life. But do we live so as to enjoy the happiness we so much desire? There is only one way for Latter-day Saints to be happy, which is simply to live their religion, or in other words believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ in every part, obeying the gospel of lib- erty with full purpose of heart, which sets us free indeed. If we will, as a community, obey the law of God, and com- ply with the ordinances of salvation, then we may expect to find the happiness we so much desire, but if we do not’ pursue this course we cannot enjoy the unalloyed happiness which is to be found in the Gospel. To profess to be a Saint, and not enjoy the spirit of it, tries every fibre of the heart, and is one of the most painful experiences that man can suffer. 12:168. Social Amusements—There is no true enjoyment in life —nothing that can be a blessing to an individual or to a - HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENT 365 community, but what is ordained of God to bless his people. 6 :143. We want to see every countenance full of cheerfulness, and every eye bright with the hope of future happiness. 12 :314. We are made to enjoy all that God enjoys, to inherit all he inherits, to possess all the power that he possesses, all the excellency with which he is endowed—all things are to be brought into subjection to him by his faithful children, that they may enjoy all things with him; these considera- tions bring peace to the heart that is opened to under- standing. 10:171. A gathering and social spirit seems to be the order of heaven—of the spirit that is in the Gospel we have em- braced. Though it may be esteemed as a fault—as an un- warrantable act to separate ourselves from those who de not believe as we believe, yet such is the nature of a por- tion of our religion pertaining to the performance of out- ward duties. If the Latter-day Saints can associate to- gether, free from the contaminating influences that are in the world, it is a blessing and a great privilege. What would induce a child to grow up in the wickedness of the wicked world, if it never saw or heard any of it? 7:267. Is there anything immoral in recreation? If I see my sons and daughters enjoying themselves, chatting, visiting, riding, going to a party or a dance, is there anything im- moral in that? I watch very closely, and if I hear a word, see a look, or a sneer at divine things or anything deroga- tory to a good moral character, I feel it in a moment, and I say, “If you follow that it will not lead to good, it is evil; it will not lead to the fountain of life and intelligence; fol- low, only, the path that leads to life everlasting.” 366 - DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG It is the privilege of the Saints to enjoy every good thing, for the earth and its fulness belong to the Lord, and he has promised all to his faithful Saints; but it must be enjoyed without spirit of covetousness and selfishness— without the spirit of lust, and in the spirit of the Gospel; then the sun will shine sweetly upon us; each day will be filled with delight, and all things will be filled with beauty, giving joy, pleasure, and rest to the Saints. 8:82. We are to learn how to enjoy the things of life—how to pass our mortal existence here. There is no enjoyment, no comfort, no pleasure, nothing that the human heart can imagine, with all the spirit of revelation we can get, that tends to beautify, happify, make comfortable and peace- ful, and exalt the feelings of mortals, but what the Lord has in store for his people. He never objected to their tak- ing comfort. He never revealed any doctrine, that 1 have any knowledge of, but what in its nature is calculated to fill with peace and glory, and lift every sentiment and im- pulse of the heart above every low, sad, deathly, false and grovelling feeling. The Lord wishes us to live that we may enjoy the fulness of the glory that pertains to the upper world, and bid farewell to all that gloomy, dark, deathly feeling that is spread over the inhabitants of the earth. 8:128-129. Our organism makes us capable of exquisite enjoy- ment. Do I not love my wife, my son, my daughter, my brother, my sister, my father, and my mother? And do 1 not love to associate with my friends? I do, and love to reflect and talk on eternal principles. 7 :138. We say to the Bishops and to everybody, exercise your- selves, provide innocent amusement for the youth, attract the minds of the children, and get the upper hand of them HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENT 367 and be on the lead. I see mothers right among us whose course is very imprudent with their children. You ought always to take the lead of your children in their minds and affections. Instead of being behind with the whip, always be in advance, then you can say, “Come along,” and you will have no use for the rod. They will delight to follow you, and will like your words and ways, because you are always comforting them and giving them pleasure and enjoyment. If they get a little naughty, stop them when . they have gone far enough. We say to the brethren, humor your wives and children as far as you can, but when they transgress, and transcend certain bounds we want them to stop. If you are in the lead they will stop, they cannot run over you; but if you are behind they will run away from you. Husbands, always be in advance of your wives, and then if they undertake to do something that is very | displeasing to you they will run right against you, and then stop and sit down because they can’t go any further. Do ~ you know how to do this? “No,” says one, “I don’t know that I do.” Well, then, learn by searching after truth, according to the revelations given in this book. Search after truth in all good books, and learn the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God, and put them together and you will be able to benefit yourselves. 12:313. Our work, our every-day labor, our whole lives are within the scope of our religion. This is what we believe and what we try to practice. Yet the Lord permits a great many things that he never commands. I have frequently heard my old brethren in the Christian world make remarks about the impropriety of indulging in pastimes and amuse- ments. The Lord. never commanded me to dance, yet I have danced: you all know it, for my life is before the world. 368 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG Yet while the Lord has never commanded me to do it, he has permitted it. I do not know that he ever commanded the boys to go and play at ball, yet he permits it. I am not aware that he ever commanded us to build a theater, but he has permitted it, and I can give the reason why. Recrea- tion and diversion are as necessary to our well-being as the more serious pursuits of life. There is not a man in the world but what, if kept at any one branch of business or study, will become like a machine. Our pursuits should be so diversified as to develop every trait of character and diversity of talent. If you would develop every power and faculty possessed by your children, they must have the privilege of engaging in and enjoying a diversity of amuse- ments and studies; to attain great excellence, however, they cannot all be kept to any one individual branch of study. -T recollect once while in England, in the district of coun- try called the “Potteries,” seeing a man pass along the street, his head, perhaps, within sixteen or. eighteen inches of the ground. I inquired what occupation he had followed for a living, and learned that he had never done anything in his life but turned a tea cup, and he was then seventy- four years of age. How do-we know but what, if he had had the privilege, he would have made a statesman or a fine physician, an excellent mechanic or a good judge? We cannot tell. This shows the necessity of the mind being kept active and having the opportunity of indulging in ev- ery exercise it can enjoy in order to attain to a full se FC: ment of its powers. 13:61. Little boys play with their wagons, tops, marbles, etc.; little girls with their dolls, cradles, and skipping ropes. They are in the height of their enjoyment, while there sits the mother whose mind comprehends all the children can HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENT 369 enjoy, and then she can see enjoyment far beyond what they are then capable of enjoying. Perhaps her vision is open to see forward into the eternity before her, and that she will be able to preserve her identity in her future exist- ence. Do you not see how easy it is for her to circum- scribe all those little children can enjoy? Her feeling is, “T am delighted: it is a great satisfaction to see my chil- dren enjoy themselves.” But how would she like to en- gage in their plays? “It is my joy to see them enjoy them- selves.” Do you like to get together in your parties? How are you looked upon by beings in the eternal worlds? Pre- cisely as a mother looks upon her children when they are enjoying themselves and passing their time so kindly with each other. Says the mother, “I do delight in seeing my children enjoy themselves.” I also delight in enjoying myself with the brethren and sisters, and giving to my natural organization the food that the natural body re- quires. "The body requires food, and the immortal spirit requires food; the whole organization requires something to feast upon, and we get up amusements to satisfy it. § :358-9. I repeat that it is not your lawful privilege to yield to anything in the shape of amusement, until you have per- formed every duty, and obtained the power of God to enable you to withstand and resist all foul spirits that might attack you, and lead you astray; until you have command over them, and by your faith, obtained, through prayer and supplication, the blessings of the Holy Spirit, and it rests upon, and abides continually with you. 1:113. In all your social communications, or whatever your associations are, let all the dark, discontented, murmuring, unhappy, miserable feelings—all the evil fruit of the mind, 13 370 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG fall from the tree in silence and unnoticed; and so let it perish, without taking it up to present to your neighbors. But when you have joy and happiness, light and intelli- gence, truth and virtue, offer that fruit abundantly to your neighbors, and it will do them good, and so strengthen the hands of your fellow-beings, even though you may be looked upon as an outcast, vile people, not worthy of the society of what are commonly deemed the intelligent por- tion of the world. 7:269. I have frequently told the people at our places of recre- ation, if they cannot go there with the Spirit of the Lord, © they had better stay at home. 11:283. On every such occasion, it is right, reasonable, and nec- essary, that every heart be directed to the Lord. When we have had sufficient recreation for our good, let that suffice. It is all right; then let our minds labor instead of our bodies; and in all our exercises of body and mind, it is good to remember the Lord. 1:30. | I am most perfectly satisfied to associate with those whose hearts are filled with peace, with praise and adora- tion to our God, and whose lives are full of good works. Their voices to me are like sweet music. I have not the least desire to mingle with or look upon the faces of those who hate God and his cause. 8:57. We are now enjoying our pastimes. We often meet together and worship the-Lord by singing, praying, and preaching, fasting, and communing with each other in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Now we are met in the capacity of a social community—for what? That our minds may rest, and our bodies receive that recreation which is proper and necessary to keep up an equilibrium, to pro- mote healthy action to the whole system. » HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENT 371 Let our minds sing for joy, and let life diffuse itself into every avenue of the body; for the object of our meeting is for its exercise, for its good. This party was gotten up by the members of the Legis- lature, to rest their minds, to convene in a social capacity, and enjoy the society of each other, with their families, and to give renewed activity and energy, which will invigorate and strengthen them in the discharge of the arduous duties devolving upon them. 1:29, Our present situation, and the enjoyments of this eve- ning, will become subjects of pleasant and agreeable re- flection, when we shall be separated from this community, and go to the right and to the left; then these moments of festive joy will be remembered with pleasing emotions, and cherished in fond memory in after years. 1:30. Is there any harm in Sunday school parties? No! It is one of the most harmless kinds of enjoyment when con- ducted aright. If they wish to dance, let them dance; let them talk and play; but not do any wrong. They must not get angry with each other; and if any do wrong instruct them to do right. If our children are thus taught, they will be patterns of piety and their conduct will be worthy of imitation. 12 :239, 3 One of the most useful amusements we could have ~ would be for the Seventies and High Priests to meet here, instead of in their small halls, and lecture. Which is the most delightful, to satisfy the wants of the natural body, or those of the intelligent part within us? Which is the most precious? Both. 8:358. My first remarks will be concerning such exercises as we have seen here this morning. The Latter-day Saints have many pastimes, and they enjoy themselves in social o 372 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG society with one another. Yet I think, in my reflections, that we should have an increase— and we are having partially an increase of recreation for our youth. We have very few holidays. When the 4th of July comes, we have our amusements and exercises. When the 24th of July comes, we hail it as the anniversary of a day of deliverance. On reflection, I have come to the conclusion that it would be better if we would pay more attention to these. public exercises, and direct the minds of our children by observ- ing them, taking a course to have them avoid getting into the habit of drinking and every kind of rowdyism, and other things that are unbecoming; and in all of our amuse- ments have objects of improvement that are worthy of pursuit. We should have more of the children attend Sun- day school, and the teachers should continually place ob- jects before them that will lead them to study to improve in their manners, in their words, in their looks and in their behavior; and that will guide their minds aright. You will find we can place before them objects that will do them much good in their thoughts and reflections, that will im- prove their young and tender minds, and have an influence upon their future, lives for good; and we can thus bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord by tak- ing a course to lead their minds. 12 :238-9, I am satisfied that those persons who stamp, clap hands, whistle, and make other noisy and boisterous demonstra- tions in the theaters, so untimed and uncalled for, have but little sense, and know not the difference between a happy smile of satisfaction to cheer the countenance of a friend, or a contemptuous sneer that brings the curses of man upon man. 9:290. Never give way to vain laughter. I have seldom HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENT 373 laughed aloud for twenty or thirty years without regretting it, and I always blush for those who laugh aloud without meaning. 9:290. Dancing—Those that have kept their covenants and served their God, if they wish to exercise themselves in any way, to rest their minds and tire their bodies, go and enjoy yourselves in the dance, and let God be in all your thoughts in this as in all other things, and he will bless you. 6:149. There are many of our aged brethren and sisters, who, through the traditions of their fathers and the requirements of a false religion, were never inside a ball-room or a theater until they became Latter-day Saints, and now they seem more anxious for this kind of amusement than are our chil- dren. This arises from the fact they have been starved for many years for that amusement which is designed to buoy up their spirits and make their bodies vigorous and strong, and tens of thousands have sunk into untimely graves for want of such exercises to the body and the mind. They require mutual nourishment to make them sound and healthy. Every faculty and power of both body and mind is a gift from God. Never say that means used to create and continue healthy action of body and mind are from hell. 9:244, I want it distinctly understood, that fiddling and danc- ing are no part of our worship. "The question may be asked, What are they for, then? I answer, that my body may keep pace with my mind. My mind labors like a man logging, all the time; and this is the reason why I am fond of these pastimes—they give me a privilege to throw every- thing off, and shake myself, that my body may exercise, and my mind rest. What for? To get strength, and be renewed and quickened, and enlivened, and animated, so 374 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG that my mind may not wear out. Experience tells us that the most of the inhabitants of the earth wear out their bod- ies without wearing their minds at all, through the suffer- ings they endure from hard labor, with distress, poverty, and want. While on the other hand, a great portion of mankind wear out their bodies without laboring, only in anxiety. But when men are brought to labor entirely in the field of intelligence, there are few minds to be found possessing strength enough to bear all things; the mind becomes overcharged, and when this is the case, it begins to wear upon the body, which will sink for want of the proper exercises. This is the reason why I believe in and practice what I do. 1:30. 7 There is no music in hell, for all. good music belongs to heaven. Sweet harmonious sounds give exquisite joy to human beings capable of appreciating music. I delight in hearing harmonious tones made by the human voice, by musical instruments, and by both combined. Every sweet musical sound that can be made belongs to the Saints and is for the Saints. Every flower, shrub and tree to beautify, and to gratify the taste and smell, and every sensation that -gives to man joy and felicity are for the Saints who receive them from the Most High. 9:244. It you happen to be in a party where I am and wearing dresses made with your own hands, I shall take pleasure in dancing with you in preference to the lady dressed in silks and satins. 9:190. I am opposed to making a cotillion hall a place of wor- ship. 9:194. ; I am opposed to having cotillions or theatrical perform- ances in this Tabernacle. I am opposed to making this a fun hall, I do not mean for wickedness, I mean for the Beeticiscnmneort pant eiati pitta et scaccnasieass THE Otp TABERNACLE, SALT LAKE City Bee / aN THE PRESENT TABERNACLE, SALT LAKE CITY & HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENT 375 recuperation of our spirits and bodies. I am not willing that they should convert the house that has been set apart for religious meetings into a dancing hall. 9:195. Those who cannot serve God with a pure heart in the dance should not dance. 6:148. If you want to dance, run a foot race, pitch quoits, or play at ball, ‘do it, and exercise your bodies, and let your minds rest. 6:149. If you wish to dance, dance; and you are just as much prepared for a prayer meeting after dancing as ever you were, if you are Saints. If you desire to ask God for any- thing, you are as well prepared to-do so in the dance as in any other place, if you are Saints. Are your eyes open to know that everything in the earth, in hell, or in heaven, is ordained for the use of intelligent beings? 6:148. The Theater—Is there evil in the theater; in the ball room; in the place of worship; in the dwelling; in the world? Yes, when men are inclined to do evil in any of these places. There is evil in persons meeting simply for a chit chat, if they will allow themselves to commit evil while thus engaged. 9 :243. I built that theater to attract the young of our com- munity and to provide amusement for the boys and girls, rather than have them running all over creation for recre- ation. Long before that was built I said to the Bishops, “Get up your parties and pleasure grounds to amuse the Heoniee =. lees i2-313-. i Upon the stage of a theater can be represented in char- acter, evil and its consequences, good and its happy results and rewards; the weakness and the follies of man, the mag- nanimity of virtue and the greatness of truth. The stage can be made to aid the pulpit in impressing upon the minds £ 376 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG of acommunity an enlightened sense of a virtuous life, also a proper horror of the enormity of sin and a just dread of its consequences. ‘The path of sin with its thorns and pitfalls, its gins and snares can be revealed, and how to shun it. 9:243. | Tragedy is favored by the outside world; I am not in favor of it. I do not wish murder and all its horrors and the villany leading to it portrayed before our women and children; I do not want the child to carry home with it the fear of the fagot, the sword, the pistol, or the dagger, and suffer in the night from frightful dreams. I want such plays performed as will make the spectators feel well; and I wish those who perform to select a class of plays that will improve the public mind, and exalt the literary taste of the community. 9:245. Excursions—lIf the people should conclude to take short excursions with their families, except the smallest children, it would be much to their comfort, and would cheer them Line oath. ‘I would be very pleased to learn that your Bishop, Brother Miller, was preparing a place for parties; with a little pond to float boats on, and other means of enjoyment, where the people could assemble to have their exercises. Get the young minds to follow after you in these things, and they will follow after you in every precept that is good: -And I would like to hear of other Bishops taking steps to prepare suitable places for the same purpose. 12:239. CHAPTE RSX XI EDUCATION Knowledge and Intelligence—Education is a good thing, and blessed is the man who has it, and can use it for the dissemination of the Gospel without being puffed up with pride. 11:214.. When we speak upon education, it is not to be under- stood that it alone consists in a man’s learning the letters of the alphabet, in being trained in every branch of schol- astic lore, in becoming a proficient in the knowledge of the sciences, and a classical scholar, but also in learning to classify himself and others. 1:66. Find a true philosopher and you find one who has the true principles of Christianity. He delights in them; and sees and understands the hand of Providence guiding and directing in all the affairs of this life. 14:82. A firm, unchangeable course of righteousness through life is what secures to a person true intelligence. 8:32. Intelligent beings are organized to become Gods, even the Sons of God, to dwell in the presence of the Gods, and become associated with the highest intelligencies that dwell in eternity. We are now in the school, and must practice upon what we receive. 8:160. When we have faith to understand that he must dictate, and that we must be perfectly submissive to him, then we shall begin to rapidly collect the intelligence that is be- stowed upon the nations, for all this intelligence belongs to Zion. All the knowledge, wisdom, power, and glory that have been bestowed upon the nations of the earth, from the 378 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG days of Adam till now, must be gathered home to Zion. 8 :278. 3 This people have embraced the philosophy of eternal lives, and in view of this we should cease to be children and become philosophers, understanding our own existence, its purpose and intimate design, then our days will not be- come a blank through ignorance, but every day will bring with it its useful and profitable employment. God has placed us here, given us the ability we possess, and sup- plied the means upon which we can operate to produce so- cial, national, and eternal happiness. 9:190. | When a man is capable of correcting you, and of giving you light, and true doctrine, do not get up an altercation, but submit to be taught like little children, and strive with all your might to understand. 1:47. | Learning a, b, c, d, does not hinder me learning e, f, g. 16 :27. A Religion of Improvement—Ours is a religion of im- provement; it is not contracted and confined; but is cal- culated to expand the minds of the children of men and lead them up into the state of intelligence that will be an honor to our being. 10:290. Every art and science known and studied by the chil- dren of men is comprised within the Gospel.“ Where did the knowledge come from which has enabled man to ac- complish such great achievements in science and mechan- ism within the last few years? We know that knowledge is from God, but why do they not acknowledge him? Be- cause they are blind to their own interests, they do not see and understand things .as they are. Who taught men to chain the lightning? Did man unaided of himself discover that? No, he received the knowledge from the Supreme EDUCATION 379 Being. From him, too, has every art and science proceeded, although the credit is given to this individual, and that individual. But where did they get the knowledge from, have they it in and of themselves? No, they must ac- knowledge that, if they cannot make one spear of grass grow, nor one hair white or black without artificial aid, they are dependent upon the Supreme Being just the same as the poor and the ignorant. Where have we received the knowl- © edge to construct the labor-saving machinery for which the present age is remarkable? From Heaven. Where have we received our knowledge of astronomy, or the power to make glasses to penetrate the immensity of space? We received it from the same Being that Moses, and those who were before him, received their knowledge from; the same Being who told Noah that the world should be drowned and its people destroyed. [From him has every astronomer, artist and mechanician that ever lived on the earth obtained his knowledge. By him, too, has the power to receive from one another, been bestowed, and to search into the deep things pertaining to this earth and every principle con- nected with it. 12:257. It is highly gratifying to the Lord, to angels, and to all good men, to see intelligent beings organized to receive a great amount of intelligence—seeking to possess eternal life. 8:136. The Lord has chosen the poor of this world,—trich in faith—and the time will come when he will give the earth to his poor for an everlasting inheritance. I speak this for the comfort of my brethren and sisters who have been poor. They have come here, and what do we see? The youth, the middle-aged and the old improving in letters, in mechanism and in the arts and sciences. We bring them 380 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG here to improve them, and if the Lord will bless us suf- ficiently, and the people will bless themselves, we will have a nation that understands all things pertaining to the earth that it is possible for man to grasp. Will this people be praiseworthy? Yes, and honored and honorable. Will they be looked to as examples? Yes; and it is the duty of the Latter-day Saints to live their religion so that all the world can say there is a pattern for us, not only in our business and worship, but in our knowledge of things that are, things that have been and of things that are yet to. come, until the knowledge of Zion shall reach the utter- most parts of the earth, and the kings and great men shall say, “Let us go up to Zion and learn wisdom.” 12:257. The greatest difficulty we have to meet is what may be termed ignorance, or want of understanding in the people. 7:05: Not only does the religion of Jesus Christ make the peo- ple acquainted with the things of God, and develop within them moral excellence and purity, but it holds out every encouragement and inducement possible, for them to in- crease in knowledge and intelligence, in every branch of mechanism, or in the arts and sciences, for all wisdom, and all the arts and sciences in the world are from God, and are designed for the good of his people. 13:147. Knowledge to be Sought—The religion embraced by the Latter-day Saints, if only slightly understood, prompts them to search diligently after knowledge. ‘There is no other people in existence more eager to see, hear, learn, and understand truth. 8:6. Let there be a mutual desire in every man to dissemin- ate knowledge, that all may know. I have always followed EDUCATION 381 out the rule of dispensing what I know to others, and been blessed in so doing. 9:370. Put forth your ability to learn as fast as you can, and gather all the strength of mind and principle of faith you possibly can, and then distribute your knowledge to the people. 8:146. We, who believe in and have obeyed this Gospel, look forward with the anticipation of obtaining a great amount of knowledge and wisdom. When we embraced the Gos- pel, the spirit opened up to our minds the fact that the wisdom, the knowledge and the power of God would in- crease in the midst of the Saints. This is our experience, | knowing for myself, what the Spirit of the Lord brings to © the understanding, testify what it reveals to others. 18 :236. Let us train our minds until we delight in that which is good, lovely and holy, seeking continually after that intelli- gence which will enable us effectually to build up Zion, which consists in building houses, tabernacles, temples, streets, and every convenience and necessity to embellish and beautify, seeking to do the will of the Lord all the days of our lives, improving our minds in all scientific and mechanical knowledge, seeking diligently to understand the great design and plan of all created things, that we may know what to do with our lives and how to improve upon the facilities placed within our reach. 10:177. If we wish to be taught, to receive, and understand, we must train ourselves. 6:99. We are in a great school, and we should be diligent to learn, and continue to store up the knowledge of heaven and of earth, and read good books, although I cannot say that I would recommend the reading of all books, for it is not all books which are good. Read good books, and ex- i 382 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG tract from them wisdom and understanding as much as you possibly can, aided by the Spirit of God. 12:124. Every man and woman that has talent and hides it will be called a slothful servant. Improve day by day upon the capital you have. In proportion as we are capacitated to receive, so it is our duty to do. 7:7. It is our duty and calling, as ministers of the same sal- vation and Gospel, to gather every item of truth and reject every error. Whether a truth be found with professed in- fidels, or with the Universalists, or the Church of Rome, or the Methodists, the Church of England, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Quakers, the Shakers, or any other of the various and numerous different sects and parties, all of whom have more or less truth, it is the business of the Elders of this Church (Jesus, their Elder Brother, being at their head) to gather up all the truths in the world pertain- ing to life and salvation, to the Gospel we preach, to mechanism of every kind, to the sciences, and to philos- ophy, wherever it may be found in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and bring it to Zion. 7 :283. Continuous Education—This is our labor, our business, and our calling—to grow in grace and in knowledge from day to day and from year to year. 6:268. I shall not cease learning while I live, nor when I arrive in the spirit-world; but shall there learn with greater facil- ity; and when [ again receive my body, I shall learn a thousand times more in a thousand times less time; and then I do not mean to cease learning, but shall still con- tinue my researches. 8:10. We shall never see the time when we shall not need to be taught, nor when there will not be an object to be gained. I never expect to see the time that there will not EDUCATION 383 be a superior power and a superior knowledge, and, conse- quently, incitements to further progress and further im- provement. 10:221. If I do not learn what is in the world, from first to last, somebody will be wiser than I am. I intend to know the whole of it, both good and bad. Shall I practice evil? No; neither have I told you to practice it, but to learn by the light of truth every principle there is in existence in the world. 2:94. We need constant instruction, and our great heavenly Teacher requires of us to be diligent pupils in his school, that we may in time reach his glorified presence. If we will not lay to heart the rules of education which our Teacher gives us to study, and continue to advance from one branch of learning to another, we never can be schol- ars of the first class and become endowed with the science, power, excellency, brightness and glory of the heavenly hosts; and unless we are educated as they are, we cannot associate with them. 10:266. And inasmuch as the Lord Almighty has designed us to know all that is in the earth, both the good and the evil, and to. learn not only what is in heaven, but what is in hell, you need not expect ever to get through learning. Though I mean to learn all that is in heaven, earth, and hell. Do I need to commit iniquity to do it? No. If I were to go into the bowels of hell to find out what is there, that does not make it necessary that I should commit one evil, or blaspheme in any way the name of my Maker. 2:94. The extent of knowledge incorporated within the sal- vation extended to the children of men, will vastly exceed the researches of the human family, and when they have SR Me DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG passed the veil, they will then understand that they have but just commenced to learn. Brother Morley says he never expects to be too old to learn; I believe that doctrine. Could we live to the age of Methuselah, and eat the fruits which the earth would produce in her strength, as did Adam and Eve before the transgression, and spend our lives in searching after the principles of eternal life, we would find, when one eternity had passed to us, that we had been but children thus far, babies just commencing to learn the things which pertain to the eternities of the Gods. We might ask, when shall we cease to learn? I will give you my opinion about it: never, never. 3:202. If we continue to learn all that we can, pertaining to the salvation which is purchased and presented to us through the Son of God, is there a time when a person will cease to learn? Yes, when he has sinned against God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost—God’s minister; when he has denied the Lord, defied him and committed the sin that in the Bible is termed the unpardon- able sin—the sin against the Holy Ghost. That is the time when a person will cease to learn, and from that time forth, will descend in ignorance, forgetting that which they — formerly knew. They will cease to increase, but must decrease. These are the only characters who will ever cease to learn, both in time and eternity. 3:203. I ask, have the great and learned men completed their education? No, they are ever learning, and never able AG come to the knowledge of the truth. 1:70. I will not say, as do many, that the more I learn the more I am satisfied that I know nothing; for the more I learn the more I discern an eternity of knowledge to im- prove upon. EDUCATION 385 One scholar in a school may far outstrip the rest; but give them sufficient time, and they can learn what the quick, bright scholar has learned so easily and quickly. If we are capacitated to learn one thing today, we can learn another tomorrow. It is the height of folly to say that a man can only learn so much and no more. ‘The further lit- erary men advance in their studies, the more they discern there is to learn, and the more anxious they are to learn. We may live here year after year, and store up knowl- edge all the time, and yet not have an opportunity of ex- hibiting it to others; it is on hand ; whenever the time comes it should be used. 6:274. Experience has taught us that it requires time to acquire certain branches of mechanism, also all principles and ideas that we wish to become masters of. The closer peo- ple apply their minds to any correct purpose the faster they can grow and increase in the knowledge of the truth. When they learn to master their feelings, they can soon learn to master their reflections and thoughts in the degree requisite for attaining the objects they are seeking. But while they yield to a feeling or spirit that distracts their minds from a subject they wish to study and learn, so long they will never gain the mastery of their minds. 6:94. No matter what your circumstances ate, whether you are in prosperity or in adversity, you can learn from every person, transaction, and circumstance around you. 4:287. Effects of Education—The results of the education and traditions of the inhabitants of the earth, are interwoven with their feelings, and are like a cloak that envelops them, in the capacity of societies, neighborhoods, people, or in- dividuals; they frame that kind of government and relig- 386 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG ion, and pursue that course collectively or individually, that seemeth good to themselves. 3:88. 'Every principle of true philosophy convinces a person who understands the spirit of the Gospel and has received the good word of life, that the darkness is in proportion to the light that has been forsaken. Rear a child in a cell which only admits a small glimmer of light, and the child will pass its time with some degree of satisfaction, when a person accustomed to the bright light of day could not at first see anything. And the greater the light bestowed upon an individual or upon a people, the greater the dark- | ness when that light is forsaken. 8:121. Will education feed and clothe you, keep you warm on a cold day, or enable you to build a house? Not at all. Should we cry down education on this account? No. What is it for? The improvement of the mind; to instruct us in all arts and sciences, in the history of the world, in the laws of nations; to enable us to understand the laws and prin- ciples of life, and how to be useful while we live. 14:83. What is the religion of the day? What are all the civil laws and governments of the day? They are merely tra- ditions, without a single exception. Do the people realize this—that it is the force of their education that makes right and wrong with them? It'is not the line which the Lord has drawn out; it is not the law which the Lord has given them; it is not the righteousness which is according to the character of him who has created all things, and by his own law governs and controls all things; but by the prejudice of education—the prepossessed feeling that is begotten in the hearts of the children of men, by surround- ing objects. 3:86. If I should hear a man advocate the erroneous prin- EDUCATION 387 ciples he had imbibed through education, and oppose those ‘principles, some might imagine that I was opposed to that man, when, in fact, I am only opposed to every evil and erroneous principle he advances. 6:331. There is not a law of God, nor a law of any nation that exercises so strong an influence upon us as do our tradi- tions at times, to, bind us to certain customs, habits and ceremonies. 8:58. Educate our Children—Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, obey his doctrine, cease your warring and contention, beat your swords into ploughshares and your spears into prun- ing hooks; make railroads, build colleges, teach the chil- dren, give them the learning of the world and the things of God; elevate their minds, that they may not only under- stand the earth we walk upon, but the air we breathe, the water we drink, and all the elements pertaining to the earth; and then search other worlds, and become acquainted with _ the planetary system, the dwellings of the angels and the heavenly beings, that they may ultimately be prepared for a higher state of being, and finally be associated with them. I wish we would do it; I pray the Lord to do it, but he will not, unless we help him. 14:210. The education of our children is worthy of our atten- tion, and the instruction of the Elders from this stand, It is a subject that should be thoroughly impressed upon the minds of parents and the rising generation; and those who wish to preach from this text may do so. 13:262. It is a duty we owe ta our children to educate and train them in every principle of honor and good manners, in a knowledge of God and his ways, and in popular school education. I am happy to hear the little children sing, and 388 DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG hope they are also learning to read and write, and are pro- gressing in every useful branch of learning. 11:111. See that your children are properly educated in the rudi- ments of their mother tongue, and then let them proceed to higher branches of learning; let them become more in- formed in every department of true and useful learning than their fathers are. When they have become well ac- quainted with their language, let them study other lan- guages, and make themselves fully acquainted with the manners, customs, laws, governments and literature of other nations, peoples, and tongues. Let them also learn all the truth pertaining to the arts and sciences, and how to apply the same to their temporal wants. Let them study things that are upon the earth, that are in the earth, and that are in the heavens. 8:9. . I wish this people to pay particular attention to the education of their children. If we can do no more, we should give them the facilities of a common education, that when our sons are sent into the world as ministers of sal- vation and as representatives of the Kingdom of God in the mountains, they can mingle with the best society and in- telligibly and sensibly present the principles of truth to mankind, for all truth is the offspring of heaven, and ‘is incorporated in the religion which we have embraced. Every accomplishment, every polished grace, every use- ful attainment in mathematics, music, and in all science and art belongs to the Saints, and they should avail themselves as expeditiously as possible of the wealth of knowledge the sciences offer to every diligent and persevering scholar. 10 :224. The education of youth is an important text for the brethren to preach from.