I do not know that I can speak so that you can hear me, as you
perceive something affects my throat; I wish, however, to say a few
words to you this morning; I would like to say considerable—a good
many words, but perhaps a few will answer.
There are a goodly number in the congregation, who have been
acquainted with this Church and kingdom from its rise, and that knew
Joseph in his first career in the Gospel. There are many here that
have been in the Church for fifteen, sixteen, and some more than
twenty years. I have been in the Church, wanting a few days of
twenty-one years, and there are a considerable number that I know have
been in it longer than I have. They knew Joseph—they knew him from
week to week, and from year to year, they knew what he did, they knew
how he spake, they knew the spirit he possessed, they were acquainted
with it, it is the same spirit they possess to the present day—the
spirit of "Mormonism," the spirit of the Gospel. I will ask those
brethren, and those sisters, if they believe Joseph Smith was a
Prophet of God? If they believe that he magnified his calling? I will
ask them if Joseph lived and died a Prophet of God, and what would
they answer? All men and women know, by the power of the Holy Ghost,
by the spirit they know it, by the light that is in them, for light
cleaveth to light, and truth embraces truth. These pure attributes, as
I told you here a few Sabbaths ago, stand upon their own basis—the
fabric sustains itself, but falsehood, and that which is built upon
it, will, sooner or later, fall.
How many witnesses could we bring, men that are upon the islands of
the sea, in foreign lands, and people scattered through the
United States, hundreds and thousands in their poverty, who are not
able to gather with the Saints; I ask, what would they witness if they
were here today? They would tell you; and they would sound it so that
all the world might hear, if they could, that Joseph Smith was a man
called of God to build up His kingdom in the last days, preparatory to
the coming of the Son of Man.
There are many witnesses here, not only witnesses of Joseph and his
career, but witnesses of the disaffected spirits that have come into
this Church, and gone out again. Are there witnesses of men trying to
rise up and usurp Joseph's place in his day? Yes, there are many
witnesses, that many men tried it. Are there witnesses here, of the
rise and fall of men in this kingdom? Yes, plenty of them. I have
witnessed more than has been pleasing to me. It delights me to see men
come into the Church, and magnify the Holy Priesthood, but it is a
grievous matter to see men turn away from the holy commandments
delivered unto them, gather to themselves false spirits, follow after
a phantom, and be duped by the devil—be ensnared by the power of the
enemy, and give way to it until they fall. It is a source of regret,
but we witness it, we could name many of this class.
Let me ask this congregation, that portion of it that was in Jackson
County; and again that portion that was in Kirtland in the days of
Joseph, and in leaving Kirtland; then those that were in Caldwell and
Davis counties, Missouri; then ask these who were in Nauvoo in his
day, and after he was slain; these portions of my congregation which I
have mentioned I will ask, what has produced your persecutions and
sorrow? What has been the starting point of all your afflictions? They
began with apostates in your midst; these disaffected spirits caused
others to come in, worse than they, who would run out and bring in
all the devils they possibly could. That has been the starting point
and grand cause of all our difficulties, every time we were driven.
Are there not witnesses of this, here? Yes, a good portion of this
congregation are witnesses of these things, although many of them
never saw Joseph, and were not personally acquainted with him.
We have been persecuted—we have built houses, made farms, cultivated
the land, broken up the wild prairie, and made it like the Garden of
Eden; we have fenced, built, and gathered substance around us many
times, and as many times have been driven from our possessions, until
we came to this inheritance which we now enjoy in these valleys of the
mountains.
Now think a moment, reflect, and ask yourselves what do we see here? I
am coming nearer home, I am coming to this place; what do we see here?
Do we see disaffected spirits here? We do. Do we see apostates? We do.
Do we see men that are following after false and delusive spirits?
Yes. When a man comes right out, as an independent devil, and says,
"Damn Mormonism, and all the Mormons," and is off with himself, not to
Texas, but to California, (you know it used to be to Texas), I say he
is a gentleman, by the side of a nasty sneaking apostate who is
opposed to nothing but Christianity. I say to the former, Go in peace,
sir, go and prosper if you can. But we have got a set of spirits here
worse than such a character. When I went from meeting, last Sabbath,
my ears were saluted with an apostate crying in the streets here.
I want to know if any one of you who has got the spirit of "Mormonism"
in you, the spirit that Joseph and Hyrum had, or that we have here,
would say, Let us hear both sides of the question, let us listen, and
prove all things? What do you want to prove? Do you want to
prove that an old apostate, who has been cut off from the Church
thirteen times for lying, is anything worthy of notice?
I heard that a certain gentleman, a picture maker in this city, when
the boys would have moved away the wagon in which this apostate was
standing, became violent with them, saying, "Let this man alone, these
are Saints that are persecuting (sneeringly)." We want such men to go
to California, or anywhere they choose. I say to those persons, you
must not court persecution here, lest you get so much of it you will
not know what to do with it. Do not court persecution. We have known
Gladden Bishop for more than twenty years, and know him to be a poor,
dirty curse. Here is sister Vilate Kimball, brother Heber's wife, has
borne more from that man than any other woman on earth could bear; but
she won't bear it again. I say again, you Gladdenites, do not court
persecution, or you will get more than you want, and it will come
quicker than you want it. I say to you Bishops, do not allow them to
preach in your wards. Who broke the roads to these valleys? Did this
little nasty Smith, and his wife? No, they stayed in St. Louis while we
did it, peddling ribbons, and kissing the Gentiles. I know what they
have done here—they have asked exorbitant prices for their nasty
stinking ribbons. [Voices, "that's true."] We broke the roads to this
country. Now, you Gladdenites, keep your tongues still, lest sudden
destruction come upon you.
I will tell you a dream that I had last night. I dreamed that I was in
the midst of a people who were dressed in rags and tatters, they had
turbans upon their heads, and these were also hanging in tatters. The
rags were of many colors, and, when the people moved, they were all in
motion. Their object in this appeared to be, to attract attention.
Said they to me, "We are Mormons, brother Brigham." "No, you are not,"
I replied. "But we have been," said they, and they began to jump, and
caper about, and dance, and their rags of many colors were all in
motion, to attract the attention of the people. I said, "You are no
Saints, you are a disgrace to them." Said they, "We have been
Mormons." By and by, along came some mobocrats, and they greeted them
with, "How do you do, sir, I am happy to see you." They kept on that
way for an hour. I felt ashamed of them, for they were in my eyes a
disgrace to "Mormonism." Then I saw two ruffians, whom I knew to be
mobbers and murderers, and they crept into a bed, where one of my
wives and children were. I said, "You that call yourselves brethren,
tell me, is this the fashion among you?" They said, "O, they are good
men, they are gentlemen." With that, I took my large bowie knife, that
I used to wear as a bosom pin in Nauvoo, and cut one of their throats
from ear to ear, saying, "Go to hell across lots." The other one said,
"You dare not serve me so." I instantly sprang at him, seized him by
the hair of the head, and, bringing him down, cut his throat, and sent
him after his comrade; then told them both, if they would behave
themselves they should yet live, but if they did not, I would unjoint
their necks. At this I awoke.
I say, rather than that apostates should flourish here, I will
unsheath my bowie knife, and conquer or die. [Great commotion in the
congregation, and a simultaneous burst of feeling, assenting to the
declaration.] Now, you nasty apostates, clear out, or judgment will be
put to the line, and righteousness to the plummet. [Voices, generally,
"go it, go it."] If you say it is right, raise your hands. [All hands
up.] Let us call upon the Lord to assist us in this, and every good
work.
After Alfred Smith was called upon to go on a mission, he would
not go, and I knew he would apostatize. Do you suppose that after a
man has refused to fulfil his calling, he can retain the spirit of
truth, and stand? He cannot. They say they believe that Joseph Smith
was a Prophet raised up to establish the work of the last days, and
bring forth the Book of Mormon; and thus they deceive. But if you will
examine them you will not find anything but contradiction to every
principle of truth.
I felt to say this that I have said, though my throat is very sore,
but I think this exercise has done it good. I feel to say to Jew and
to Gentile, Let this people alone in these valleys of the mountains,
or you will find that which you are not looking for. We are on the
Lord's side, and we have the tools to work with. But shall this people
sink? No. The time has come that Israel shall be redeemed, and they
never shall be trampled under foot again. Now is the time; Joseph told
us, before he was killed, the set time to favor Zion had come. I want
you to hear, Bishops, what I am about to tell you. Kick these men out
of your wards. If you want to apostatize, apostatize, and behave
yourselves. You shall not disturb my peace, nor the peace of this
people. If you want to go to California, go, and serve Gladden Bishop
there, if you wish, but disturb not this community, or else you will
find judgment is laid to the line. Do not court persecution, for,
remember, you are not playing with shadows, but it is the voice and
the hand of the Almighty you are trying to play with, and you will
find yourselves mistaken if you think to the contrary.
May the Lord bless you, my brethren; and I pray, all the time, that we
may be preserved in the truth, that when the Lord has anything for us,
we may be ready to receive it, and thus serve Him all the day long. If
we have not been driven far enough to enjoy peace, tell me where next
we can be driven to, to find it; and if apostates follow, let them
follow.