I do not now rise expressly for the purpose of giving additional
instructions, for we have already heard much today; still, I have a
few reflections which I will offer. Can you not remember hearing
public speakers, both here and in other countries, use many words
without clearly and distinctly conveying ideas?
The discourse by brother Vernon, in the forenoon, quite delighted me.
I was extremely well pleased to hear him clothe his ideas with such
beautiful language, and so easily understood. Hence, I exhort my
brethren, the Elders, when they rise to teach, edify, or instruct the
people, not to hamper themselves with efforts to merely select nice
sounding words, but to deal out correct and useful ideas, even if you
do not use one word in ten in a way that the learned would deem
proper. If a speaker presents useful ideas to a congregation of the
best scholars in existence, though not one word of his language is
strictly proper, yet what he says will feed that congregation, far
more than will a perfect volume of nice sounding words which convey
few or no important ideas. I will leave the correctness of this remark
to philosophers of every grade.
Still, when anyone rises to speak, if his mind is stored with
valuable ideas, let him clothe his thoughts with the best language he
can command—that which comes to him easily and naturally. I really
wish to impress this idea upon the minds of the Elders.
If you will reflect upon what class of speakers have most edified you,
no matter whether they are taught or untaught in the learning of the
schools, you will readily discover that it has been those
whose minds were stored with good ideas, and who spoke so that you
could readily and easily understand them, whether their language was
couched in the most approved style or not. When you hear individuals
speak whose minds are stored with rich ideas, do they not benefit you
the most? I care but little about your language, hand out the ideas,
and let us know what you have stored in your minds.
I will now refer to a portion of the discourse delivered here this
afternoon, and say to the Bishops, that it would be highly gratifying
to me, and to all of us, if you would prove yourselves wise stewards.
You have a good opportunity to exhibit your abilities, and 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. But many of our Bishops are sleepy and good for nothing, and
if I were going to cleanse the Church, knowing the character of
individuals, I think I should commence with the Bishops. Theirs is one
of the most laborious and responsible offices in the whole Church; it
is an office which requires men of the best skill, judgment and
talent, to fill, and is one of the greatest importance. Bishops, will
you take hold and try to make men of yourselves? After all I have said
now and heretofore, if you were going to search your Wards, you would
be very apt to come to me to inquire what you should do. I will tell
you, do not let there be one place, in the habitations of the Saints
in your Wards, about which you are uninformed. Brother Woolley has
reported the circumstance of a Bishop finding a woman who had been
living upon the charity of her neighbors, and who, at the same time,
had valuable property, and money hid up. I can refer you to scores of
like circumstances, and what is more, to some of the Elders, those who
are supposed to be among the best of our Elders, who have been
preaching abroad and brought their hundreds into the Church, who come
here with a lie in their hearts and on their tongues, with regard to
their means, and declare, emphatically, that they have no means to
help themselves with, neither money nor goods.
We have brought them here, and they are still owing the Perpetual
Emigrating Fund for their passage, and they have gold, if they have no
silver, and have the richest kind of clothing. This brings to my mind
the circumstance, of a family in Nauvoo, who were in the habit of
traveling from house to house, begging their living, and said, that
they were poor and destitute. When the time came for us to leave that
city, and that family was starting to St. Louis, the woman loosed her
dress and showed one of the sisters her stays, and said, "I have my
money sewed up in these stays, and the Church won't get it." This
woman begged her living, and stayed in Nauvoo almost two years, and
would rather be damned than to part with the sovereigns sewed up in
her stays. Such people will be damned, and the sooner they leave us
the better.
Were I a Bishop, I would know to a reasonable degree of accuracy, the
value of the clothing owned by those in my Ward, who were calling upon
me for assistance, and I would be familiar with every nook and
habitation, and watch carefully that money was not secreted, and the
owners begging from those poorer than themselves. I would know whether
they had money hoarded, or hid away.
A score of years ago the Elders had to be very watchful, and I do not
suppose that, for many years, I slept so soundly but what the
slightest tap would wake me up. If any person should say, "Brigham!" I
am ready at once to ask, "What is wanted?" I am ready to jump, at a
moment's warning. No person could stir about, without our knowing it.
The Bishops should be equally wide awake, and set those whom they have
confidence in, those whom they know to be honest, to be watchmen on
the tower, and let them find out who are suffering. Doubtless, there
are many who are suffering through want of food, but there is no
necessity of any family suffering in this City, and when this City is
supplied, the remainder of the Territory may be considered
independent.
I presume that we have one fourth less provisions in this City, to the
number of the inhabitants, than has any other portion of the
Territory, and yet we need not suffer. Here we need not be ashamed to
beg, when stern necessity has closed around us. I do not expect to see
the day when I am perfectly independent, until I am crowned in the
celestial kingdom of my Father, and made as independent as my Father
in heaven. I have not yet received my inheritance as my own, and I
expect to be dependent until I do, for all that I have is lent to me.
If a man comes to me and says, he is out of food, what of that? He is
out of food, that is all. If a man comes along and says, "My family is
destitute of food and clothing," what of that? Simply that they are
destitute of food and clothing, and still they may be gentlemen and
ladies, for all that, and be honoring their tabernacles and being on
the earth.
The customs of the world have made it degrading to ask for food, but
it is not, when a person cannot honestly procure it in any other way.
The man who is hungry and destitute has as good a right to my food as
any other person, and I should feel as happy in associating with him,
if he had a good heart, as with those who have an abundance, or with
the princes of the earth. They all are esteemed by me, not according
to the wealth and position they hold, but according to the character
they have.
Bishops, will you try to magnify your calling? I will give you a few
words of consolation; at our next Conference we expect to drop a good
many Bishops, and appoint others, and we intend to keep doing so,
until we get men with good hearts and active brains, to fill that
responsible station.
I will now speak upon another subject; one which I have touched upon
many times, but which, to this day, is but little understood. I allude
to the organization of the spirit and the body, the distinction
between the two, and their operations. This subject is not well
understood, and generally not much reflected upon, but is one which
the Saints have got to learn, if they ever learn the real organization
of man. Then they will know and understand the peculiarities of our
present organization, and how liable mankind are to submit to its
weaknesses, and to the influences of the powers that rule over them.
Were you in possession of this knowledge, you would be more
compassionate. As severely as I sometimes talk to you, my soul is full
of compassion. It has ever been my study to understand myself, for by
so doing I can understand my neighbors.
If this people would apply their minds to wisdom, with regard to
themselves, they would be more compassionate than they are now.
From what is at times said here, it might be inferred that everyone
who did not walk to the line was at once going to be destroyed, but
who has been hurt? Who is about to be killed? Who is about to
be taken out of the way? When this people have lived long enough upon
the earth, to have the principles of life and salvation disseminated
among them, and to have their children taught in those principles, so
that they fully know the principles of eternal salvation, then let us
or our children turn away from the commandments of God, as some do
now, and I could tell you what will be done with them.
Brother Wesley has said, the time is not far distant, but it will
never come until the inhabitants of the earth, and especially those
who have been gathered together, have a sufficient time to be educated
in the celestial law, so that each person may understand for himself.
Then if they transgress against the light and knowledge they possess,
some will be stoned to death, and "judgment will be laid to the line,
and righteousness to the plummet." But people will never be taken and
sacrificed for their ignorance, when they have had no opportunity to
know and understand the truth. Such a proceeding would be contrary to
the economy of heaven. But after we receive and understand things as
they are, if we then disobey, we may look for the chastening hand of
the Almighty.
If we could learn ourselves, we should see thousands and thousands of
weaknesses in the people. They turn to the right and to the left, to
this and that which is wrong; yet if we did know and see things as
they are, we should understand that thousands of those acts are
performed in ignorance.
I presume there are people hearing me talk, who would give the riches
of the Indies, if they had them in their possession, to be able to
obtain the mind and will of God concerning themselves. They would give
all they possess on the earth, or expect to possess, were they in
possession of keys by which they could know the path to walk in. What
are we going to do with this class of persons? I will tell you what I
am going to do with them, so far as I am concerned. I am going to give
them my faith, confidence, prayers, and full fellowship. And when they
get through with this probation, if they have done, all the time,
according to the best they knew, God will not hold them responsible
for what they did not know, and they will be received, through the
merits of the Son, into the kingdom of our Father.
I mention this to inform the people, that they may understand what
they should do with regard to the law of God, and the transgression
thereof. The law is very strict; and in this congregation there are
men and women who, with uplifted hands to heaven, before the Father,
the Son, and all the holy angels, made solemn covenants that they
never would do thus and so. For example, one obligation is, "I will
never have anything to do with any of the daughters of Eve, unless
they are given to me of the Lord." Men will call God to witness that
they never will transgress this law, and promise to live a virtuous
life, so far as intercourse with females is concerned; but what can
you see? A year will not pass away before some few of them are guilty
of creeping into widows' houses, and into bed with the wives of their
brethren, debauching one woman here, and another there. Do we enforce
upon them the strict penalty of the law? Not yet. I hope their conduct
arises from their ignorance, but let me transgress my covenant, and
the case would be different. I want to live as long as I can, on the
earth, but I would not like to live to violate my covenants; I would
rather go behind the veil before doing so.
A few of the men and women who go into the house of the Lord, and
receive their endowments, and in the most sacred manner make covenants
before the Almighty, go and violate those covenants. Do I have
compassion on them? Yes, I do have mercy on them, for there is
something in their organization which they do not understand; and
there are but few in this congregation who do understand it.
You say, "That man ought to die for transgressing the law of God." Let
me suppose a case. Suppose you found your brother in bed with your
wife, and put a javelin through both of them, you would be justified,
and they would atone for their sins, and be received into the kingdom
of God. I would at once do so in such a case; and under such
circumstances, I have no wife whom I love so well that I would not put
a javelin through her heart, and I would do it with clean hands. But
you who trifle with your covenants, be careful lest in judging you
will be judged.
Every man and woman has got to have clean hands and a pure heart, to
execute judgment, else they had better let the matter alone.
Again, suppose the parties are not caught in their iniquity, and it
passes along unnoticed, shall I have compassion on them? Yes, I will
have compassion on them, for transgressions of the nature already
named, or for those of any other description. If the Lord so orders it
that they are not caught in the act of their iniquity, it is pretty
good proof that He is willing for them to live; and I say let them
live and suffer in the flesh for their sins, for they will have it to
do.
There is not a man or woman, who violates the covenants made with
their God, that will not be required to pay the debt. The blood of
Christ will never wipe that out, your own blood must atone for it; and
the judgments of the Almighty will come, sooner or later, and every
man and woman will have to atone for breaking their covenants. To what
degree? Will they have to go to hell? They are in hell enough now. I
do not wish them in a greater hell, when their consciences condemn them
all the time. Let compassion reign in our bosoms. Try to comprehend
how weak we are, how we are organized, how the spirit and the flesh
are continually at war.
I told you here, some time ago, that the devil who tempted Eve, got
possession of the earth, and reigns triumphant, has nothing to do with
influencing our spirits, only through the flesh; that is a true
doctrine. Inasmuch as our spirits are inseparably connected with the
flesh, and, inasmuch as the whole tabernacle is filled with the spirit
which God gave, if the body is afflicted, the spirit also suffers, for
there is a warfare between the flesh and the spirit, and if the flesh
overcomes, the spirit is brought into bondage, and if the spirit
overcomes, the body is made free, and then we are free indeed, for we
are made free by the Son of God. Watch yourselves, and think. As I
heard observed, on the evening of the 14th, at the Social Hall,
"think, brethren, think," but do not think so far that you cannot
think back again. I then wanted to tell a little anecdote, but I will
tell it now.
In the eastern country there was a man who used to go crazy, at times,
and then come to his senses again. One of his neighbors asked him what
made him go crazy; he replied, "I get to thinking, and thinking, until
finally I think so far that I am not always able to think back again."
Can you think too much for the spirit which is put in the tabernacle?
You can, and this is a subject which I wish the brethren instructed
upon, and the people to understand. The spirit is the intelligent part
of man, and is intimately connected with the tabernacle. Let
this intelligent part labor to excess, and it will eventually overcome
the tabernacle, the equilibrium will be destroyed, and the whole
organization deranged. Many people have deranged themselves by
thinking too much.
The thinking part is the immortal or invisible portion, and it is that
which performs the mental labor; then the tabernacle, which is formed
and organized for that express purpose; brings about or effects the
result of that mental labor. Let the body work with the mind, and let
them both labor fairly together, and, with but few exceptions, you
will have a strong-minded, athletic individual, powerful both
physically and mentally.
When you find the thinking faculty perfectly active, in a healthy
person, it should put the physical organization into active
operation, and the result of the reflection is carried out, and the
object is accomplished. In such a person you will see mental and
physical health and strength combined, in their perfection. We have
the best opportunity afforded any people to cultivate these properties
of man.
I do not know that I am trammeled by tradition, or that any of us need
to be, hence we are in the best situation to exhibit, through the
organization of the tabernacle, the labor and properties of the
invisible part. When a person is thinking all the time he is little
better than a machine; he perverts the purpose of his organization,
and injures both mind and body. Why? Because the mental labor does
not find vent through the organism of the tabernacle, and has not that
scope—that field of labor which it desires, and which it was wisely
designed that it should have. Think according to your labor, labor
according to your thinking.
Some think too much, and should labor more, others labor too much, and
should think more, and thus maintain an equilibrium between the mental
and physical members of the individual; then you will enjoy health and
vigor, will be active, and ready to discern truly, and judge quickly.
Is it not your privilege to have discernment to circumscribe all
things, no matter what subject comes before you, and to at once know
the truth concerning any matter? When you see a person of this
character, you see one with a healthy and vigorous mind, throughout
the whole operations of organization. True, this is not the privilege
of everyone; some have to do much thinking, and but little manual
labor, while others do much manual labor with little, if any thinking.
The latter class are as dull and stupid as the brutes, and when their
labor is done, they lie down and sleep, like the brutes. They do not
think enough, they should bring their minds into active operation, as
well as their bodies. Men who do much thinking, philosophers for
instance, should apply their bodies to more manual labor, in order to
make their bodies more healthy and their minds more vigorous and
active.
Let me take twenty years to come, in which to build cities, temples,
tabernacles, halls, dwellings, &c., with my mental organization, and
not put forth my hands, or use any manual labor, to perform any of
this work, do you not perceive that my body would not have labored
during all this period, and that my mind would have labored to excess,
even to the overcoming of the tabernacle. Again, let me build house
after house, hall after hall, temple after temple, &c., my mind would
have something to rest upon, and my body being weary with labor, I
could lie down, and both would rest together. When I wish to build a
temple it costs me much thought, and when I see a temple finished on
this block, as I have seen it in the vision of my mind, do
you not perceive that the whole of the labor of the mind, on that
matter, is at rest? This is my philosophy on thinking; and if I were
obliged to think for ten years, and not erect a building, or help
build up a city, or in any way put my thoughts into execution, it
would materially injure my mental faculty, through want of results for
it to rest upon. But let me engage in active operations, even though I
do not personally perform one day's manual labor, let me see the
result of my thinking budding into existence, and my mind has
something to rest upon. If I cannot carry out that which is in my
mind—that which I wish to accomplish in all the improvements, in
building up Zion in the latter days, as soon as I am deprived of the
necessary physical labor I withdraw my mind from that object; I will
not suffer my mind to rest upon it. For instance, we are going to
suspend labor upon the Temple for a year, until we can prepare
ourselves more fully for that work. We have abandoned the idea of
using adobies in the walls of that building, and intend to use
granite. Now, suppose I should begin to think, and think, and still
think about it, are you not aware that it would be a worse than
useless waste of time and mental labor? My body would become wearied
and languid. I do not expect to think about it for one year; goodbye
to it, for the present. I must carry out the labor of my mind, or I
injure it. Can you go to sleep in one minute, after you have said
your prayers and gone to bed? Can you cease reflection, bid goodbye
to thought, and say to the body, compose yourself and let us go to
sleep? How many now in this house can do that? Whether it is natural,
or supernatural, mental or mechanical, it matters not, but I have
trained myself to go to sleep when I get ready, and when I am in good
health, as a general thing, in about one minute I can be fast asleep.
Until you can govern and control the mind and the body, and bring all
into subjection to the law of Christ, you have a work to perform
touching yourselves. I delight to talk upon the subject of our
organization, but I must do so a little at a time, or I might weary
your bodies and distract your thoughts. Short sermons fitly spoken,
are better than long ones ill spoken. May God bless you, Amen.