We meet together, as intelligent beings, desirous of understanding
something of our common origin, our present existence, and our future
destiny. We meet to find out something in relation to our Heavenly
Father, in relation to His providential dealings with the human
family, in relation to His policy and designs pertaining to us, and in
relation to the object of our creation; and to know something, if
possible, pertaining to that world that lies beyond our present scene
of action. These are some things among the many that we are desirous
to know, to comprehend, to find out if possible. We further wish to
pursue a course that shall be acceptable to our God and Father; having
partaken of a portion of His Holy Spirit we are desirous to be taught
more perfectly the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, we are
desirous of cultivating His Holy Spirit, and to draw from the fountain
of light and intelligence; from the spirit of revelation that flows
from God; and the spirit that dwells in us, comfort, consolation, and
intelligence; that we may feel that we are the sons and daughters of
God, that we are walking in the light of His countenance, that we are
doing the things that are pleasing and acceptable in His sight, that
our own consciences are producing satisfactory evidence to our minds
that our conduct and acts are acceptable before the Lord, and that the
Holy Ghost also bears testimony to us that we are His children, doing
His will, walking in the light of His countenance, helping to
establish His kingdom on the earth, and to fulfil the varied duties we
are placed here upon the earth to attend to. These are some of the
ideas and feelings which all good men and women entertain in relation
to the past, the present, and the future. Notwithstanding, we have
many weaknesses, infirmities, follies, and foibles; yet, at the same
time, when we are filled with the spirit which flows from the Lord our
Heavenly Father, these are generally the feelings which we entertain.
We feel a spirit of gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the blessings
that we have received from His hands; and when we look upon things as
they exist around us, in our nation, and in other nations, we
certainly have great cause to cultivate feelings of thankfulness when
we reflect upon the position of the world, and view the darkness,
ignorance, folly, superstition, wickedness, corruption and evil that
is spread abroad, and which prevails over the face of the earth. When
we reflect that light and intelligence have beamed forth from the
heavens, that God in his mercy has made manifest His will to the human
family; that in the plenitude of His mercy and goodness He has
restored the Holy Priesthood, and placed us in communication with
Himself; that he has taught us not only how to pray but how to
approach unto him for the forgiveness of our sins, for the reception
of the Holy Ghost, for instruction and guidance in relation to all
matters pertaining to our fathers, relative to this world and to the
world that is to come, we certainly have great cause of gratitude to
our Heavenly Father for the many mercies and blessings He has
conferred upon us. Wherever we turn our attention we can find cause of
gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the blessings that we enjoy, and
we can truly say, as was said by a certain person of old, "The lines
are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage."
The Lord has revealed unto us the principles of eternal truth, so
"That" (unlike the world) "we henceforth be no more children, tossed
to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive." But our feet are established upon the rock of eternal truth
which has been revealed from the heavens, for the benefit, blessing,
and exaltation of the human family, in time and in eternity. How very
different is our position in relation to this from what it was before
we heard the Gospel. Then we were surrounded with ten thousand
influences, notions, and ideas which might be right, or which might be
wrong; we had no test, no rule, no principle whereby to guide our
lives or our conduct; we could not find any person on the earth that
knew anything about the principles of eternity; we never heard
anything further than opinion before we embraced this doctrine; we had
the opinion of commentators, of divines, philosophers, and
politicians, nothing but opinion without certainty to guide our erring
feet. We were desirous, perhaps as much so as we are today, to do
right, we were perhaps as zealous then as we are now in pursuing the
course that we thought might be satisfactory to our Heavenly Father;
but we knew not what would please Him. The world of mankind today are
just in the position that we were then in, they have no more
certainty, evidence, or knowledge than we had before we embraced the
principles of eternal truth—and, in fact, the truth does not exist in
the world, or, if it does exist, it is unknown to the men of the
world; they are unable to discern between truth and error, light and
darkness, between the things of God and the things of man.
The Lord has revealed to us the principles of eternal life. It is not
a matter of mere thought, of mere opinion; our principles are not
ideal, but they are facts, not notions; they are truths, not opinions;
they are certainties—things that we know and comprehend for ourselves.
Nothing can be more forcible, nothing can be a stronger evidence, if
we want any evidence, than the testimony or evidence which the Lord
has communicated unto us individually.
Paul said when he was speaking to the people, "And my speech and my
preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not
stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Again, "If we
receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is
the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that
believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the
record that God gave of his Son." Every person who embraced the
gospel in that day enjoyed an evident testimony of which the world
were ignorant. They received an inspiring intelligent assurance which
was imparted by the Holy Ghost unto all those who receive the gospel
both in former and in latter times, and hence they that believe have
the witness in themselves.
When the Elders were sent to preach the gospel, they were told to call
upon the people to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the
remission of sins, and they should receive the Holy Ghost. This was
told to the people in ancient days, and no stronger testimony than
this could be given to the heart of man; nothing is greater evidence
that the Lord is with His Elders that go forth bearing the precious
seeds of eternal life than this. An Elder is the minister of God, His
representative on the earth; he acts by His authority, in His name,
and God sanctions his acts, and proves to him and to those who receive
the gospel, that he is the messenger of God. The Lord has told him to
go and preach baptism for the remission of sins, and that when people
repented and were baptized for the remission of sins, and had hands
laid upon them for the reception of the Holy Ghost, that they should
receive the Holy Ghost, and have evidence for themselves, as they
received and knew formerly under the administration of the ancient
apostles. Thus every person so baptized and administered to has
evidence undoubted within himself, and every Elder has a testimony
that God is with him and sanctions his acts; and as an Elder could not
impart the Holy Ghost without the authority and power of God, so the
person receiving the Holy Ghost could not partake of it without the
Lord's administration through the Elder.
You may use the reasoning of men, you may bring into requisition the
strongest oratorial powers, and all this will fail to convince any
man, without the Spirit of God. You may bring the brightest talent to
bear, and collect the strongest evidence it is possible for man to
produce, but in the absence of the Holy Ghost all this will pass away
like an idle dream, or with passing remarks such as, "That man is a
very eloquent man, the principles he advances are evident, plain, and
reasonable, but then it don't concern us at all, we are not interested
in the matter," etc.; but when the Spirit of eternal truth, emanating
from God operates upon our spirits, which are a part of deity, if you
please, when there is a union formed, and an intercourse opened, and
intelligence communicated, then the persons who possess this
intelligence, this knowledge, this comforting influence, this strong
assurance that is imparted, and can be imparted only from spirit to
spirit; when persons receive this, they then have for themselves an
assurance that no earthly argument or philosophical demonstration can
possibly impart. We are a part of deity, that is, our spirits are a
part, as it were, of the Great Jehovah, that have been struck from His
eternal blaze—eternal intelligence and light and life.
When the light that is in heaven communicates with the light within
us; when the Spirit that dwells in the bosom of the Almighty dwells in
ours, and an intercourse is opened between heaven and us, we are then
placed in a position to understand that which it would be impossible
to comprehend upon any natural principle known to us, and hence it is
written, "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of
man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the
Spirit of God." In order that men may indeed become the children of God, He has introduced in the first principles of the gospel
the means of their becoming possessed of His Spirit through baptism
and laying on of hands by those having authority, being sent and
ordained and authorized by Him that they may receive the Holy Ghost.
What can be a stronger evidence to any man than an evidence of this
kind? It is not something that affects the outward ear alone; it is
not something that affects simply his judgment, but it affects his
inner man; it affects the spirit that dwells within him; it is a part
of God imparted unto man, if you please, giving him an assurance that
God lives. This is a thing of very great importance, more so, perhaps,
than many people imagine. A man receives an assurance that God lives,
and not only that God lives, but that he is a son of God, because he
feels that he has partaken of His spirit, the spirit of adoption; and
hence it was said concerning the Saints of old, "For ye have not
received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God."
The Saints of old received a spirit whereby they were enabled to say
Abba, Father, or, my Father. Now, reflecting upon this, what strong
confidence is imparted unto the Saints of God, giving them an
assurance that no person has, and that no person can have, unless they
adopt the same means, in order to partake of the same blessings or to
be administered to in the same way, and receive through the same
medium, that same spirit of intelligence which nothing but the Holy
Ghost can impart. When persons receive this they are enabled to say,
my Father. What were they enabled to say before? Did they know
anything about their Father or about their God? Did they know anything
about their origin, or did they know anything really in relation to
the future?
What can you find among the world like this anywhere, among the most
pious, best, the most honorable, pure, and virtuous, what can you find
among them? Only, simply, "we try to do the best that we can, and we
hope it will be well with us hereafter; we hope our great Heavenly
Father will be merciful to us." They can make no further advances than
that, without the gift and blessing of the Holy Ghost. They hope
certain things, they believe in certain things, they pray for certain
things, they desire certain things, but they have no assurance in
relation to them. Nothing but the Holy Spirit proceeding from the
Father and the Son can impart unto us that intelligence which is
necessary to place the Church and Kingdom of God upon a sure and firm
basis. The Lord has introduced this among us. It is no matter what
language a man may speak, or what country he lives in, no matter what
his former profession or circumstances, here is the Gospel of eternal
life and truth proclaimed by the weakest of God's Elders, which he has
chosen and set apart to preach the words of eternal life in all the
world. Wherever people receive the words of truth that that Elder has
preached unto them and obey them by baptism, and have hands laid on
them for the reception of the Holy Ghost, they all feel alike, no
matter what country they were born in, what their religion, politics,
social ideas, or anything else; whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free,
they are all one in Christ Jesus.
We have people gathered together in this Territory from all parts of
the earth; they have all been baptized into one baptism, and all have
par taken of one spirit, and that one spirit proceeds from the
fountain of light and truth. It would be impossible, under any other
circumstances, to unite people together as our people in the mountains
are united. It would be impossible for all the reasoning powers of man
to bring about any such result; nothing but the power and Spirit of
God could accomplish it.
We all feel alike in regard to the great principles of eternal truth.
Why do we feel alike? Because we have all partaken of one spirit,
which proceeds from our Heavenly Father, it is the Holy Ghost. How
does it affect us? It affects our spirits. And although we do not
understand, sometimes, one another's speech, and are ignorant of the
ideas entertained by one another; and although the habits, customs,
and manners are diverse and various among the different nations from
which we have come, we still are one in sentiment, one in faith and in
confidence, and one in assurance.
I have heard men in the United States thank God with their whole heart
for the spirit imparted to them and for the blessings of the
everlasting Gospel; I have heard them do the same in France and in
Germany, and I have heard them do the same among other nations whose
language I was not acquainted with. The same spirit inspires the
whole—it is the spirit of God, imparted through obedience to his laws,
and through the administration of the Gospel through the Holy
Priesthood, or by means of the Elders he has sent forth, and whose
acts He sanctions by imparting the Holy Ghost on whom they lay their
hands; and hence we are one, having been baptized into one baptism,
and partaken of the same spirit, and hence we have assurance, and are
constituted as no other people are under the heavens. We possess that
evidence and assurance which the world cannot give, neither can the
world take it away; and hence, we go forth with a steady unerring aim
with regard to the future. We know, individually and collectively,
what we are doing, and if there be those among us who do not
comprehend all things, yet we do know that we have partaken of the
Holy Ghost. We feel like the man that was born blind, who was healed
by the Savior. The Pharisees said to the healed man, "Give God the
praise: we know that this man is a sinner." He answered and said:
"Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that,
whereas I was blind, now I see."
All the sons and daughters of God who are living their religion, and
faithfully keeping the commandments of God, can render a reason for
the hope that is within them, and can answer the whys and the
wherefores for the movements of the Church and kingdom of God upon the
earth. They may not know what is going to be the result of this, that
and the other; but they do know that they have received the Holy
Ghost, and that God lives—that they have received a principle, whereby
they are enabled to say, Abba Father—My Father. "And this is life
eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom thou hast sent." Hence we have partaken of a portion of
eternal lives, and have begun to live forever. It was upon this
principle that Jesus spake to the woman of Samaria, when he asked her
for a drink. Now there was a strong enmity existing between the Jews
and the Samaritans, and she thought it singular when Jesus asked her
for a drink of water. "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou
knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me
to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given
thee living water." "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst
again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him
shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in
him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
Did the world know who these Elders are that go forth among them
bearing the precious seed of eternal life; could they comprehend and
realize it, they would ask of them, and they would give them water
which would be in them a well springing up into eternal life; for they
are the representatives of God on the earth, going forth with
authority from Him to impart unto the world the Holy Ghost, and lead
them into the paths of life. We have partaken of this Holy Spirit, and
hence there is confidence manifested in all our movements and actions
as a people.
Who among the true saints of God ever doubts as to the destiny of this
kingdom? Who that has the spirit of revelation—the spirit of
truth—ever dreams that this kingdom will ever be overthrown? They
quake in the north, and in the south; they wonder what the end will
be—whether they will gain that victory or lose that battle; whether we
are going to be divided into two separate nations, be consolidated in
one, or divided into a great many. These are matters that puzzle the
wisest of our statesmen. If we have any wise men in the United States,
and in the nations of Europe or the earth, let them manifest their
wisdom and put the world right.
The Latter-day Saints have no wonder what is going to become of them,
it never enters into our minds that anything will transpire that will
overthrow the Church and kingdom of God on the earth. What man that is
a Saint and has in his possession the gift of the Holy Ghost, that
does not know that the kingdom of God is onward? We know that we shall
overcome every opposing power. No matter what transpires, what effect
has it on us? None at all. It only affects the weak and vacillating,
that have not lived their religion and followed the light of the Holy
Spirit in them, they may fear; but the men and women of God, those who
live in the light of the countenance of the Lord, and cherish the Holy
Spirit in their bosoms, having no other feeling but the final triumph
of the kingdom of God on the earth, they know nothing else.
What inspired the ancient prophets to know that the time would come
when the Saints of God should take the kingdom, and the greatness of
it under the whole heavens should be given to them and He whose right
it is, should rule and reign, and have dominion? The same Spirit that
dwells in us proceeds from the same God that inspired the prophets of
old, developing the same truths, making manifest the same things, and
unfolding the same principles. We have confidence in relation to these
matters; and hence men that understand this, who live their religion,
feel perfectly satisfied in regard to any or all the events that shall
transpire on the earth.
We were driven out of Missouri—we were driven from one place to
another in Missouri, before we were driven out altogether; then we
were driven from Illinois to this Territory. But what of that? I know
some men who thought the work was at an end. I remember a remark made
by Sidney Rigdon—I suppose he did not live his religion—I do not think
he did—his knees began to shake in Missouri, and on one occasion he
said, "Brethren, every one of you take your own way, for the work
seems as though it had come to an end." Brigham Young encouraged the
peo ple, and Joseph Smith told them to be firm and maintain
their integrity, for God would be with his people and deliver them. I
never saw a time that the Saints enjoyed themselves better than when
they, apparently, were wading through the deepest troubles; I never
saw them more full of the Holy Ghost, and take more joyfully the
spoiling of their goods. Why was this? Because they had that spirit
within them of which we are speaking, and they knew what would be the
result of all these things. When we left Nauvoo, we sang joyfully—
"On the way to California,
In the spring we'll take our journey;
Far above Arkansas fountains,
Pass between the Rocky Mountains."
When it was asked us, "Where are you going?" our reply would be, "We
hardly know; we are going somewhere, and God will protect us, and all
is right and well in Zion, and all is peace, and all will be peace to
those who will love God and keep his commandments; because his kingdom
is established upon the rock of ages, and it is God's business to take
care of his Saints, and all is well."
And when the nation with which we are associated is shaken to its
center and crumbles to pieces (it is pretty well shaken now,
notwithstanding what our President seems to say about it, that
everything is very prosperous, and that we have more men now than
before the war), notwithstanding all this, it is crumbling and
falling, and it will continue to fall and to crumble, until it is no
more, and by and by there will be an end of it. Not so with the
kingdom of God; it will stand, and continue to exist and spread and go
forth, and correct principles—principles of eternal truth and light
and revelation from God—will be unfolded, and intelligence that dwells
with the gods will continue to be imparted to this people, and God
will be their God, and they will be His people, and He will continue
to lead them on from strength to strength and from knowledge to
knowledge, until they understand all correct principles that can be
known on the earth, until they are enabled to redeem themselves and
their posterity, and then establish the kingdom of God on the earth
until the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God
and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and forever. And to this
end God has imparted unto us the spirit of intelligence and wisdom
that is unfaltering, unwavering, and unchanging, and that will live
and abide forever. Have we not cause to be grateful to God our
heavenly Father? I think we have. We enjoy peace, we enjoy happiness,
we enjoy the Holy Ghost, we enjoy communication with our heavenly
Father, we enjoy an association with the holy Priesthood, we have the
revelation of God in us, and God has undertaken to lead His people on
from strength to strength, from intelligence to intelligence, from
knowledge to knowledge, until they are able to see as they are seen,
and know as they are known. And He is going to establish a reign of
righteousness and introduce a correct form of government, even the
government of God, the laws of God, the revelations of God to guide
and direct in all things: He will be our guide in philosophy, in
politics, in agriculture, in science, in art, and in everything that
is calculated to enlighten and impart intelligence, and give knowledge
of the laws of nations, of the laws of nature, of matter, and of all
laws that regulate all things pertaining to time and to eternity. He
will continue to instruct and to make manifest, and to put us in
possession of those principles that will exalt us and prepare us to
dwell with the Gods. We look on the future; we looked on it
years ago, and we knew that the kingdom of God would roll on, and we
know so today, only our faith and knowledge is becoming more stable,
more established. We know that this kingdom will continue to spread
and to increase. Who can deprive us of that knowledge? No earthly
influence or power, or reasoning can do it; hence, we are perfectly
satisfied in relation to these things. And while we know this is
taking place and that a reign of righteousness will be introduced that
will be calculated to exalt and ennoble the human family, and make the
earth a paradise and to blossom as the rose, and make the wilderness
and desolate places glad, and the government and kingdom of God exist
from the rivers to the ends of the earth; whilst we are attending to
these things, we are also attending to other things, we are securing
to ourselves an everlasting exaltation, we are learning God and His
laws, and the whisperings of His Spirit, whereby we can be saved and
exalted and be brought to a closer union and connection with Him by
covenants and ordinances, and anointings, and endowments, and
blessings, that He is revealing and unfolding. We are learning to
build temples where we can receive instruction, and revelation, and
ordinances to be performed both for the living and the dead, for
ourselves, progenitors, and posterity, and bless the human family
throughout, that we may be saviors on Mount Zion and the kingdom be
the Lord's. We are learning to secure for ourselves mansions with our
heavenly Father, that where He is we may be also. Jesus said, "I go
away; but if I go, I will come and receive you to myself; that where I
am, there you may be also," &c. We are preparing ourselves for those
mansions, and others are helping to prepare mansions for us who are
behind the veil. We shall operate for those who are there, and they
for us; for they, without us, cannot be made perfect, nor we without
them. We are forming an alliance, a union, a connection, with those
that are behind the veil, and they are forming a union and connection
with us; and while we are living here, we are preparing to live
hereafter, and laying a foundation for this in the celestial kingdom
of God. Ought we not to call upon our souls, and upon all that is
within us, to bless the name of the God of Israel, and to forget not
all His mercies? Ought we not to be seeking continually to glorify God
in our bodies and spirits, which are His? Ought we not to be seeking
to have our passions and desires and appetites in obedience and
subjection to the will of God? Ought we not to be seeking to control
our will and desires, and have everything yielding obedience to that
Spirit which emanates from our heavenly Father? Ought we not to be
seeking to promote a union with every godlike principle, with
everything that is lovely and amiable, and divest ourselves of all our
evil passions and propensities, and follies and waywardness, and seek
to draw near unto God ourselves, and also to draw our families near
unto Him, and seek to cultivate the Holy Ghost, that it may be in us a
well of water springing up into everlasting life, that we may be
worthy to be citizens of the kingdom of God; and that hereafter we may
enjoy an immortality of happiness with our progenitors and our
posterity, and with our God in the eternal world, even in this world,
when it shall be redeemed and sanctified and be made new?
May God help us to keep his commandments, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.