Brother Cannon stated this morning that we were the most independent
people on the earth. That, I presume, is a correct statement, although
the majority of the people on the earth think we are the most
dependent. They consider that we are dependent on them for their good
or bad opinion, that we are dependent upon the United States for peace
and tranquility, and that we are dependent upon popular feeling for
the existence of our institutions, whether political, religious, or
social. Hence men come among us from time to time, and setting
themselves up as standards of perfection, they wish to measure us by
their ideas of politics and morality; whereas if they only understood
the truth, they would know that we are very independent on these
points, and that we care no more about their notions and opinions in
regard to us than we care for the motion of a passing bird.
We have no tremor in relation to the action of this or any other
government. They do not know the true sentiments and feelings of the
Latter-day Saints; hence they are not capable of judging us. We feel
that we are dependent upon God only, for our existence, whether it be
socially, politically, or morally. We do not look upon things as they
exist in the world as being correct, and in animadverting upon
their acts we could tell a great many things that we believe are
essentially wrong, whether relating to their morals, politics,
religion, philosophy, or anything else; and some of us are pretty well
acquainted with the ideas they entertain, and the morals that prevail
amongst them. We did not come here to copy after anything that exists
in the world; we had no such idea or intention, and if this fact is
not understood by all the Latter-day Saints it ought to be. When men
come among us we should be very sorry indeed if they found us like the
world; we are not like them, neither do we wish to be. We did not come
here to set up a government to be separate and distinct from other
governments, and to seek to possess a certain power and influence over
our own members or over other people; this never entered into our
minds. We do not, today, try to imitate any of the governments of the
earth; we do not admire their policy; we do not believe that their
systems are correct. We believe that they have the seeds of
dissolution within themselves, and through the lack of correct
principles by which to regulate themselves, that they will eventually
crumble to pieces. Neither do we believe in their religion, and we
should be sorry if any of our people were like them, or even attempted
to be like them in a religious point of view. Most of us have been
associated with their varied systems of religion before we came here.
We have been mixed up with them in the United States, England, France,
Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and other parts of the
earth, and have long ago renounced their religion, because we
considered it false. We do not consider it any more true today, and,
of course, men who think they are right, and measuring us by their
standard, must necessarily conclude that we are wrong; that is the
only conclusion at which they can arrive. Having been associated with
the various churches—Roman Catholic, Greek, Episcopalian or English,
Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Quaker, and other churches and
denominations of the day, we know what their ideas are religiously,
and we did not leave them because we thought they were right, but
because we believed them to be in error and that the whole of them had
departed from the principles laid down in the Scriptures of truth. We
left them because we conceived that they lacked the principles of
life, vitality, intelligence, and revelation possessed by the religion
that Jesus Christ introduced upon the earth. That, I confess, was the
reason why I left them.
I remember once calling at a man's house who was a Presbyterian. After
talking to him a little about his religion, said he, "You entertain
curious notions." Said I, "I believe I got my notions from the Bible."
Afterwards an infidel came in with whom I had a long conversation,
trying to prove to him that the Bible and the Christian religion were
true, or at least that taught by the Bible. "Well," said this
gentleman to me, "I am surprised; I thought you were an infidel."
"Why?" said I. "Because," he replied, "I thought you did
not believe in
the Bible." Said I, "You are laboring under a great mistake; I do
believe in the Bible, but not in principles contrary to the Bible, and
consequently as the religion of the present day does not agree with
the Bible I do not agree with it." I suppose these have been the
feelings, more or less, with the majority of the Saints, at least with
those who reasoned upon and contemplated these matters. For instance, the Scriptures speak about there being "One Lord, one faith,
one baptism, and one God, who is above all, through all, and in you
all;" and when men of reflection look around and see systems of
religion as numerous as gods used to be among the old heathens, how
could they suppose or believe that these were all inspired of God? It
was impossible for a man of reflection and intelligence to entertain
such an idea. We are in pursuit of principles that emanate from God,
and we believe that God has spoken, and therefore we are here. We
believe that He has revealed to us His will; that He has restored the
ancient gospel with all its fullness, blessings, richness, power, and
glory. We believe that this gospel will redeem all men who believe in
it, and that it will elevate them to a knowledge of the true God, whom
to know is life eternal. We believe that God has restored to the earth
again Apostles and Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers the
same as existed in His Church in former days; and we believe that if
men repent of their sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for their remission that they will receive the Holy Ghost through the
laying on of hands. We believe that that Spirit leads them into all
truth; that it brings things past to their remembrance, and shows them
things to come; and in this respect we differ from the religions of
the world, for they have no such idea as this; they do not believe in
it. We believe that the Lord has commenced to establish His kingdom on
the earth, and we look to Him for wisdom and intelligence in regard to
all matters, whether they be of a political, social, or moral nature;
hence, in these respects, we differ very materially from the rest of
the world. In the various religious denominations their ministers are
set apart by the will and dictum of men; their religions, too, are
established by men. God had nothing to do with the matter. He never
thought of them. It is no uncommon thing in the Church of England,
with which I was associated in my early days, for a man who has three
or four sons to educate one to be a doctor, another for a lawyer,
another, perhaps, is assigned to the army or navy, as the case may be;
and if there is one a little duller than the rest he is generally
educated for the ministry and is called a Doctor of Divinity. And it
is expected that that dull man, without common sense and without
instruction from God, but simply because he is a fool, will point out
the way to the kingdom of heaven. Among the Methodists, with whom I
was afterwards associated because I thought the Church of England was
not good enough, they tell us that "God chooses the base things of the
world to bring to nought the things that are." That is true enough,
but they come to wrong conclusions from these premises—that is, they
suppose because God can choose a man and endow him with wisdom, that
therefore they can pick the biggest fools they have got and set them
to work to preach.
There is a wide difference between God choosing a man and endowing him
with the spirit of intelligence, wisdom, and revelation, and sending
him forth to preach the truths of heaven to the nations of the earth,
and men picking up their weakest members and setting them to do the
same thing; because God can inspire men with wisdom and intelligence
from above, while men are incapable of so doing. Hence I do not wonder
that men, who are accustomed to listen to, and who believe such
teachings, should consider that we are a strange people, for our
religious notions evidently do not agree with theirs; if they
did, as I said before, we should not have been here, for it was
principally on religious grounds that we left them to come here. One
of our judges, after leaving here, informed the Administration that
the inhabitants of Utah were mostly "Mormons," and were a very
peculiar people. He thought he had made quite a discovery, and that he
was putting the world in possession of important information.
We have left the various churches and sects of the day, and infidel
associations of all kinds, and have united ourselves with the
"Mormons," and have gathered together here simply because we believed
they were all wrong, hence a man must be a fool to suppose that we are
like them, for we have a faith that is entirely diverse from theirs.
Our ideas, socially and morally, are entirely different from theirs,
because ours come from God, and they get theirs from the notions that
exist among men.
Who that is acquainted with the moral state of Christendom at the
present time does not shudder when reflecting upon the depravity,
corruption, licentiousness, and debauchery that everywhere stalk
around? We have left this state of things, and the Lord has introduced
a new order amongst us, for we profess to be under His guidance and
direction, and consequently our ideas and practices must be very
different from those which obtain in the world. We have more wives
than one. Why? Because God ordained it. And we maintain our wives and
children; but they do not maintain their mistresses and children, yet
they will prate to us about their beautiful systems. There is a great
difference between their system and ours; they think their's is best,
but we, who look at things from an entirely different point of view,
prefer our system. If we have wives and children we are not afraid to
acknowledge them as such. We do not have the children of one woman
riding with us in a carriage, while those of another are sweeping the
streets and asking us for a halfpenny; nor are they paupers on the
community. We do not believe in any such morality as that, we discard
it altogether. Many of those who do believe in and sustain it are
ashamed of many of their own deeds, and act the hypocrite by trying to
cover them up and keep them in the dark, and presenting the bright
side only for us to copy after. But we want to take things as a whole,
and we will receive no system but that which will bear the scrutiny of
the world, and that is just, equitable, and honorable before God,
angels, and men. I am not surprised at men, coming from the midst of
scenes and practices, forming such incorrect notions in relation to
us; but dare they acknowledge their acts as we dare acknowledge ours?
No; they dare not; their own laws would punish them if their acts were
brought to light.
In relation to our political affairs, we are gathered together as a
community, and being so numerous it is impossible but that we should
form a part and parcel of the body politic. We have a city here, for
instance, and numerous other cities throughout this Territory. We must
have an organization in these cities. We want our Mayors and City
Councilors and Aldermen, and municipal laws to protect the weak, the
virtuous, the pure, and holy, and restrain the wicked, the riotous,
the thief, and debauchee, and to maintain order in the community. We
have a number of towns and cities extending for some five hundred
miles, and it is ne cessary that we should have a government to
regulate and manage affairs in our midst. We are forced into this
position, we cannot help ourselves, and hence we become a Territory,
and have our Governor, Judges, Marshal, and Secretary of State sent us
by the United States; and our Representative in the Congress of the
United States.
Then we have our local Legislature, as other Territories have, to
enact laws for the protection of the good and virtuous, for punishment
of crime, the execution of justice, and the preservation of peace and
good order throughout the Territory. Is there anything wrong in all
this? Not that I am aware of. Whose rights have we interfered with? Who
cannot obtain justice here? Who are deprived of their rights here? Is
there any man, woman, or child, stranger or citizen deprived of his or
her rights, or who cannot obtain a hearing for grievances real or
imaginary? Who is there throughout the length and breadth of the
Territory who cannot obtain the full benefit of law, equity, and
justice? No one. Well, we are here in this capacity, and there are
other things that underlie these, if you please. The Republicans, you
know, in the States, have been very fond for a long time of talking
about a higher law of some kind. We, too, have a higher law, not a
negro law particularly, but a law that emanates from God; a law that
is calculated to promote the best interests and the happiness of this
people, and of the world when they will listen to it. Then do you
profess to ignore the laws of the land? No; not unless they are
unconstitutional, then I would do it all the time. Whenever the
Congress of the United States, for instance, pass a law interfering
with my religion, or with my reli gious rights, I will read a small
portion of that instrument called the Constitution of the United
States, now almost obsolete, which says—"Congress shall pass no law
interfering with religion or the free exercise thereof;" and I would
say, gentlemen, you may go to Gibraltar with your law, and I will live
my religion. When you become violators of the Constitution you have
sworn before high heaven to uphold, and perjure yourselves before God,
then I will maintain the right, and leave you to take the wrong just
as you please. There are other things, too, that I, as an individual
would do. There have been attempts made here to interfere with the
trial by jury, a right guaranteed by the Constitution of the United
States as well as by the Magna Charta of England. And we have had
cases right in our midst where a judge has told the jury that if they
did not bring in such a verdict as he had instructed them to, he would
set it aside. Of what use, then, is a jury? Why not let the judge act
without them; if they are to be dictated to by him what becomes of our
freedom? If my services as a juryman were required, I would give my
opinion frankly and honestly, and no judge should control me; but I
would try to be a man, and would not be cowed by any man sent among us
trying to pervert justice. No man should make a scapegoat of me; if he
wished to violate constitutional rights he should do it on his own
responsibility. Some men will endure a great deal in matters of this
kind, and they will call it humility; but I desire no such humility. I
want a principle that will maintain, uphold, and stand by the rights
of man, giving to all men everywhere equal rights, and that will
preserve inviolate the fundamental principles of the Constitution of
our country.
After all, we, as a people, have not much to complain of; we have a
great deal of liberty here, and we can do pretty much as we have a
mind to if we will only do right. We can think, write, and worship as
we please, and we are free from some things that some portions, even
of our nation, are perplexed with at the present time. We have no
military government, for instance, and we are free to exercise our
judgment and to maintain our rights by jury if we have the manhood to
do it, and I consider that after all we are very much blessed out
here. It is true that the President and Congress quarrel down yonder
sometimes; but before the sound reaches us it is so faint that it
produces no electric shock; in fact, we scarcely feel it. In the
South, too, they are laboring under many difficulties; but they are so
far from us that we fail to realize matters as they exist there, and
our affairs go on as usual. The smoke comes out of the chimneys, men
walk on their feet, the sun rises and sets at proper time, and
everything goes on perfectly natural, and I do not know that we have
anything to complain of, and for the many blessings that we enjoy I
feel thankful to Almighty God. Now, what are we as a people aiming at?
To begin with, we are aiming to live our religion more faithfully. We
have got the right principles, but I think, sometimes, that we do not
live them as well as we might. We have been baptized in the name of
Jesus for the remission of our sins, and have had hands laid upon us
for the reception of the Holy Ghost; but in many instances we have
failed to live our religion by giving way to our evil tempers,
passions, and appetites, and we want to live our religion better than
we have done. We must be more moral, and more honest with each other
and be fore God; and we must pray more and swear less than we do. Our
strength is from God; and if we do not have strength, wisdom,
intelligence, and grace from Him we do not have it; and it is living
our religion that leads us to Him. It is not altogether in
ceremonials; it is not because I go to church or meeting; but it is
because my heart is right before God, because I do my duty, because I
love the Lord and His people and all men, and my desire is to promote
the happiness and well-being of the human family. This is the feeling
that all ought to have. I hear oaths sometimes issuing from the mouths
of those who are called Saints, from our young boys, as though it made
men of them, and was something great to imitate the Gentiles. It is
low, mean, degrading, unhallowed, and it is in opposition to every
sacred and holy principle. Some of our boys are fond of getting a
cigar into their mouths, they think it makes them look manly; there is
nothing at all manly about smoking and strutting; why, a monkey could
do that. It shows weakness, shallowness, and, I was going to say, a
species of idiocy; and for the children of Latter-day Saints to
indulge in such things is low and degrading. We want, then, to live
our religion more closely, and we should feel all the time that God
sees us, that His eye is upon us watching our motions and actions, and
that it is necessary for us to humble ourselves before Him, that we
may obtain His Holy Spirit to guide us aright. We need to study our
morals, to see that they are correct in every respect. Would you,
Elders in Israel, who have families growing up, want to act in a
manner that you would be ashamed of your sons and daughters copying
after? Would it not be a shame, disgrace, and an outrage for you to act so? Do we watch over the morals of our children? Do we
pray to God for wisdom to train them aright? Do we pray for power to
overcome our own evil passions and propensities that we may set before
our children an example worthy of imitation? Or, are we letting them
take any course they please and go down to the gates of death? What
are you doing, you Elders in Israel? Ask yourselves the question and
see how far your conduct is calculated to elevate and exalt your
families. The Lord, in speaking of Abraham, said, "I know that Abraham
will fear me, and that he will command his children after him to do
so." Can the Lord say the same of you, ye Elders of Israel? We ought
to be careful about how we act and speak, and our thoughts and
feelings ought to be subject to the law of God. We ought to feel like
one of old when he said, "Search me, O Lord, and prove me, and if
there is any way of wickedness within me, bid it depart, and let me
stand accepted before thee."
Do we not expect by and by to associate with the Gods in the eternal
worlds? Let us conduct ourselves, then, here upon the earth so that we
may honor our religion and Priesthood. We differ entirely from the
world in our political ideas. In the nation with which we are
associated, the idea prevails generally that the voice of the people
is the voice of God; hence the favorite maxim—"Vox populi, vox dei."
The voice of the people, however, is not always the voice of God.
Sometimes "Vox populi, vox diaboli" would more truthfully express it;
that is, the voice of the people is the voice of the devil. The latter
would more generally express the feelings of any people who are under
a corrupt government or religion than "Vox populi, vox dei." We
believe in the voice of God first, and in the voice of the people
afterwards, and that in political as well as in religious matters all
men ought to be guided by the Lord, and that because they have not
been so guided, bloodshed, strife, dissension, and confusion have
overspread the earth. The wisdom of God is necessary in controlling
worldly affairs whether political or otherwise, as it is in
controlling the planetary system. In the latter, everything moves
harmoniously, and if in the political affairs of a nation, or of the
world, the same wisdom dictated, the same harmony would exist. If the
Lord were to copy after the examples of men, system would dash against
system, and world against world in mad confusion, and there would be a
crash of worlds and a wreck of matter. But God controls His own
affairs, and if we can live so as to obtain His guidance, we will risk
the results, and this is what we are aiming after. We are borne out in
this by the Scriptures. They speak of a time when the Lord will reign,
when His empire will be universal; when His dominion "shall extend
from the rivers to the ends of the earth," and when, "to Him every knee
shall bow and every tongue confess." They speak of, "The law of the
Lord going forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."
They speak of a time when, "He shall smite the nations as with a rod of
iron, and when he will dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel,"
and when He will introduce a new order of things. We have confidence
in the Bible, and in the revelations of God; and there again we differ
from the religious world, for they have not. We are anxiously waiting
upon and praying to the Lord to give us wisdom that we may be able to
carry out His designs. These are our feelings, but others
think and feel differently; they put their trust in swords, guns,
spears, and so forth. Our strength is in the Lord of Hosts, and we
believe we shall conquer. In all our operations in life we are trying
to obtain wisdom from God to manage and direct all our affairs. We are
seeking to establish a oneness, and that oneness under the guidance
and direction of the Almighty. Others are not seeking for that. You
will hear them all the time uttering their tirades against the one-man
power. We want one-man power and one-God power. Would not they who cry
out against it like to have one-man power if they could get it? Yes.
Is there now or was there ever a political party in the United States
but what would seek to carry their own points? No. Would not the
President like to have his own way if he could? He would, and the
reason he does not, he has not the power. We consider that union is
the great principle that we ought to cultivate; union in religion,
morals, politics, and everything else.
Jesus, when about to leave his disciples, seemed to think it was very
important, for, said he, "Father, I pray for these whom thou hast
given me, that they may be one; as thou Father art in me, and I in
thee, that they may be one in us." "Neither," said he, "do I pray
for these alone, but for all who shall believe in me through their word."
I am sorry to say that His prayer has not been answered in regard to
the Christians at the present time. If there is any principle for
which we contend with greater tenacity than another, it is this
oneness. We are one in a great many things, but we have to become one
in all things before we reach the standard indicated by the prayer of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have to become one in money
matters, and in our deal, and in the course in which our labors shall
be directed; and if we could only see and comprehend this principle
correctly we should be more like what God requires us to be. But it is
difficult for us to understand and realize the importance of this
principle. To the world this principle is a gross error, for amongst
them it is every man for himself; every man follows his own ideas, his
own religion, his own morals, and the course in everything that suits
his own notions. But the Lord dictates differently. We are under His
guidance, and we should seek to be one with him and with all the
authorities of His Church and kingdom on the earth in all the affairs
of life. We all of us bow before the Lord day by day (or if we do not
it is a shame), and ask the Lord to inspire Presidents Young, Kimball,
and Wells with revelation to direct the affairs of the church aright.
And what are the feelings of the First Presidency? Be ye one, O
Israel! That is the feeling. One in everything; then we shall grow,
and prosper like a green bay tree. Then will riches, honor, and power
flow to the Latter-day Saints in far greater abundance than they have
ever yet done; then you and your offspring will be the blessed of the
Lord. This is what we are after, and when we have attained to this
ourselves, we want to teach the nations of the earth the same pure
principles that have emanated from the Great Eloheim. We want Zion to
rise and shine that the glory of God may be manifest in her midst,
that the nations of the earth, when they behold her, may be obliged to
confess that she is the praise of the whole earth. We never intend to
stop until this point is attained through the teaching and guidance of
the Lord and our obedience to His laws. Then, when men say
unto us, "you are not like us," we reply, "we know it; we do not want
to be." We want to be like the Lord, we want to secure His favor and
approbation and to live under His smile, and to acknowledge, as
ancient Israel did on a certain occasion, "The Lord is our God, our
judge, and our king, and He shall reign over us." These are my
feelings, and the feelings of all good Latter-day Saints. May God help
us to live our religion by keeping His commandments, in the name of
Jesus. Amen.