It is said that short visits make long friends, and short sermons
perhaps make interesting meetings. I am sure this is the case
sometimes. I am thankful for the privilege of being instructed, and of
meeting with a people who manifest by their lives a desire for
improvement. I am thankful that we have the privilege of meeting in
this tabernacle from Sabbath to Sabbath. Last Sabbath I referred to
the meager congregations that generally attend in the morning, and
today I really expected to see every seat in this house occupied. I
cannot think that the people are sleigh riding, for there is
no snow; neither can I conclude that they are in the canyon, for the
roads cannot be traveled. I do not think that they are fishing at
this season of the year; neither can they all be in attendance at
Sabbath schools. Then what are they doing? Are they praying, resting,
sleeping, or wasting their time in frivolous and unprofitable
employment? We are happy to see large congregations of the Saints in
the afternoons. This is the only public meetinghouse in which
meetings are held in the morning and afternoon on the Sabbath day in
this city. The people of Great Salt Lake City make to one point to
attend meeting in the morning and afternoon, unlike the people of the
large cities of the world. I have seen them go to meeting in some of
those cities, and I cannot compare them to anything that will describe
them as they appeared to me better than the inhabitants of an ant
hill. They run in all directions, the Methodists jostle against the
Baptists, and the Baptists against the Presbyterians, and the
Presbyterians against the Quakers, &c.
Let the people come to meeting, and hear what is said, and if any of
you are not instructed to your satisfaction, be so kind as to send up
a card to the stand, intimating your desire to speak, and we will give
you an opportunity of doing so, to display your wisdom; for we wish to
learn wisdom and get understanding.
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 extract from them wisdom and understanding as much as you possibly
can, aided by the Spirit of God, for without His Spirit we are left in
the dark. I have very frequently urged upon the people to live so that
they can enjoy the spirit of revelation, even that intelligence which
proceeds directly from heaven—from the fountain of all intelligence.
Do this people live so? Yes, measurably. We improve slowly, and as
brother George A. Smith has said, we do not improve fast enough. I
acknowledge that this people are improving, and I am proud of it. When
I address the throne of grace in prayer, I am happy to be able to
thank God that the Latter-day Saints are striving to order their lives
correctly before Him. I am pleased, I am happy, I am full of comfort,
of joy, of peace, because of the progress this people are making; and
yet I see how easy it is for a person to slide backward, and get into
darkness and blindness of mind. We are prone to wander, and do that
which our inclinations bid us do; like the boys with their sleds, we
go up hill very slowly, but rush quickly down again. We are too apt to
be slow to learn righteousness, and quick to run in the ways of sin.
The adversary of our souls is constantly watching to decoy us from the
path of truth and duty to God, until we become reckless in our
disobedience to His commandments and to the counsels of His servants.
There is one path—one line to follow to obtain and continue in the
love and light of the Lord, which is, as it were a compass to direct
the Saint to the haven of safety, and it will not vary, for its
directions are sure.
We have many duties to perform, and a great work is before us. We have
Zion to build up, and upon this we are all agreed, but we differ more
or less respecting the modus operandi for we wish, in the majority of
instances to follow the dictates of our own inclinations. We
do this too much for our good. If the people will live so as to be
directed continually by the light of the Spirit of the Lord, they
never will go much astray. In many instances our anxieties, our
desires, and our wills are so great that we actually plead with the
Lord to allow us to bend duty a little particle for the purpose of
accomplishing what we wish. We are pleased to do this, and to do evil
also, hence "man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." We are
very prone to wander. Let the people watch themselves lest they take a
course that will lead them into darkness, and they know not the things
of God, and be left to believe a lie instead of the truth. 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 compass, 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. When men take upon themselves strength, depending
upon their own wisdom, light, and knowledge, saying—"I am right, and I
care not what anybody else says;" and, "I will do thus and so on my
own responsibility," asking no odds of God and His servants. "If I
wish to go to the north, south, east, or west, or follow this or that
employment, or pursue this or that course to obtain the necessaries of
life, it is my affair, and I cannot see that any other man has
anything whatever to do with it." I say, if we thus arrogate to
ourselves strength, wisdom, and power, and think that we can judge for
ourselves in all things independent of God and His servants, then are
we liable to be led astray. Every man and woman who walks in the light
of the Lord can see and understand these things for themselves; but
through our anxiety, and over desire to have our own way, we often
swerve and turn to the right or to the left of the true line of our
duty. How often have we sealed blessings of health and life upon our
children and companions in the name of Jesus Christ and by the
authority of the Holy Priesthood of the Son of God, and yet our faith
and prayers did not succeed in accomplishing the desires of our
hearts. Why is this? In many instances our anxiety is so great that we
do not pause to know the spirit of revelation and its operations upon
the human mind. We have anxiety instead of faith. When a man
prophecies by the power of the Holy Ghost, his words will be fulfilled
as sure as the Lord lives; but if he has anxiety in his heart, it
swerves him from the thread of the Holy Gospel, from the true thread
of revelation, so that he is liable to err, and he prophesies, but it
does not come to pass, he lays his hands upon the sick, but they are
not healed. It is in consequence of not being completely molded to
the will of God. Do we not realize that this is so? And do we not
realize that we should constantly strive to live in the counsel and
light of God day by day, and hour by hour? If we do this we shall
certainly make sure to ourselves a celestial inheritance.
We have gathered the best people from among the nations of the earth,
and yet we are not so good as we should be. Why are we not as good as
we should be? Because we have eternal light and knowledge here, and no
person is deprived of the privilege of asking and receiving of God for
himself, but we do not all avail ourselves of this great privilege. We
are not like others who are called by men to go on missions to
the world, we are called of God, and carry with us true credentials,
not the credentials of Paul, Peter, or any of the old Apostles and
servants of God, who used them a thousand years ago, but we have the
living oracles and the Holy Priesthood restored in our day, giving
authority to men in the nineteenth century as in days of old. Having
this authority, and these great advantages, we should be better than
anybody else. We have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have
received in our faith the fullness of the gospel, we have yielded
obedience to God's commandments, obeyed the ordinances of His house,
receiving them in our faith and practice, and these we have received
through apostles and prophets, called of God, in our own age, as was
Aaron. These blessings and callings the Almighty has revealed in this
as in all ages for the benefit of finite beings, that through
obedience to the gospel, eternal life in the presence of God might be
brought upon all who endure to the end in righteousness. By obeying
the ordinances of God, mankind glorify God, but if they do not obey
Him, they do not detract one particle from His glory and power.
Although all His children should wander from the holy commandments,
God will be glorified, for they are left to choose for themselves, to
choose death instead of life, darkness instead of light, pain instead
of ease, delight, and comfort. This liberty all beings enjoy who are
created after the likeness and image of God, and thus they become
accountable for their own actions. 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 ourselves as individuals. This is a subject
upon which a great deal can be said, but I shall not follow it at this
time.
I exhort my brethren continually to live so that they may have the
light of the Holy Spirit in them, to know their duty, and when they
know their duty fully it will be to follow truly those whom God has
placed over them to lead them as a community, as a people, as a
kingdom of God; it will be to obey the counsel that is given them from
time to time. What does the man who understands the spirit of his
religion believe with regard to his own affairs, with regard to his
life, with regard to his business transactions, &c.? He believes that
it is his privilege to be dictated by the constituted authorities of
the church of God and the spirit of revelation in all things in his
mortal life. There is no part of his life that he will consider exempt
from the guidance and dictation of the Priesthood of the Son of God.
We wish the Latter-day Saints to meet at their respective 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. I think I told you last Sabbath that
I would mention this subject again today.
If you would be healthy, wealthy, full of wisdom, light and knowledge
do all you can for the kingdom of God. I expect that there are
brethren who are well to do, who can command their thousands, who
consider that their business crowds them this year, and they do not
see how they can give anything for the gathering of the poor
Saints. I have a word of consolation for such. You, merchants,
mechanics and farmers; yea, everyone; let me console you, and say to
you, keep your money, and pay your debts, and buy your teams, and your
farms, and your goods. You think I am speaking to you ironically.
Well, I acknowledge to you that I am. You keep all, and do not apply
one dollar for any purpose outside of your business, and I will
promise you, in the name of the Lord, that you will be poorer than you
would have been if you had given of your substance to the poor. Do you
consider these hard words? They are true words. The earth is the
Lord's and the fullness thereof, the gold and the silver are all his;
and he throws up the precious metals to view whenever he pleases, and
when he pleases he sends his messengers to hide them in the bowels of
the earth, beyond the reach of man. He also closes the eyes of wicked
gold hunters, that they cannot see them; but they walk over them, and
leave them for the righteous to gather in the due time of the Lord.
Now, you who think that you must keep your means and that you cannot
spare a portion to gather the poor another year, remember that you
will not get rich by so doing. You may ask what I am going to do? I am
going to get rich, for I calculate to give considerably more to gather
the poor than any other man; because I want to be richer than any
other man. I want more, because I believe I know what to do with it
better than most of men.
These are a few words of consolation to the brethren who wish to keep
their riches, and with them I promise you leanness of soul, darkness
of mind, narrow and contracted hearts, and the bowels of your
com passion will be shut up, and by and by you will be overcome with
the spirit of apostasy and forsake your God and your brethren.
I see around me a great people. Joseph Smith was called of God, and
sent to lay the foundation of this latter-day kingdom. He presided
over this people fourteen years. Then he was martyred. Since that time
your humble servant has presided over and counseled this people; he
has directed the Twelve Apostles, the Seventies, the High Priests, and
every quorum and department of the Melchizedek and Aaronic
Priesthoods, guiding them through the wilderness where there was no
way into a dry, barren land. For the space of twenty-four years he has
watched over their interests, holding at bay their enemies, teaching
them how to live, and redeem this country from the barrenness and
desolation that have, for many generations, made it unfit for the
habitation of man. What man or woman on the earth, what spirit in the
spirit world can say truthfully that I ever gave a wrong word of
counsel, or a word of advice that could not be sanctioned by the
heavens? The success which has attended me in my presidency is owing
to the blessings and mercy of the Almighty. Why I have referred to
this is to show you that I realize the importance of obeying the words
of the Lord, which he gives through his acknowledged servants. When
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."
Now, I say to the people, will you gather the poor? To the Elders I
say, will you carry the Gospel to all the world? Blessed are they who
obey when the Lord gives a direct commandment, but more blessed are
they who obey without a direct commandment. For it is written: "It is
not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled
in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant;
wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be
anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own
free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in
them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do
good they shall in no wise lose their reward. But he that doeth not
anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with a
doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned."
I say this that you may understand that I feel just as patient, and
just as kind towards the Latter-day Saints as a man's heart can feel,
and am careful to take every precaution in directing their steps to
the possession of eternal life in the presence of God that none may be
lost. My course is not to scold, but to persuade and entreat the
people to do their duty, holding before them the reward of
faithfulness. It requires all the care and faithfulness which we can
exercise in order to keep the faith of the Lord Jesus; for there are
invisible agencies around us in sufficient numbers to encourage the
slightest disposition they may discover in us to forsake the true way,
and fan into a flame the slightest spark of discontent and unbelief.
The spirits of the ancient Gadiantons are around us. You may see
battlefield after battlefield, scattered over this American
continent, where the wicked have slain the wicked. Their spirits are
watching us continually for an opportunity to influence us to do evil,
or to make us decline in the performance of our duties. And I will
defy any man on earth to be more gentlemanly and bland in his manners
than the master spirit of all evil. We call him the devil; a gentleman
so smooth and so oily, that he can almost deceive the very elect. We
have been baptized by men having the authority of the holy Priesthood
of the Son of God, and consequently we have power over him which the
rest of the world do not possess, and all who possess the power of the
Priesthood have the power and right to rebuke those evil spirits. When
we rebuke those evil powers, and they obey not, it is because we do
not live so as to have the power with God, which it is our privilege
to have. If we do not live for this privilege and right we are under
condemnation.
I know that the Bishops in this Church are improving, and are better
men, and they should lead and dictate their Wards still better than
they do.
It may be asked, should not brother Brigham lead the people better? No
doubt he should. Will you hearken to one little saying? I can say,
follow me as I follow Christ, and everyone of us is sure to go into
the celestial kingdom of our God, God being our helper. Can all the
Bishops say this? I think not in every case. But are they improving?
They are and that is not all, they will continue to improve, and they
will become wise leaders of the people. They should be fathers to
their Wards. They are looked upon as such by the people; and their
example has its effect for better or for worse, and they should be
foremost in every good word and work, to be successful in leading the people into the celestial kingdom of God.
Here is a great people, and we have called upon them to contribute of
their substance to gather the poor Saints from abroad another year. It
is now nearly three months since we commenced to call upon them for
means to apply in this way. Means for this purpose does not come in so
readily as we think it should. Now, I will mention a single
circumstance in this city to show you that there is money in the
country. One mercantile house in this city traded in one month
forty-one thousand dollars. If one house can sell this amount of goods
in a month, surely we can gather considerable for so laudable a
purpose as the gathering of our poor brethren and sisters to a place
where they can be fed and clothed, and taught further in the things of
God. Yet, for all this, we are improving as a people; but do we serve
God with a perfect heart and a ready and willing mind? We do not. If
the Latter-day Saints will put into my hands one-twentieth part of the
means that go into the hands of their enemies, I think we can gather
up every poor saint there is in the old country. Will they do this? I
do not expect they will. My brethren are willing to go and preach the
gospel in all the world. I would like to see them just as willing to
assist in gathering them home. The kingdom of God is the safest
institution on earth in which to invest means. We are citizens of His
kingdom and members of His church, and we realize that we have to
suffer all things for the gospel, but it will make us richer than we
can possibly be in any other work. May God bless you. Amen.