I have been looking back over my own experience a little, with regard
to the religion that we have embraced. I have been asking myself what
proof have the Latter-day Saints that they are actually in the path
that leads to everlasting life? Have the Saints any evidence that they
love and serve God? I will tell you my experience in a few words.
Before the gospel came to me, the world was dark and thorny; and I
studied for myself to do business as a man of the world. I soon became
disgusted with the world as it was, for I found that I could scarcely
trust anyone. When the gospel came I found what I wanted. It filled
every wish, desire and hope pertaining to this life or that which is
to come. I received it and the spirit and life of it, and I have asked
myself, while sitting here, what proof have I that I love God, that I
delight to serve Him and build up His kingdom? It is natural to love
somebody, or something or other. If you find a person who does not
wish to love some object, you would call that man or woman an
unnatural person. If I am asked what I love, I would answer, "I love
this gospel which I have received." "Do you love the wicked?" No.
"Do
you not like to converse with them?" No. I have no delight in the
wicked, in their conversation or society, only to do them good. This
proves to me that if I do not love God I do not love any being. If I
do not love His gospel which He has revealed in the day in which we
live, I do not love any principles upon the earth. If I do not love
the people who are gathered out from the nations, who compose the
Church and Kingdom of God on the earth, I do not love anybody. If I
do not love to talk about our religion and to teach it to others, have
it in my house and with me all the time, I do not love anything. If I
spend a minute that is not in some way devoted to building up the
Kingdom of God and promoting righteousness, I regret that minute, and
wish it had been otherwise spent. This proves to me that the Spirit of
the Lord is with me.
Our teaching to the brethren and sisters is for them to purify
themselves. I shall not ask them to love the Lord our God with all
their hearts, it is a requirement of Heaven, and you know it as well
as I do. But will ask some things. Will our brethren cease using
language which they should not use? This is one of the rules in the
School of the Prophets. Will the Elders of Israel pray in their
families? Will they pay their tithing? We can ask this, for it is an
outward labor. If they do not love the Lord with all their hearts,
they can pay their tithing, and pay it as an old gentleman in the east
said he could do when he was paying a poor man some grain. He
said the devil stepped up to him and whispered "scoop but a little,"
He stood and listened, and something said to him again, "scoop out a
little," tempting him. Said he, "Mr Devil, leave my barn; if you
don't, I'll heap every half bushel for this poor man."
They can heap up the half bushel, and send in the butter and eggs for
the Public Works, and to feed the poor a great many of whom are
supported from tithing; they can perform required labor, if they do
not love the Lord with all their hearts; and they can cease to take
the name of the Lord in vain. If you say you get tempted to use
language you should not use, I will tell you what to do. If you are in
the canyon and your cattle are likely to fill you with wrath, fill
your mouth with India-rubber and keep it close that the words cannot
get out. Do not say a word to grieve the Spirit of God.
Cease contending with each other. Keep the Word of Wisdom. There are
but few of the Elders now who use tobacco, and our sisters can do
without their tea and coffee. They can keep the Word of Wisdom, for
many of them do keep it. I only saw one cup of coffee last summer
during my trip south, and it was for an old lady eighty years of age.
She asked me if she might not take her cups of coffee; and I told her
to take it, and blessed her and her coffee. We can stop the use of
liquor. We can be wise in our work and not labor beyond our strength.
We can cease running in debt and purchasing things that we could do
without.
If the Latter-day Saints could look at things as they are, they would
see that there is a grievous sin upon this people for neglecting their
stock and letting them perish; turning their sheep on to the range for
a few hours, and bringing them up and penning them twenty hours out of
the twenty-four, until they become diseased and sickly. If the people
could see as an angel sees, they would behold a great sin in
neglecting the stock which the Lord has given them, for it is the Lord
who gives us the increase of cattle and sheep, yet many of the people
treat them as a thing of naught. I heard a man say, in 1853, that it
was a curse to the people to have so much wheat. He said he could not
get anything but wheat for his work. I told him if he did not see
cause in this life, to repent his saying, he would yet repent it.
These are all the gifts of God; and when we treat lightly His gifts,
it is a sign we desire that which we should not possess.
These are things concerning which the people need to be instructed. We
should take a course to preserve our lives and the lives of the
animals committed to our care. We should refrain from using swine's
flesh. We should breathe the pure mountain air in our bedrooms. We
should have lofty rooms, high above the ground, for though this earth
is pure, compared with miasmatic places, the air that is above the
ground is preferable to that close to it. We should have plenty of
pure, fresh air. If children are kept in close bedrooms, they become
puny and weakly. Let them sleep where they can have abundance of pure
air, in well ventilated rooms, or out of doors, in the summer time, in
a safe place; it will be most beneficial for their health.
In building up the Zion of God on this land we must become very
different from what we are now, in many respects and particularly in
financial matters. I look at myself and ask myself what have I done to
become wealthy? Nothing; only to preach the gospel. Yet I have nothing but what is the Lord's. He has only made me steward over it,
to see what I will do with it. I have never walked across the streets
to make a trade. I do not care anything about such things; I desire to
preach the gospel and build up the Kingdom of God. True, I have
considerable wealth, but it has not been my wisdom that has put it in
my possession. There are many men who are so anxious for wealth, that
if they cannot make a fortune in a few months, they feel they are not
succeeding according to their desires, and they turn to something
else. I do not do this; nor am I anxious to spend a dollar as fast as
I make it. Some people feel as if a dollar would burn a hole in their
pockets; and you will see a great many almost crazy to spend whatever
they have. When they see wheat selling for a price far below its
value, instead of putting it in a bin and keeping it, they dispose of
it—throw it away, comparatively speaking. I keep it, and by this means
I am now able to feed the public hands.
Years ago, Brother Kimball counseled the people to lay up two year's
provisions, and then enough for four, for six and for seven years. I
have it now, and I am dealing it out. Some people have so much faith
that although the grasshoppers are around in such vast numbers, they
are confident of an abundant harvest, because of the movements made to
gather the poor this season. They say the Lord would not inspire His
servants to bring the poor from the nations that they might starve.
And so believing, they will go and sell the last bushel of wheat for
comparatively nothing, trusting in God to provide for their wants. My
faith is not of this kind; it is reasonable. If the Lord gives good
crops this season, and tells us to lay up from that abundance, I do
not think He will increase His blessings upon us if we foolishly
squander those He has already given us. I believe He will bless the
earth for His people's sake; and I will till it and try to get a crop
from it; but if I neglect to take advantage of the goodness of the
Lord, or misuse or treat lightly His mercies, I need not expect that
they will be continued upon me to the same extent. Have not my sisters
here, gleaned in the fields around for years past? And when they have
had their gleanings thrashed out, have they not taken the grain to the
stores and sold it to our enemies, instead of laying it by? And yet
they will expect to be blessed continually with plenty! I have not so
much faith as this. I have a reasonable faith, a sustaining faith, one
that I can build my hopes upon; and I think I will not be
disappointed. I labor and toil, but I do not waste my labor.
Now, you who wish to hire out with the wicked and mingle with the
ungodly, does it suit you to hear the name and character of the Deity
profaned, and every principle of propriety violated? If you go to the
gold mines, or wherever the wicked are, you will hear the name of that
Being whom you recognize and acknowledge as your Savior, blasphemed
and taken in vain, and the name and character of the Almighty vilified
and abused. Can you bear this? Does it suit you to have your ears
saluted with such language and your spirits contaminated with such
society? I would not associate with those who blaspheme the name of
God, nor would I let my family associate with them. By this you may
know whether you are in the path that leads to life and salvation. If
you can hear the name of the Deity lightly spoken of and blasphemed,
and not be shocked at it you may know that you are not in that path. Some of the young men who had been with the surveying party last
year, wanted to come into my house as friends and visit my daughters,
when they came home. They asked me if I had any objections. I told
them I had. They asked me the reason. My reply was, I believe you have
been wicked, while you have been gone. Have you not been in the habit
of taking the name of the Deity in vain? They admitted they had
occasionally; and I told them that was my objections to their being in
my house. I do not wish my daughters to be entangled with any who do
not serve God. I would rather see everyone of them sealed to Father
Perkins here, who is 85 years of age, than that any of them should be
sealed to a wicked man.
Can you mingle with the wicked and feel contented in their company? If
you can you are on the road to destruction; you are not on the road to
perfection. If you can deal, and trade, and visit, and ride, and be
with the ungodly, and cannot see the difference between them and the
righteous, if you are ever saved in any decent kingdom, it will be
because you are totally ignorant. But if you can truthfully say, I
love prayer, not swearing; I love truth, not lying; I love honesty,
not dishonesty; I love God and His laws, you may be assured you are on
the road to exaltation and eternal life. Let us sustain the kingdom of
God; and if we do, we will sustain ourselves in truth and
righteousness.
From my remarks, some may gather the idea that if a poor, miserable,
corrupt, wicked person was to be found among us, who was suffering for
lack of food, he should be turned out of doors. No, no; feed him, and
let him go his own way; but do not let him have any influence in your
families. Be kind to all as our Father in heaven is kind. He sends His
rain upon the just and the unjust; and gives the sun to shine upon the
evil and the good. So let our goodness extend to all the works of His
hands, where we can; but do not yield to the spirit and influence of
evil. Do not encourage wickedness in our midst. Do not encourage the
wicked to come and live with us, to lead our brethren astray. Do not
follow after vain and foolish fashions. If our ladies see a new
fashion brought in by some poor, miserable, corrupt person, they adopt
it; and everyone wants to pattern after the fashions that are brought
here no matter how ridiculous they may be nor how wicked the person
who introduces them. Many of the fashions are unbecoming and
inconvenient. They do not become Saints. And the daughters of Israel
should understand what fashions they should have, without borrowing
from the impure and unrighteous. They should hearken to the counsels
of those whom God has appointed to lead His people. We have the words
of life; we are the head; and we should lead in fashions and in
everything that is right and proper; and not be led by the world. We
have salvation to offer to the people; and if they will not accept it,
the result will be with themselves.
The Latter-day Saints should wake up and begin to think of these
things. We must mark out a path for ourselves and walk in it. Just as
sure as we are the Church and Kingdom of God, just so sure have we to
give laws and fashions to the world, sooner or later. When we walk
humbly before the Lord and observe His precepts, we can say to the
world, follow us and our fashions. Then they may offer us fashions—new
ones—from New York, from London, from Paris, but we will not have them. We will tell them we are capable of making our own
fashions, and our own clothing, without following after anyone.
Brethren and sisters, I can say with all my heart, God bless you. I
desired to come here to see you, to talk with you, to see how you
felt. By coming into this house I can tell something of your spirit.
You are improving. The people are improving as well as their leaders;
and if they will look at their own experience, they will say
concerning the subjects I have been treating on, "That is what I have
been looking for and what I want." We desire to get closer to the
mark, to have closer communion with God, to be prepared for the day
that is approaching, when we will have to go and build up the Center
Stake of Zion, where the order of Enoch, as is recorded in the Book of
Doctrine and Covenants, will be established.
May the Lord bless you. Amen.