I wish to make a few remarks to the Elders of Israel, who are the ones
who are called to preach the gospel at home and abroad, and to
administer in the ordinances of the House of God. My remarks will
apply to the sisters, if they wish to receive them. I wish to say
that, when I see Elders in Israel who are careless and unconcerned,
who trifle away their time, and neglect to attend High Council and
other Meetings where there are opportunities to learn, my experience
for the best part of forty years teaches me that they never
progress—they are as they were, and as they no doubt will be. I notice
that the seats of the Elders here in this Tabernacle are frequently
vacant. I also notice in the High Council, where intricate matters are
often tried, in which the principles of government and law are
involved, the consideration of which would be profitable and
instructive, that whenever an Elder can make an excuse his place is
vacant. In my experience I never did let an opportunity pass of
getting with the Prophet Joseph and of hearing him speak in public or
in private, so that I might draw understanding from the fountain from
which he spoke, that I might have it and bring it forth when it was
needed. My own experience tells me that the great success with which
the Lord has crowned my labors is owing to the fact of
applying my heart to wisdom. I notice that even my own natural
brothers when they come into my office, which is very seldom, if there
are important matters on hand—when I am teaching the brethren the
principles of government, and how to apply them to families,
neighborhoods and nations, will leave the office as though it was a
thing of no account. And this is the case with too many of the Elders
in the Church. This is mortifying to me. In the days of the Prophet
Joseph, such moments were more precious to me than all the wealth of
the world. No matter how great my poverty—if I had to borrow meal to
feed my wife and children, I never let an opportunity pass of learning
what the Prophet had to impart. This is the secret of the success of
your humble servant. I make this application to the Elders of Israel.
Brother Carrington has been speaking of his mission, and of his long
stay at home. I do not know that I can altogether excuse him, but I
think that my remarks are partially applicable to him, although we
have called him to fill as important a station as there is in the
Church. If Brother Albert Carrington, who is on the eve of departure
for a foreign mission, is not prepared now to teach the nations of the
earth, and to lead them home to Zion, it is his own fault. He has been
in the midst of counsel ever since he has been in the Church; and
others have been here with us all the day long, and if they are not
filled with wisdom and the power of God it is their own fault.
I want, now, to say a few words with regard to a term that is
frequently used in our midst. I refer to the term "Gentile." I have
explained this a great many times to the Elders both in public and in
private, and I was surprised at the use made of the term this
afternoon. "Gentile," or "gentilism," applies only to those who
reject
the gospel, and will not submit to and receive the plan of salvation.
Will you remember this? It does not apply to any only those who are
opposed to God and His Kingdom. When the Jews, as a nation, were in
their glory, they called the nations around them Gentiles. Why?
Because they were opposed to the laws and precepts that the Lord,
through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses, had revealed for the guidance
of Israel. But it does not apply to this or any other nation, simply
because they are not of our faith; and in fact, in these days, on
account of their conduct, the term could be more properly applied to
the Jews than to any other people; but it does not apply to them for
they are of the chosen seed. Among the nations of the earth there is a
great mixture, but there are many millions that we shall yet gather
into this Church.
Remember this, O, ye Elders of Israel, and do not apply the term
"Gentile" to a man because he is not baptized. There are some of pure
gentile blood will come into this Church. There are a few already, but
very few. When a person of real gentile blood, through honesty of
heart, submits to the gospel and is baptized and receives the laying
on of hands from a man duly authorized, you might naturally suppose,
from the contortions of the muscles, that such a person had a fit, for
the power of the Holy Ghost falls upon and renovates that rebellious
blood and stirs it up, and perhaps the person thus administered to
falls prostrate on the floor. I have seen this, and it is in
consequence of the power of the Holy Ghost operating upon the power of
the enemy within the individual. Whoever has been in our Councils would never make the application of "Gentile" to a man or
woman, simply because he or she was not baptized, for that has nothing
to do with it either one way or the other. I want the brethren to
learn this, and everything that is useful.
A few words now with reference to the isolation that Bro. Carrington
has been talking about. We have come out from the world that we might
bid farewell to sin; and we are not only the salt of the earth, but we
are the light of the world. Do you suppose that if a man wanted a
light that he would light a candle and put it under a bushel, or where
it could not be seen? No. And do you think that our Father, who has
revealed the way of life and salvation, the path in which every person
should walk in order to gain eternal life, would put that light under
a bushel? No, He has put it in on a candlestick and set it in a place
where it can be seen by the whole world. Are we isolated? No, I do not
think we are. We are right in the great highway from sea to sea. And
instead of the railroad being any detriment to us, all I have to
regret is that they tried to get it on the north side of the Lake; we
want it in this city where it belongs. And that is not all, the
attempt to carry it in that direction is an insult to the people of
this city, for in so doing they have tried to shun us. They would not
have had a telegraph or railroad across the continent, and coaches
would not have run as they do now for one generation yet, if it not
had been for the Latter-day Saints; and for them to try to take it
away from us I look upon as an insult. We do not care about it; we are
in the habit of being insulted and imposed upon. Far from wishing not
to have a railroad, it ought to have been built years ago. When we
came to this valley we never traveled a day with out marking the path
for the road to this place. We anticipated it, and if they had done as
they should have done, instead of going to war and killing each other,
we should have had a railroad long ago.
These are my feelings with regard to the railroad; and whether it
comes through this city or not, it is all right, because God rules,
and He will have things as He pleases. We can act, but He will
overrule. Man proposes, but God disposes. He does it all the time,
and it is all right, just as right as it is for the grasshoppers to
come and teach us what the Lord can do when he opens the windows of
his judgments from His secret chambers. He can chasten or consume a
nation with grasshoppers at His pleasure. If we do not understand it
now, we shall see the time when we shall have to come to the mark, and
shall be able to see and understand the providences of God. He is
teaching us to lay up our breadstuffs. How many of our sisters are
there here who have gone into the field and gleaned wheat, and after
getting it cleaned, instead of laying it up, have taken it to the
stores and sold it for a trifle to buy a tassel, artificial for their
bonnets, a waist ribbon, or some frivolous thing that was of no
earthly use to them? The Lord is going to teach us, and we may as well
begin to understand His providences. The Lord knows what he is doing,
and it is all right.
A few words now, with regard to preaching. The greatest and loudest
sermon that can be preached, or that ever was preached on the face of
the earth, is practice. No other is equal to it. Can we preach to the
world by practice? Yes, we are preaching to them by setting out these
shade trees. When they come here from north, south, east, or west,
they say, "Your city is a perfect paradise, with its streams
of water and beautiful shade trees down every street." Every little
cot, no matter how humble, is encircled with beautiful shade trees;
and they want to know who these people are who take such pride in
beautifying and adorning their city. Why they are the poor "Mormons"
who have been driven into the mountains. I have been driven from a
good, handsome property five times. Many of my brethren have been
served in the same manner. But here we are again, and we are teaching
the people to be industrious, and how to raise their own bread, make
their own clothing and gather around them the fruits of the earth,
that there may be no suffering through our whole community. Is not
this praiseworthy? Yes, it is, and the statesmen of this nation—those
of them who have brains—are looking at the industry of this people;
they admire it. Is this preaching? Yes, and there are many amongst
them that we shall gather in yet. They would come now by thousands and
thousands, if the Latter-day Saints were only popular. "What, these
honorable men?" Yes, they would say, "I want to be baptized. I admire
your industry, and your skill in governing. You have a system of
governing that is not to be found anywhere else. You know how to
govern cities, territories, or a world, and I would like to join you."
But take care, if you join this people without the love of God in your
soul it will do you no good. If they were to do this, they would bring
in their sophistry, and introduce that which would poison the innocent
and honest and lead them astray. I look at this, and I am satisfied
that it will not do for the Lord to make this people popular. Why?
Because all hell would want to be in the church. The people must be
kept where the finger of scorn can be pointed at them. Al though it is
admitted that we are honest, industrious, truthful, virtuous,
self-denying, and, as a community, possess every moral excellence, yet
we must be looked upon as ignorant and unworthy, and as the
offscouring of society, and be hated by the world. What is the reason
of this? Christ and Baal cannot become friends. When I see this
people grow and spread and prosper, I feel that there is more danger
than when they are in poverty. Being driven from city to city or into
the mountains is nothing compared to the danger of our becoming rich
and being hailed by outsiders as a first-class community. I am afraid
of only one thing. What is that? That we will not live our religion,
and that we will partially slide a little from the path of rectitude,
and go part of the way to meet our friends. They say now that if we
will only give up the doctrine of plurality of wives, they will admit
us as a state, and hail us as "a pet state," give us the preference to
all the states, for our industry and prudence.
But hold on, were we driven into the mountains here for polygamy? Were
we drives from York State to Ohio and persecuted and hated for
polygamy? No. Was Joseph Smith persecuted and driven from Pennsylvania
to York State, and from York State to Pennsylvania, with writ after
writ, for polygamy? No; no such thing was ever thought of. When we
were driven from Jackson into Clay, Caldwell and Davis and other
counties, and from there out of the State by the mob, was it for
polygamy? By no means. When we were driven from Nauvoo, after having
made it like the Garden of Eden, was it because polygamy was offensive
to the people? No; they knew nothing of it. Why was it that we were
thus compelled to leave State after State, and ultimately the
United States? "Because you are Mormons, and we hate you." We know the
root and foundation of this hatred. It comes from the pulpit, from
corrupt priests. Say they, "These people possess a union and a power
that we do not possess, and if we let them alone, they will come and
take away our place and nation, and we shall lose our fat livings."
There is where it originated—with priests and deacons, with hounds
professing to be Christians, but who are no better than the devils in
hell. From the pulpit it has spread into political society, and they
all hate us. Why? Because the priesthood of the Son of God is among
this people, and they know that if we are let alone we shall convert
the world and bring it into subjection to the law of Christ. The devil
says, "I have had power over the earth for six thousand years, and do
you think I am going to loose my grasp upon it? No, I will hold it,
and before ever the Latter-day Saints obtain one foot of inheritance
upon it they will have to contest it inch by inch." But we will
contend with him until we gain power and influence sufficient to
convert the world.
I, and every faithful elder in Israel, want the whole of this people to
be Saints in deed, word and feeling; Saints when they are asleep,
Saints when they are awake, when they rise up and when they lie down,
when they go out and when they come in. We want every individual to
live his religion; and if we do this we shall gain influence and the
devil cannot help it; and just as sure as we live our religion will
our influence increase. And in our intercourse with outsiders—do not
call them gentiles—let our example be such as is worthy of imitation;
then everyone among them who is honest will say, "I guess you are
right, I think I will come and stay with you." Thousands of them are
looking right here to the Latter-day Saints. What says the man who has
a daughter that he wants taken care of? Says he, "I will take her to
the Mormons and leave her there, because I know that she will be safe
among them, for the Mormon elders will protect her to the death, yet
they have more wives than one." And if we had not a wife at all we
would protect them to the death, and preserve them inviolate, or we
are not Saints. This cannot be said of other communities. Says the man
who wants to go on a journey and leave his family behind, "I will take
them to the Mormons and leave them there, because I know that they
will be safe." I will just refer you to one gentleman who used to be
here. He said, "Let me be in New York and I want double bolts, and
fire-proof safes, and I want a safe in a safe, and even then I do not
feel safe to have my money there; but when I get into the streets of
Salt Lake City I feel safe." The Latter-day Saints should live so that
this confidence may increase.
I want every man and woman to live in such a way that outsiders who
wish their children taught truth and righteousness will be anxious to
get them into a "Mormon" family. If we will live our religion we will
be honest, truthful and upright in all things, dealing with others as
we wish them to do by us under the same circumstances. If we do this
we will be honored. The devils cannot help but honor us. They may look
from hell and say, "there is a people whom we cannot influence to do
wrong, and we will give up the chase." I want this city to be
sanctified. Let the people live as they should live, devoting
themselves to God and His cause, and this ground is hallowed,
sacred and will be preserved for His Saints, and the power of the
enemy never can get foothold here just as sure as we do it. Can we
extend this? Yes, to other towns, counties, through the Territory, to
other Territories, through the mountains and plains until the earth is
redeemed and sanctified and the people enjoy the rights and privileges
God has designed for them.
Let me say a few words with regard to Zion. We profess to be Zion. If
we are the pure in heart we are so, for Zion is the pure in heart."
Now when Zion is built up and reigns, the question may arise with
some, will all be Latter-day Saints? No. Will there be this variety of
classes and faiths that we now behold? I do not know whether there
will be as many, or whether there will be more. There may be more
societies than 666 for aught I know. But be that as it may, Jesus has
gone to prepare mansions for every creature. Who will go down as "sons
of perdition" and receive the reward of the damned? None but those who
have sinned against the Holy Ghost. All others will be gathered into
kingdoms where there will be a certain amount of peace and glory. Will
the Methodists have their heaven? I will venture to say that John
Wesley, if he never hears the gospel preached in the world of spirits,
will enjoy all the happiness and glory that he ever thought of. And so
it will be with others; I mention him merely because he is a noted
character. In all those kingdoms the people will be as varied as they
are here. In the millennium men will have the privilege of being
Presbyterians, Methodists or Infidels, but they will not have the
privilege of treating the name and character of Deity as they have
done heretofore. No, but every knee shall bow and every tongue confess
to the glory of God the Father that Jesus is the Christ. This is a
strange doctrine to outsiders. But what do they know about the Bible,
heaven, angels or God? Nothing; they have not the least conception
about their true character, although they feel an influence that is
divine, that comes from heaven, which leads them to worship that which
is pure, but they know nothing of Him from whom all good comes.
I have talked long enough for the present. I do hope and pray that the
Latter-day Saints will be Saints indeed. I do not ask God to make you
Saints, for He has done everything that can be done for a fallen
world. I pray you, Latter-day Saints, to live your religion, and may
God help you to do so. Amen.