I wish to say to those who are called to go on the Southern mission,
that I expect some of them cannot conveniently go; if so, they can be
excused just as others have been. I think we called about one hundred
and seventy-five one year ago to go on the Southern mission. Of those
who responded to that call and went south, twelve or fifteen stayed;
the rest have returned, I do not know whether to see their mothers or
not. We hope a few will go out of this company, and a few of those
will return who were called last year. We have our reasons for
requesting the brethren to go into those new settlements; if they do
not know the reasons now, let them wait until they do. We calculate to
spread abroad, and when we have settled one valley we calculate to
settle another. We are settling north, south, east and west, and we
mean to keep it up. There are some who will be excused. One of the
brethren has excused him self on the ground that he is building
himself a barn. Now, this is so reasonable that I think we will excuse
him, at any rate until he gets it finished. Perhaps we will find some
who have married wives, others who have bought a yoke of oxen, and
because of this they cannot go.
There is no necessity for the brethren hurrying away. They can go down
this Fall, tarry through the Winter, and be prepared for the Spring.
We shall excuse those who ought to be excused, and especially if they
are building barns. As for those who have been there and have left, we
expect to see the time that they will wish they had stayed there; and
that those who have been called and have not gone will wish they had
done so.
There are a few items I wish to lay before the Conference before we
dismiss, which I think we shall do when we get through our meeting
this afternoon. One of these items is to present to the congregation
the Deseret Alphabet. We have now many thousands of small books,
called the first and second readers, adapted to school purposes, on
the way to this city. As soon as they arrive we shall distribute them
throughout the Territory. We wish to introduce this alphabet into our
schools, consequently we give this public notice. We have been
contemplating this for years. The advantages of this alphabet will
soon be realized, especially by foreigners. Brethren who come here
knowing nothing of the English language will find its acquisition
greatly facilitated by means of this alphabet, by which all the sounds
of the language can be represented and expressed with the greatest
ease. As this is the grand difficulty foreigners experience in
learning the English language, they will find a knowledge of this
alphabet will greatly facilitate their efforts in acquiring at least a
partial English education. It will also be very advantageous to our
children. It will be the means of introducing uniformity in our
orthography, and the years that are now required to learn to read and
spell can be devoted to other studies.
I wish to call the attention of our sisters to our Relief Societies.
We are happy to say that many of them have done a great deal. We wish
them to continue and progress. During this Conference, many of the
ladies have worn very nice straw hats of home manufacture. This is
commendable, and this course should be persevered in, until our hats
and dresses are the workmanship of our own hands. To my view no
trimming for a hat looks more beautiful than a nice straw rosette, bow
or button; it looks better than a feather or artificial flower. In our
Relief Societies we wish to introduce many improvements. We wish our
sisters of experience to teach the young girls not to be so anxious
for the gratification of their imaginary wants, but to confine
themselves more to their real necessities. Fancy has no bounds, and I
often think it is without form and comeliness. We are too apt to give
way to the imagination of our hearts, but if we will be guided by
wisdom, our judgment will be corrected, and we will find that we can
improve very much. We can improve the language we use. I want my
children to use better language than I sometimes use. Still, I have
thought as the prophet Joseph has said, when you speak to a people or
person you must use language to represent your ideas, so that they
will be remembered. When you wish the people to feel what you say, you
have got to use language that they will remember, or else the ideas
are lost to them. Consequently, in many in stances we use
language that we would rather not use. When talking to a refined
people we should use refined language. When we become perfectly
civilized we will leave off every harsh expression. We should correct
our children in these matters, and teach them good language. I would
like to urge upon my brethren and sisters the necessity of doing this.
We should instill into the minds of our children good ideas and
principles. If we teach them that there are prophets and apostles now
on the earth, we shall teach them the truth. If we teach them that the
Bible is true, it will be very wholesome for them to believe; but
instead of teaching them that it requires a spiritual explanation, by
men not endowed with the Spirit of God, teach them that such a notion
is incorrect, and that if the word of God does not mean what it says,
no man or woman can explain it without a direct revelation from
Heaven.
We wish to introduce into this community manufactures and
manufacturing so thoroughly that the people will consider themselves
under obligation to feed and clothe themselves. Many of us are in the
habit of doing only just what we like to do or of sitting with our
arms folded, trusting to others to feed and clothe us. It is the duty
of the husband to provide for the wife or wives and children, and it
is the duty of the wife or wives and children to assist the husband
and father all they can. If it is required of the father or husband to
furnish his wives and children with flour, it is equally required of
the wives, sisters and daughters to be careful in the use of that
flour and see that it is not wasted. If it is the duty of the husband
or father to furnish his family with cloth to dress themselves, it is
their duty to see that that cloth is cut and made prudently and not
wasted. It is a disgrace to a community to drag their cloth in the
dirt. How many women are there here today who walked to this
Tabernacle without throwing dirt every step they took, not only on
themselves but upon those who walked near them? I shun them; when I
see them coming I try to make my way in some other direction in order
to avoid their dust. I can get enough of it without receiving it from
them. If there is a nuisance in the path, they are sure to wipe up a
portion of it with their dress, and then trail it on to their carpet
or into the bedrooms and distribute it through the house. This is a
disgrace to them. It is not the duty of my brethren to buy cloth to be
dragged through these streets, and the wife or daughter who will not
cease dragging her dress through them, ought to have it cut shorter. I
have borne it and so have my brethren until duty demands that we put a
stop to it. I have politely expostulated with my wives and daughters
on this subject. I have asked them if they think it looks nice, and
have been told that it did, their reason for thinking so being that
somebody else wore it so. That is all the argument that can be brought
in its favor. There is no reason in the world why a dress looks well
trailing through the streets.
On the other hand I will say, ladies, if we ask you to make your
dresses a little shorter, do not be extravagant and cut them so short
that we can see the tops of your stockings. Bring them down to the top
of your shoes, and have them so that you can walk and clear the dust,
and do not expose your persons. Have your dresses neat and comely, and
conduct yourselves, in the strictest sense of the word, in chastity.
If you do this you set a good example before the rising
generation. Use good language, wear comely clothing and act in all
things so that you can respect yourselves and respect each other. We
wish you to remember and carry out these counsels.
Can you, ladies, manufacture bonnets for yourselves and daughters, and
hats for your husbands, sons and brothers? Yes, you can, and save us
scores of thousands of dollars.
I wonder if there is any person in our community who understands the
manufacture of silk. We have some raw silk on hand that could be
manufactured if we can find persons who understand the business. I am
now building a house that will be sufficient to contain a million
worms another year, it is a hundred feet long in the clear, and twenty
broad. I calculate to fill it with worms next season, and make silk. I
am going to invite some of the brethren to make up this silk into
thread, and to color it and weave it. We can make our own thread and
twist as easily as we can buy it. I have never seen better sewing silk
than I once bought of a sister here, of her own manufacture. I would
like to find somebody who knows how to manage the worms, and to
double, twist, reel and weave the silk.
By ceasing the foolish practice of which we have so long been
guilty—namely, trading off our produce at the stores for every little
thing we have thought we needed—we shall drive ourselves to the
necessity of sustaining ourselves. If we take this course and live our
religion, do you think we will be respected? Yes. We are frequently
told that the world is increasing in wickedness. We want the Saints to
increase in goodness, until our mechanics, for instance, are so honest
and reliable that this Railroad Company will say, "Give us a Mormon
elder for an engineer, then none need have the least fear to ride, for
if he knows there is danger he will take every measure necessary to
preserve the lives of those entrusted to his care." I want to see our
elders so full of integrity that they will be preferred by this
Company for their engine builders, watchmen, engineers, clerks and
business managers. If we live our religion and are worthy the name of
Latter-day Saints, we are just the men that all such business can be
entrusted to with perfect safety; if it cannot it will prove that we
do not live our religion.
A few words with regard to our Emigration Fund. We are going to
continue our donations to this fund. We started our new subscriptions
here on Tuesday night, and what do you think they amounted to? To two
thousand dollars. That was a pretty good beginning. How many names do
you think it took for that sum? Just two—a thousand dollars each. Now,
sisters, do as you did last year—save the money you usually spend in
tea and coffee and ribbons, and let us have it to send for the poor.
We did remarkably well last year, though our prospects were not very
flattering at the start. On the 1st of February, the time we thought
of sending our agents East, we had nine thousand dollars, but on the
17th of the same month when brothers Clawson and Staines started we
had a little over twenty-nine thousand. When the brethren said, "How
dare you think of sending for the poor, we are getting no means?" I
replied, "We will send for them and trust in God for the means." And
the means came in fast. The brethren and sisters brought in their five
dollars, their tens, fifties, hundreds, and their thousands, and the
poor were gathered. The Walker Brothers gave a thousand dollars, and
they will be blest for it, if we do not wish to trade with
them. Others of our merchants also contributed liberally. The poor are
deserving of it. Why? Because from them they got their means. The
merchants of this city have got hundreds of thousands of dollars from
the poor, and if they give a little back to them it is no more than
their due.
How our friends, the outside merchants will complain because we are
going to stop trading with them! We cannot help it. It is not our
duty to do it. Our policy in this respect, hitherto, has been one of
the most foolish in the world. Henceforth it must be to let this trade
alone, and save our means for other purposes than to enrich outsiders.
We must use it to spread the Gospel, to gather the poor, build
temples, sustain our poor, build houses for ourselves, and convert
this means to a better use than to give it to those who will use it
against us.
We have talked to the brethren and sisters a great deal with regard to
sustaining ourselves and ceasing this outside trade. Now what say you,
are you for it as well as we? Are we of one heart and one mind on this
subject? We can get what we wish by sending to New York for it
ourselves, as well as letting others send for us. We have skill and
ability to trade for all we need; and if we have to send abroad we can
send our agents to buy and bring home what we need. My feelings are
that every man and woman who will not obey this counsel shall be
severed from the Church, and let all who feel as I do lift up the
right hand. [The vote was unanimous.] That is a pretty good vote. You
who feel otherwise have the privilege of lifting up your hand to
signify the same. I guess it was pretty nigh right. Joseph used to
say, "When you get the Latter-day Saints to agree on any point, you
may know it is the voice of God." I knew this before, but now it is
proven to the whole people.
Will the nation find fault with us for this? No. Will the commercial
world find fault? No; they will say, "This is the first trait in the
'Mormon' character we ever saw worthy of notice; it is praiseworthy,
and they will be blessed." That is what they will say. Why there is
scarcely a decent man comes here but what says "Why don't you
'Mormons' do your own trading? Why do you sustain outsiders? It is the
most impolitic thing you can do."
I wish to say to the Conference that for one I feel well satisfied
with our labors. We have labored diligently to sanctify ourselves and
the people. If we succeed in doing this we shall be prepared to
inherit life everlasting in the presence of our Father. I will say to
all people, to those in the church and to those out, I want it
distinctly understood that if we, that is myself, my counselors and my
brethren the Twelve Apostles, and all who are heart and hand with us,
can succeed in getting this people to come together in their feelings
to sustain themselves and let other people alone, it will be one of
the proudest days of our lives. We spread this to the world. Would to
God that we had influence enough to induce all the inhabitants of the
earth to listen to and obey the voice of God through his servants, to
repent of their sins, be baptized for their remission and live to the
glory of God that they might receive eternal life. I pray that this
may be our lot, and I ask it in the name of Jesus.
This Conference is now adjourned until the 6th of next April.