In rising before you this evening I desire an interest in your prayers
that I may be able to speak to our mutual edification. I realize, most
truly, in my own experience, that it is a very difficult matter to
rise before a congregation of Saints and preach the Gospel without the
assistance of God's Spirit; I do not feel capable of doing it, and I
therefore pray that that Spirit may be enjoyed by us who are here this
evening. I feel that we have had a good and profitable time
today, if we can but treasure up the instructions which have been
given. But the great difficulty is—we are too careless, listless and
unconcerned in relation to what is taught us from time to time; we do
not weigh, with that thought and care that we should do, the
instructions and counsels which we receive. We allow other things to
occupy our minds; the cares of the world, the desire for gain, the
anxiety to promote our own interests and to provide for the
necessities of life choke out the word of God to some extent. This is
too much so with the Latter-day Saints, and it is pre-eminently so
with the world at large. They do not believe the Gospel when they are
taught it, which is the reason that our Elders meet with so little
success abroad. The world has grown so indifferent to the Gospel, that
it is almost impossible to excite inquiry regarding it. Perhaps one
cause of this is that there has been too much teaching and too many
varieties of it, and the minds of the people are unsettled and filled
with speculation regarding the principles of salvation. They see men
preaching various doctrines, hence they conclude that they who claim
to be ministers and presume to preach have neither the authority to do
so, nor the spirit of the Gospel, the knowledge of the truth or the
testimony of Jesus, and they are losing confidence in them. People who
reflect cannot do otherwise, for, however much the various gospels are
taught to the people, nothing but dissatisfaction, doubt and
disappointment result therefrom. There is no prospect, to all earthly
appearance, of their ever arriving at a knowledge of the truth; in
fact, the Christian world today are in exactly the position described
by the ancient Apostle—they have a "form of godliness, but deny the
power thereof;" and "they are ever learning, but never come to the
knowledge of the truth."
But while this is the condition of the world, why should we, who have
received the Gospel, as revealed in our day through Joseph Smith, sink
to a level with them in our faith and actions? Having received the
Gospel, it is our privilege to receive the testimony of the same; and
if we have not, it is our own fault, for it is promised freely to
every man and woman who will obey it; and there is not a son or
daughter of Adam with common reason, but he or she is entitled to a
perfect knowledge of the Gospel of salvation upon rendering obedience
to its requirements; and if all who do so do not receive the promised
blessings, it is their own fault, and not the fault of the Gospel or
its Originator. The Gospel plan is broad and ample, and its Author has
promised that they who seek shall find, and to them that knock the
door shall be opened. James, the Apostle, says, "If any lack wisdom,
let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth
not, and it shall be given him." This is well known in the world, for
the Scriptures are read there, and they are aware of the existence of
these promises; and I presume that many of them endeavor to ask for
what they need in conformity with the teachings of the Scriptures; for
they do certainly realize, to some extent, that they need wisdom and
understanding which they have not, and which seems out of their power
to obtain. But why do they not get what they ask for? The promise is
very pointed, and is given in language that cannot be mistaken. James
explains this. Says he, "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind
and tossed." "For let not that man think that he shall receive
anything of the Lord." But he who asks in a proper manner, who humbles
himself before the Lord like a little child before its earthly parent,
and is willing to trust in God, and comes before him doubting nothing,
that man, or that woman, will receive what he or she shall ask for.
God has said it; He has promised it by the mouths of His servants,
the Prophets and the Apostles, and the promise is sure and unfailing;
and if there is any fault, it is on our part, and through our own lack
of faith, meekness and humility before the Lord.
The Apostle James says that "ye ask and receive not, because ye ask
amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." We may ask blessings
of the Lord, from now to all eternity, and if we ask with pride and
ambition in our hearts, and with a desire to increase our worldly
possessions for our own aggrandizement, God will not grant what we
ask. Hence the necessity of learning how to approach our Creator, and
of asking Him according to the way He has appointed.
When we meet together it is for the purpose of listening and being
instructed and uniting our hearts in prayer to God, not as
individuals, but as a community, that by our combined supplications we
may obtain from His hands that which we need. We do not come together,
as some do, to admire fashionable attire; but we meet to worship God,
and to be instructed regarding the principles of salvation, that we
may be strengthened and encouraged in the prosecution of the labors
devolving upon us, in overcoming the evils of our own fallen natures
and bringing ourselves into subjection to the law of God. Those who
come together for this purpose will receive their reward.
There are evils in the midst of Israel as well as in the world,
arising from pride and neglect of duty. Many have no anxiety for
anything but the things of the world. A man, for instance, has a farm
and flocks, and they engross his whole time and attention. If he does
take a little time to rest from his toils in the field and attends
meeting, he comes drowsy and thoughtless, and leaves no better than
when he came. He has learned nothing; in fact he did not come to be
taught. He came, perhaps, simply because it was customary, or because
some of his family or neighbors came, and not because he felt any
interest in being there himself. If an angel should address a
congregation of such individuals, his words would have no effect. The
words of an angel would have no effect on the minds of women who
attend meeting to look at the bonnets of their neighbors, or to see
how the fashions change, any more than upon the minds of men who do
the same thing for form's sake. Such persons have no conception of
truth, and have no place for its reception; it is shut out from their
understanding, and they sit like figure heads, and derive no benefit
from the instructions of the servants of God. So far as their
influence goes, if they have any, it is as a damper thrown upon those
around them.
I do not believe it would be necessary to preach so much to the
Saints, as it now appears to be, if we lived our religion, and would
exercise one-tenth part of the faith that we should exercise for our
own good and the good of Israel; but, under present circumstances, it
seems to be absolutely necessary to preach day after day and week
after week to the Saints to keep them anywhere within the bounds of
the Gospel. We are so easily led astray, so easily benumbed and
chilled in our perceptions of truth. If there ever was a time that we needed to live the religion of Jesus Christ it is at the
present. We should begin to realize that every man and woman is an
agent, and exercises a certain amount of influence in the sphere in
which he or she moves. Parents have an influence over their children;
children have an influence over each other; neighbor has an influence
with neighbor; and although we may not perceive that our example has
any influence or weight, I assure you many times injury has been done
by acts that we regarded as trifling through the influence they had
upon our neighbors or children. Who can tell the result of a promise,
made and not kept, by a father to his child? Will the child grow up in
the belief that the father and mother guilty of this practice, mean
what they say, or that they say one thing and mean another? From the
conduct of the parents in this respect the child is very likely to
take license to follow their example, and perhaps to do worse. Who can
tell how long evils of this nature will tell upon children,
transmitted through them to their posterity? Yet we see fathers and
mothers set an example before their children which they themselves
condemn and warn their children against. The inconsistent conduct of
parents has a tendency to blunt the sensibilities of children, and to
lead them from the way of life and salvation, for if parents teach
their children principles which they do not practice themselves, that
teaching is not likely to have much weight or effect, except for evil.
We do not look at and reflect upon these things as we should. What
will a child, when he begins to reflect, think of a parent who,
professing to believe that the Word of Wisdom is part of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, and has been given by revelation, violates it every day
of his life? He will grow up to believe that his parent is a hypocrite
and without faith in the Gospel. They who take such a course incur
fearful responsibilities. We cannot be too consistent in our course,
neither can we be too faithful in fulfilling promises.
What confidence would you have in a man who will tell you, "Tomorrow
morning I will pay you what I owe you;" but when tomorrow morning
comes he does not fulfil his word? You meet him during the day and
says he, "Brother, I forgot all about that little matter, but I will
call in the morning." The morning comes, but he does not come, and so
it passes on day after day, and that promise remains unredeemed. You
may extend this to any other promise or profession. If men are
untruthful and fail to meet their obligations, you come finally to the
conclusion that they are dishonest and all confidence is lost in them.
They cannot be trusted in anything, and you are compelled to regard
them as little else than liars and swindlers, and you avoid having
anything to do with them. Yet there are such men who have been down
into the waters of baptism for the remission of sin, and have
covenanted with God to forsake every evil. What does such a profession
of repentance amount to? No mouth profession of repentance is
acceptable to God unless it is carried out in practice. We must have
works as well as faith; we must do as well as pretend to do. The
majority of the Latter-day Saints that have been gathered to these
valleys any length of time have made covenants with God that they will
keep His commandments, and walk in the counsels of the Almighty at all
hazards; yet many, nevertheless, continually dabble in the
contemptible customs of corrupt and degenerate human nature. Instead
of raising themselves to the standard of the Gospel, they are
content to descend to the level of the wicked and corrupt. Many of the
Elders of Israel who have responsibilities resting upon them, with
which they will find they cannot trifle with impunity, are taking this
course all the time. What wonder, then, that the Spirit of the Lord is
grieved? What wonder that the Latter-day Saints need to be preached to
continually? It is no wonder to me when I contemplate the condition of
the people of these valleys, and especially Salt Lake City, Ogden, and
our cities contiguous to the railways.
What is to become of us, if we are to give way to every temptation,
and ape every poor skunk that comes from the world? I mean those who
do not regard themselves as gentlemen; I do not mean men who profess
to be gentlemen and who carry out their professions, and there are
many such in the world. I now have reference to that class who do not
scruple to do any mean thing to serve their purposes or gratify their
desires. Some of us, I regret to say, feel to follow their examples in
our dealings, habits and customs. What will God do with us? What are
we worth? What will we come to? What will God Almighty make of us?
What kind of an exaltation, glory and reward will we gain if this is
the height of our ambition and the strength of our morality, integrity
and stamina in the cause of Jesus Christ? It will be said to such,
"Depart from me, ye cursed, I never knew you." "What, Lord, never knew
me? Why, I am Elder B—. I lived at Ogden, or Salt Lake City, and
associated with Thy servant Brigham, with the Apostles, and with the
Elders of the Church. I bore the Holy Priesthood; I have healed the
sick by the laying on of hands; I have cast out devils in Thy name,
and you don't know me?" "No, I don't know you; depart from me,
ye
cursed." "Why?" "Because you are a hypocrite, a liar, a sophist,
a
poor, weak, miserable creature, who didn't live near to God and had
not strength to overcome the follies and weaknesses of your own
nature, but were ready and willing to fall right into the habits and
follies of the people from the midst of whom you were gathered that
you might escape their plagues and the destruction to which they were
doomed."
I would not give much for a man that could not be a Latter-day Saint
in one place as well as another. If a man cannot be a Latter-day Saint
in the mountains, canyons and fields, or in the midst of strangers, as
well as at home under the droppings of the sanctuary in the midst of
his brethren, he has not got the pure metal in him, and the time will
come when he will be tried and will fall, just as sure as he lives. I
want to see men live their religion everywhere, and while performing
every kind of labor. The idea is quite prevalent with a certain class
of Latter-day Saints, that if they engage in mining they must adopt
all the habits of the miner—they must swear a little, swagger a great
deal, drink liquor, tea and coffee, because they are in the mountains
mining, as was the case at our drill to some extent. For the first two
or three meals the tea or coffee was scarcely thought of; but before
the camp broke up I noticed several good brethren who never missed
having tea or coffee at their meals, and they endeavored to justify
themselves because they were on a campaign. I enjoyed my cup of cold
water while there, and had as good health as any of them. I don't
believe that wrong is right anywhere. God has said it is wrong to take
hot or strong drinks. I believe that He meant what He said,
and that it applies to me today, tomorrow, next week, and through my
whole life, whether in the canyons or at home, or wherever my lot may
be cast. I also believe that it applies to the whole Church, that no
man or woman can consistently rear a family in the Church unless they
will strictly observe these counsels of God given for the guidance and
salvation of all Saints. I believe that men and women who are rearing
families and neglect these things incur fearful responsibilities.
God has given much to us, and He will require much at our hands. He
has restored the Gospel with its gifts, blessings and powers; He has
restored the Holy Priesthood, and has organized His Church on the
earth; He has deigned to acknowledge His people, and has signally
blessed them since the Church was organized to the present moment. We
have professed to receive that Gospel, acknowledged the name of God,
and have been gathered out from the nations of the earth for the
purpose of being purified ourselves, that we may have power to save
our children, setting before them worthy examples, and rearing them in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord, so that God may have a pure
and righteous people, whom he will delight to acknowledge and honor.
This is one object of our gathering together; but take heed lest,
through our unfaithfulness over the little God has imparted unto us,
He will be unable to bestow the great blessings which He has in store
for the faithful. The Lord will give to those who merit. His
compassion is turned to us continually, but we do not realize it.
I rejoice in being able to testify to you that we have received the
Gospel that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and that he was
instrumental in the hands of God in revealing principles that are
calculated to unite the whole human family in the bonds of fellowship,
brotherhood and love, and making of them one people, with one King, on
the face of the earth. I know this, and I bear my testimony to it, as
one having received a knowledge thereof, for I do know that this is
true. But, notwithstanding this knowledge, salvation depends upon
ourselves; we are agents, and can choose or reject the Gospel, follow
the examples of the Savior or Lucifer. It is left optional with us. We
are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, and have the
privilege of attaining to glory and exaltation in the kingdom where
Jesus and the sanctified dwell, but it is left optional with us to
choose or refuse. God has declared that He will require nothing at our
hands but what He will enable us to perform. If He asks and requires
duties of us that are difficult for us to perform, looking at them
naturally, He will give us power to accomplish them. But unless we are
worthy, and use all the energy and intelligence that we possess
naturally, the promise on His part will not be fulfilled, because it
is made on conditions that we do our part.
I would now warn my brethren and sisters to look well to their ways in
future, and to let their words and examples be such as to ensure upon
them the blessing and approval of God. If they profess to be
Latter-day Saints and desire to continue steadfast, they should prove
before God and their brethren that they have repented of their sins
with a repentance that needs not to be repented of; for if we repent
only in profession and say that we are Latter-day Saints when we are
not, it is a mockery before God, and we incur the penalty for
hypocrisy which will be awarded to us sooner or later.
He called forth the Prophet Joseph Smith in this dispensation to be
His agent in establishing His Gospel upon the earth, that the honest
in heart, like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is over, might
be gathered out as the Apostle John beheld in vision while on the Isle
of Patmos. He saw an angel flying through the midst of heaven, crying
aloud, "Come out of her, O, my people." The same great truth is also
contained in the revelations given through the Prophet Joseph, and the
Saints are being gathered from the uttermost parts of the earth that
they may receive the ordinances and blessings of the Gospel, that they
may be prepared to rear, to the name of God, temples and cities and
communities worthy of His continual blessings and favors.
This is the work before the Saints; and the residue of the inhabitants
of the earth will be visited with the judgments of the Almighty, and
"Babylon the mother of harlots," will fall to rise no more. I tell
you, in the name of Israel's God, that this world and its inhabitants
are doomed; their doom is sealed, and the only way of escape is the
Gospel of the Son of God, the door to which is baptism for the
remission of sins, after repenting of and forsaking every practice
that tends to degrade and degenerate the human race. Nothing but this
will save the world from the doom that is hanging over it, which God
has decreed shall be poured out upon it. When the testimony of His
servants has gone forth in the midst of its inhabitants.
They are first to be warned by the testimony of His servants,
afterwards by the voice of thunders and lightnings, earthquakes,
famines, pestilence and devastation; and He will send them in their
midst until they are wasted away, whether the world believe it or not;
they may laugh the declaration to scorn and derision, and regard it as
fanaticism; but that little stone seen by the Prophet Daniel, which
was taken out of the mountains without hands, is beginning to roll,
and it will as surely break in pieces the great image, as that the
great image exists. The kingdom of God exists, and it will become a
great mountain and fill the whole earth, just as Daniel foresaw. I am
a witness to this, and so are the Latter-day Saints. We do know that
God has revealed these things, and all who desire can test what we
say, and prove whether we speak of ourselves, or are commanded of God.
The path is clear, so that all may know whether we speak the truth and
have received the Holy Ghost and the Gospel of the Son of God or
not—repent of your sins by forsaking them; be baptized by one having
authority, for the remission of sins, and have hands laid on you for
the gift of the Holy Ghost, and you shall know whether the doctrine we
preach is true or false, and whether or not this is, as we say, the
only way in which man can obtain eternal life. We invite all men to
walk in this path, and we are fearless as to the result, for in my own
experience, in hundreds and thousands of instances, I have received a
witness and testimony that this is the truth. Thousands of Latter-day
Saints can bear the same testimony, and we desire that all the honest
in heart may receive this testimony, and know for themselves. I bear
this testimony for the benefit of those who know not, but desire to
gain a knowledge of the truth; and also for the benefit of the weak,
if there be any here, who may be called Latter-day Saints. I have
borne this testimony to strangers abroad, and I do it here for your
encouragement. Amen.
- Joseph F. Smith