In February, 1831, just after the organization of the Church, we
received a revelation through Joseph Smith, commanding the members of
the Church to let the beauty of their garments be the workmanship of
their own hands. It reads as follows: "And again, thou shalt not be
proud in thy heart; let all thy garments be plain, and their beauty
the beauty of the work of thine own hands; and let all things be done
in cleanliness before me. Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle
shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer." This
revelation was given almost forty years ago, but slowly, very slowly,
have we advanced in fulfilling it; and it really seems that some of
the first commandments given to the Church are amongst the last
obeyed. I realize the reason of this, when reflecting upon the great
work to be done in molding the children of God, gathered from the
various nations and denominations, with all their prejudices,
traditions, and varied habits of living. They come here filled with
ideas averse to those of God and differing from each other; and under
these circumstances it is difficult for them to arrive at a oneness in
their associations—to use an expression common amongst us at the
present—it is difficult for them to cooperate to build up Zion in the
last days. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, was three hundred and
sixty-five years preparing the people, before the saying went forth:
"Zion has fled." "Enoch was 25 years old when he was ordained under
the hand of Adam, and he was 65 and Adam blessed him, and he saw the
Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face continually; and
he walked with God 365 years, making him 430 years old when he was
translated." Doc. and Cov., sec. 3, par. 24. Three hundred and
sixty-five years teaching and instructing the people, and setting
examples before them, and forming a city that should be a model city
of Zion. It was in an age when men lived longer, and when,
peradventure, they had not become so full of tradition as at
the present day; yet when we consider the time that it took Enoch to
accomplish this work, we have every reason to rejoice at the progress
of Zion at the present time. Most of the efforts we have made to
advance the cause of Zion we have been able to carry through
successfully. For instance, when in the temple of the Lord at Nauvoo,
we entered into a covenant that we would, to the extent of our
influence and property, do all in our power to help our poor brethren
and sisters in emancipating themselves from tyranny and oppression,
that they might come to the mountains, where they could enjoy
religious liberty. Just as soon as food was raised in this Valley this
work continued, and every effort and energy was used to fulfil this
covenant. It required unity of effort, but it has been a success.
Roads had to be constructed, bridges built, ways sought out,
mountains, as it were, torn down, deserts turned into fruitful fields,
and savages more wild than the mountain gorges they inhabit
conciliated and controlled, and all this to effect a purpose. But it
has been done by unity of effort, and hundreds and thousands of
Latter-day Saints rejoice in the fact.
We extended our work of gathering the Saints across the mighty deep,
and aided the poor brethren in Europe, continuing our donations in
money, and, in addition to this, we went with our hundred, two
hundred, three hundred or five hundred teams annually across the great
desert plains, to bring home to Zion those who desired to be gathered.
This was done by cooperation, by unity and a determined purpose.
It appears that we have gathered many to Zion who do not fully
appreciate the great work of these days—namely, to place the people of
God in a condition that they can sustain themselves, against the time
that Babylon the Great shall fall. Some will say that it is ridiculous
to suppose that Babylon, the "Mother of Harlots," is going to fall.
Ridiculous as it may seem, the time will come when no man will buy her
merchandise, and when the Latter-day Saints will be under the
necessity of providing for themselves, or going without. "This may be
a wild idea," but it is no more wild or wonderful than what has
already transpired, and that before our eyes. When we are counseled to
"provide for your wants within yourselves," we are only told to prepare
for that day. When we are told, "Unite your interests and establish
every variety of business that may be necessary to supply your wants,"
we are only told to lay a plan to enjoy liberty, peace and plenty.
Many years ago efforts were made on the part of the Presidency to
extend the settlements into the warm valleys south of the rim of the
Basin. The country was very forbidding and sterile. Many were invited
and called upon to go and settle there. Numbers went, but many of them
returned disheartened; but the mass of those who went, confident that
the blessings of God would be upon their labors, pushed forth their
exertions and built up towns, cities and villages; they established
cotton fields and erected factories, and supplied many wants which
could not be supplied within the rim of the Basin.
It has been my lot to visit these regions recently, and I have felt to
rejoice to see the kind spirit, genial dispositions and warm hearts
that were manifested in all those settlements, where men and women had
taken hold with all their hearts to obey the commandments of God, and
to lay a foundation for Zion to become self-sustaining. I feel that
those who have turned away from that country and swerved from
the mission assigned them there have lost a great and glorious
blessing, which it will be exceedingly difficult for them ever to
regain. I am exceedingly gratified at the progress which has been made
in that country, and I realize that our brethren, from year to year,
are becoming more and more united.
Some tell us that we want capital, and that we should send abroad and
get men to come here with money to build factories. This is not what
we need. If the cotton lord and the millionaire come here and hire you
to build factories and pay you their money for their work, when the
factory is erected they own it, and they set their price upon your
labor and your wool or cotton—they have dominion over you. But if, by
your own efforts and exertions, you cooperate together and build a
factory it is your own. You are the lords of the land, and if fortunes
are made the means is yours and it is used to oppress no one. The
profits are divided among those whose labor produced it, and will be
used to build up the country. Hence it is not capital, that is, it is
not so much money that is needed. It is unity of effort on the part of
the bone, sinew, skill and ingenuity which we have in our midst, and
which, in whatever enterprise has been attempted hitherto, under the
direction of the servants of the Lord, with whole-souled unity on the
part of the people, has proved successful. Let us be diligent in these
things. Why send abroad for our cloth when we have the necessary means
and skill to manufacture it for ourselves? Why not let these mountains
produce the fine wool? And why not let the low valleys produce the
silk, flax, and all other articles that are necessary which it is
possible to produce within the range of our climate, and thus secure
to ourselves independence? I am very well aware that this has looked,
and to many still looks, a wild undertaking; but that which has been
accomplished gives abundant evidence of what may be. If we continue to
import our hats, bonnets, boots, shoes and clothing, and send away all
the gold, silver and currency that we can command to pay for them, we
shall ever remain dependent upon the labor of others for many of the
actual necessaries of life. If, on the other hand, we devise means to
produce them from the elements by our own labor we keep our money at
home, and it can be used for other and more noble purposes, and we
become independent.
Some may say, "We are willing that you should preach faith and
repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins, but we do not want
you to have anything to say about business matters." No idea could be
more delusive; this oversight in temporal matters being indispensably
necessary; for the Latter-day Saints have been gathered from the old
settled nations of the earth and are unacquainted with the manner of
life in new and sparsely settled countries. An intelligent citizen of
Provo, on his arrival in this country, came to my garden to work; he
undertook to set out some vegetables—onions, carrots, and parsnips,
and he set every one of them wrongside up. My wife went out, and,
seeing what he was doing, she said, "You are foolish." "Why so?"
said
he, "I thought I was pretty smart." "Why you have planted these things
all wrong end up." "Have I, I did not know any better. I never saw
such things planted before." That man became a wealthy farmer. But he
had to learn; he had never seen a carrot planted to produce seed in
his life, and did not realize which end up to put it in the
ground. We have tens of thousands of men, women and children who have
had to learn how to get a living in this country, who perhaps had
spent their days in painting a tea cup, turning a bowl, weaving a
ribbon or spinning a thread, and knew nothing else. Here they have had
to work at several kinds of work at once, and had to learn how, and it
required all the power, energy and influence of the Elders of Israel
to instruct them and tell them how to live. I have been astonished at
the patience, perseverance, determination and incessant labor of
President Young in giving these instructions—telling men how to build
mills and houses, so that they would not fall over their own heads;
telling them how to yoke cattle, harness horses, how to make fences,
and, in fact, how to do almost every kind of business.
There are very few in our midst now who know how to make good bread. I
advise the ladies' relief societies to teach all the sisters to make
first-class bread. Many of them do not know how; and let every sister
in Israel be thankful for instruction in relation to cooking or any
other useful information that can be imparted unto her. Do not let
pride and independence make you feel that you know how to do
everything. There are a great many things that the smartest among us
do not know how to do; then we should be anxious and willing to be
taught, and go to work and learn.
Much of the sickness which is amongst our children is the result of
improperly prepared food. We raise choice wheat; our millers make good
flour, yet in many instances bread is so prepared that it is heavy and
unpalatable, causing disease of the stomach and bowels, with which
many of our little ones are afflicted, and find rest in premature
graves. Give the children good light bread that they may be healthy.
Brethren and sisters, may the blessings of Israel's God be upon you
and may you continue to improve in everything useful and good. Seek
after the Lord with all your hearts. Cooperate in building factories,
importing merchandise and machinery, taking care of your cattle, and
in every kind of business. Remember that, "United we stand, divided we
fall."
May God bless you forever. Amen.
- George A. Smith