We have now been together in a Conference capacity for four days. It
seems a very short time; we would like to stay a little longer, if it
were prudent. This is the place to give general instruction to the
Latter-day Saints. It is good when the Saints meet together to look at
each other, to hear the brethren bear testimony of the truth and to
feel the fellowship of the Holy Ghost. This makes our hearts joyful
and glad. It will be prudent for us now to bring our Conference to a
close, and, after I have spent a few minutes in speaking, we shall
adjourn until the 6th of next October, at ten o'clock in the morning,
at this place.
There are many things which we would like to talk about; I would like
to do a great deal of talking if I had the opportunity and were able
to do so. There are many little items pertaining to what are called
temporal matters, which it would be well for the people to understand
in order to promote their happiness here on the earth and to aid them
in securing eternal salvation. It is not those who are hearers of the
word only who are blessed and who secure to themselves the blessings
of eternal life; they who secure eternal life are doers of the word as
well as hearers. If we hear the word and do not perform the labors
indicated by it, it will profit us nothing. To hear the word,
as the Latter-day Saints do, and then to perform the labor devolving
upon them, requires a great deal of wisdom; and to bring the people up
to this standard much labor and instruction from the Elders is
necessary.
If we can remember what we have heard at this Conference, and carry it
out in our lives, it will profit us. I hope and trust that we may. Let
us apply our hearts to the wisdom that has been exhibited before the
Conference, and observe the little duties of everyday life, that we
may be prepared to receive more. It is not possible for a person to
learn all the will of God in an hour, a day, or a week; it requires
much time and attention to do this. The Lord gives a little here and a
little there, a precept now and a precept again, and by close
observance of these things in our lives we grow in grace and in a
knowledge of the truth.
We are thankful for the privilege of talking a little. We ought all to
be very thankful that we have the privilege of the Gospel and of the
ordinances of the house of God, for by applying them to the duties of
life we can increase in knowledge, wisdom and understanding. We are
thankful to see the increase that there is in the midst of the people.
You very well know that it is said by many of those who wish to
traduce the character of the Latter-day Saints that we are a poor,
miserable, ignorant people. If we are, there is a great chance for
improvement. We will acknowledge that we are very ignorant, and that
the Lord has taken the weak things of the world to confound the wisdom
of the wise. He has picked up the poor of the earth and brought them
together, because they seek after him; while the hearts of the rich
and the proud, the high and the noble, are lifted up, and they cannot
hearken to the principles of the Gospel and receive them and obey
them. They feel themselves too good; they know too much; while the
poor and needy, those who suffer from hunger and nakedness, and from
hard labor and taskmasters, are the ones who naturally seek after the
Lord. The Lord is just as willing to bless and to pour out his Spirit
upon the king on the throne as upon the beggar in the street; but the
king has sufficient—he does not feel after the Lord; but the beggar
cries unto the Lord for his daily bread. Hence the Lord gathers the
poor. When we are gathered together, if we will improve ourselves by
and by we will be filled with wisdom.
When we look at the Latter-day Saints and remember that they have been
taken from the coal pits, from the ironworks, from the streets, from
the kitchens and from the barns and factories and from hard service in
the countries where they formerly lived, we cannot wonder at their
ignorance. But when they are brought together they soon become
scholars. Many of them become farmers and merchants, and they soon
learn to procure a sustenance for themselves and families, and gather
around them the necessaries and comforts of life. They also learn the
object of their being, of the creation of the earth, and how to
organize the elements so as to subserve their own wants and
necessities. This is a blessing, and we are proud to see the industry
of the Latter-day Saints, and also their improvements and
faithfulness. If we are ignorant, let us become wise; if we are poor,
let us gather around us the comforts of life. I look around among my
brethren and I see scholars. The world say we are ignorant; we
acknowledge it, but we are not as ignorant as they are, although they
have had opportunities of education perhaps that many of our
brethren have not had. We study from the great book of nature. We are
driven to this of necessity. Where is there another people who have
done what this people have done in these mountains, by way of making
improvements in their own midst—upon the soil and in their cities and
towns. They are not to be found on the face of the earth. If this is
not intelligence—if this is not good, hard, sound sense, I wish
somebody would come and teach us a little. If we are taken from the
poor, ignorant, low and degraded, and make ourselves wise and happy,
it is a credit to us.
There are causes for this which some may not have thought about. I
often think of them. You take, for instance, a father, who has, say,
four, ten or twelve sons. He may have abundance to dispose of to each
and every one; but he dislikes some particular one, and perhaps feeds
and clothes eleven, but the twelfth, whom he hates and despises, he
turns out of doors to provide for himself. This one son goes forth
weeping, and says, "I am forsaken of my father and his house; now I
have to look after myself. I have the earth before me; I have to live;
I do not want to kill myself, and as I have life before me I certainly
must make my own future. I will go to work and accumulate a little of
something, so that I can purchase me a piece of land. When it is
purchased I will put improvements upon it. I will build me a house; I
will fence my farm; I will set off my orchard and plant out my garden;
and I will gather around me my horses, my cattle, my wagons and
carriages, and I will get me a family." Pretty soon here is a boy who
knows how to live as well as his father does. How is it with the rest
of the family? They are led and clothed by their father; they know not
where it comes from nor how it is obtained, and they scarcely know
their right hand from their left with regard to the things of the
world.
This illustrates the history of this people. We have been under the
necessity of learning every art—to cultivate the soil and how to
provide for our own wants under the most adverse circumstances. We
have been compelled to do this or go without, for none would do it for
us. We have been forced to study mechanism, all kinds of machinery,
how to build, and how to provide and take care of ourselves in every
respect. I thank the parent and the boys for turning us out of doors.
Why? Because it has thrown us on our own resources, and taught us to
provide for ourselves. We have a future before us, and God will take
care of us. In my meditations I say, "Shall I complain of father? No.
I will not complain at all, he has done the best he could for me,
though he knew it not. If he had made my house, opened my farm,
planted my orchard, seen to my planting and ploughing as well as the
gathering; and then had brought my food to my chamber and appointed a
servant to feed me, what should I have known about getting my living?
How could I have known anything about raising fruit or anything else?
I could not have known. I might read books until Doomsday, and unless
I apply the knowledge thus obtained I should know but little." Without
the application of knowledge acquired by reading, it makes mere
machines of us; we can tell what others have done, but we know nothing
ourselves. Then speak evil of no man, and acknowledge that it has been
a blessing to us to be cast aside and compelled to take care of
ourselves.
When we left our homes in the East and started for the Rocky
Mountains the feeling in regard to us was, "There is starvation before
you Mormons; but if you do not die of starvation the Indians will kill
you." We knew that they would do no such thing; we knew that we could
live when we got here, and we also knew that we could travel twelve or
fourteen hundred miles with our cows, calves, colts, lame cattle, our
seed grain and provisions and farming utensils on wagons, carts and
handcarts, without an ounce of iron on some of them. It was said that
we could raise nothing when we got here; but I said, "We will wait and
see; we know that God has led us out here, and we will wait and see
what he will do for us." You can see what he has done, and thank his
name and be humble. Shall we speak evil of others? No. Why? Because
the result of their treatment towards us has made us better and
greater than we could have been otherwise. It has brought us closer
together than we could possibly have come without a great deal more
revelation than we have had. Our enemies have pushed us together; and
it is excellent to be surrounded by circumstances that will bring us
close together. We learn then whether we have fellowship one for
another. Let us thank God, and speak evil of none; and instead of
finding fault with father, let us thank him for turning us out of
doors, for we have learned a great many useful lessons in life that we
could not have learned without. We can read just as much as the
inhabitants of the earth, and after reading we can practice a thousand
times more than many of them.
I wish now to say a few words in relation to a subject which is
attracting the attention of thousands of people in the world. I refer
to what is termed infidelity. We are very well aware that a statement
made in reference to this matter in this Conference is true—namely,
that the inhabitants of the earth are drifting, as fast as time can
roll, to infidelity. I do not profess to know a great deal; but some
things I do know. Shall I take the liberty of telling you the story of
the boy who went to the mill? He was looking at the miller's hogs,
which were very fat, clean and fine. The miller came out, and, seeing
the boy attentively observing the pigs, said to him, "What are you
thinking about?" Said the boy, "I was thinking that millers have fat
hogs." "Were you thinking of anything else?" said the miller.
"Yes."
"What was it?" "I do not know whose grain they are fed on," said
the
boy. I take the liberty of telling this story for illustration. Some
things I do know and some I do not know; if I do not know whose grain
the pigs eat, I do know that there are some fat hogs.
What shall I say with regard to infidelity? I do not know a great
deal, but I say that a man has not good common sense who denies his
Maker; such a man is not endowed with reasoning powers. I hold this
book in my hand, and I say that for its production from the crude
element it required a type founder, paper maker, printer and a book
binder, and by their united exertions the book was made. But the
infidel bases his argument on the principle that the book is here
without a producer—that no type founder, paper maker, printer, nor
bookbinder was necessary. Is not a man who argues on this principle a
fool? If he is not he comes pretty near it.
There are a great many who say that there is no embodiment of the
Deity. Our Christian brethren almost deny the existence of a God; but
it is in word only; they do not feel it in their hearts, they
do not mean any such thing. They are like the people of whom Paul
speaks, who had temples reared to the unknown God. The Christians do
not know anything about God, neither does the infidel. The Christian
world say, "We believe in a God who has no body." You do not believe
in anything of the sort, Christian world! You think you believe it,
but it is only tradition with you. Your fathers told you that God has
no body; the priests told them; the schoolmasters have joined in the
endorsement of the same ridiculous idea; it is also written in your
church creeds; but, when you let common sense have place in your
hearts, you do not believe in any such nonentity or nondescript as a
God without body, parts or passions.
But foolish and absurd as is such an idea, it is not so ridiculous as
that of the infidel. The Christian world, while virtually declaring
that God is nothing, also declare that the world was created by him;
but the infidel says the world had no creator, it is the result of
chance. Now I defy any infidel, or any other person on the face of the
earth, to prove that anything can be made or exist without a maker.
The world and all its various grades of organized denizens, from the
lowest forms of vegetable or animal life, up to man, the lord of
creation, were framed and made, or they would not have been here.
I just want to say with regard to infidelity, it means nothing more
nor less than to disbelieve anything we have a mind to. If we
disbelieve in the existence of the Eternal, as an embodiment or
personage, we are infidel on that point. If we disbelieve in the
efficacy of the blood of the Savior and his atonement, we are infidels
on that subject. I wish to say, however, to the Christian world, that
the moment the atonement of the Savior is done away, that moment, at
one sweep, the hopes of salvation entertained by the Christian world
are destroyed, the foundation of their faith is taken away, and there
is nothing left for them to stand upon. When this is gone all the
revelations God ever gave to the Jewish nation, to the Gentiles and to
us are rendered valueless, and all hope is taken from us at one sweep.
What proof have you, Infidels, that Jesus is not the Christ? What
proof have you of the negative of the existence of God the Father, or
of Jesus as the Mediator, or of the Holy Ghost as God's minister, or
of the gifts and graces that God has bestowed upon his people? None at
all, not the least thing in the world. Is there anybody living on the
earth that has the proof of the affirmative? Yes; we have. We have
proof that God lives and that he has a body; that he has eyes, and
ears to hear; that he has arms, hands and feet; that he can walk and
does walk. He has declared himself to be a man of war—Jehovah, the
great I Am, the Lord Almighty, and many other titles of a like import
are used in reference to him in the Scriptures. But take away the
atonement of the Son of God and the Scriptures fall useless to the
ground.
How is it, Infidel, have you any proof that Jesus did not die for the
sins of the world? No; not the least, any more than you have proof
that there was no need to go to the mountains to cut the timber used
in building this house, or to quarry the rock of which the pillars of
this house are composed. How is it, Mr. Infidel, have you any proof of
the nonexistence of Him who rules and reigns in heaven, and who
controls the destinies of the earth? No; not the least. But you say,
"I do not believe it." That is your affair only, nobody cares about that.
Infidelity extends to other subjects besides the existence of God and
the atonement of the Savior. Some are infidel on one point and some on
another. I want to say that so far as a God without a body, parts and
passions is concerned, I am a complete infidel. The God whom I serve
has got eyes, ears, nose and mouth. He has hands to handle; his
footsteps are seen in the midst of his people, and his goings forth
among the nations; and he who has the Spirit of the Almighty can see
the providences of God and behold his ways. I ask the infidel if he
has any proof that I do not enjoy that Spirit? I have proof that I do.
What is that proof. The peace, light and intelligence that I enjoy,
which I have not obtained from the infidel, from reading books, from
going to school, nor from studying the wisdom of any man that ever
lived on the face of the earth. "Where did you obtain it?" says the
infidel. From heaven, from the fountain of light and intelligence.
"Where is your wisdom?" again says the infidel. Here, right before me,
teaching the people how to be saved, how to live, and to live with
each other; how to improve their minds; how to govern and control
themselves. It was so with Joseph Smith, in his day. So it is today;
how else could it be done? Who can gather the people from the nations
in their poverty and ignorance and fill them with light and
intelligence, teach them how to live, what the earth is and what it is
for, make them understand that God is our father, Jesus the Mediator,
and that we belong to the highest intelligence that there is in
existence, and that we are the natural offspring of God the Father?
God only can do this. Yet the infidel will say there is no God, that we
are creatures of today, that we had no existence before this, and that
when this is over there is nothing after. And following down the chain
of his reasoning, he will say there was a time when there was no
earth, no stars, no worlds, no anything. Well, I know there never was
such a time. That is faith against faith, declaration against
declaration. What a pitiful condition it would be for all space to
contain nothing! To suppose that element, worlds, men, the grass of
the fields, or the trees of the forest were created, is all folly!
They are from eternity. It is equally vain to imagine space empty!
There is no space without a kingdom, neither is there any kingdom
without space, and they are from everlasting to everlasting. "How do
you know it?" asks the unbeliever. By the revelations of God, by the
revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ. "How do you know how to teach
the people to control themselves and make them of one heart and one
mind?" By the revelations of the Lord. Well, then, I guess we will
sing and pray and serve our God and keep his commandments; and I
rather think that Zion will prosper. That is my opinion.
While the chapter from the prophecies of Daniel was being read,
showing the plans and schemes of those who sought to entrap Daniel,
and their miserable end, I was thinking how wise (!) men were in those
days. How wise were those great captains, counselors and presidents!
Could they not foresee that they could not overthrow Daniel? No, they
could see no further than to believe that if the King would sign the
decree that no petition should be presented to any potentate, on,
above, or around about the earth, but to himself, for the space of
thirty days, they would entrap and destroy Daniel. What was the
result? Just as quick as they commenced their special legislation against Daniel the Lord commenced special legislation for
him and against those who got him into the lion's den. The final
result was that Daniel lodged with the lions over night and came out
unscathed, not injured in the least; the lions lay there peaceable
when the stone was rolled away, and those who had caused him to be
thrust there were condemned to take the place he left, and the lions
devoured them. They could not foresee what Daniel could; he could have
foretold their destiny, and that the legislation of the Lord Almighty
would be a little above the special legislation of which they were the
authors against him.
Brethren and sisters, will you keep the Word of Wisdom, say your
prayers, observe the Sabbath, speak evil of no man, and strive to be
humble and faithful in all things? If you will, we shall be one by and
by; we are not yet. We must overcome the love of the world. He that
hath the love of the world hath not the love of the Father. He that
loves the things of the world loves not the kingdom of heaven on the
earth. Whosoever serves mammon cannot serve God. We must let these
things go out of our affections, then lay hold of the principles of
eternal life and sustain the kingdom of God on the earth, or else we
shall go by the board. If we jump over, we shall certainly sink, and
if we stay aboard Zion's ship, we can do no more than sink, and it
will be just as well if Zion's ship sink to be aboard as to jump
overboard and sink. We had better stay aboard, she may go into harbor;
and I can promise you in the name of Israel's God that she will go
there safe and carry every one of her passengers. Will we be humble
and faithful? I trust we will. I hope—I pray you, brethren and
sisters, let us be humble, be faithful to our God, our religion, and
each other.
I will say a few words on a subject which has been mentioned here—that
is, celestial marriage. God has given a revelation to seal for time
and for eternity, just as he did in days of old. In our own days he
has commanded his people to receive the New and Everlasting Covenant,
and he has said, "If ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned."
We have received it. What is the result of it? I look at the world, or
that small portion of it which believes in monogamy. It is only a
small portion of the human family who do believe in it, for from nine
to ten of the twelve hundred millions that live on the earth believe
in and practice polygamy. Well, what is the result? Right in our land
the doctrine and practice of plurality of wives tend to the
preservation of life. Do you know it? Do you see it? What is our duty?
To preserve life or destroy it? Can any of you answer? Why yes, it is
to perpetuate and preserve life. But what principle do we see
prevailing in our own land? What is that of which, in the East, West,
North and South, ministers in their pulpits complain, and against
which both gentlemen and ladies lecture? It is against taking life.
They say, "Cease the destruction of prenatal life!" Our doctrine and
practice make and preserve life; theirs destroy it. Which is the best,
saying nothing about revelation, which is the best in a moral point of
view, to preserve or to destroy the life which God designs to bring
upon the earth. Just look at it and decide for yourselves.
This house is very large, but as a general thing the people have been
very attentive, and they have tried to keep as still as possible.
Still, I believe they can improve a little. I think that many
of our sisters who have children can stay nearer the doors, and then,
if they cannot prevent their children crying, they can step out. I do
believe they can stop their whispering. When there is anything said
from this Stand that pleases or displeases you, you turn to your
neighbor and whisper, and the next one does the same, and directly
there are a few thousand whispering, creating a noise like the rushing
of many waters. Then you scrape your feet a little, and the many
little noises are like the dust that composes the mountains and the
whole earth. Every person should be silent when we meet here to
worship God. Remember and try to keep perfectly quiet, and do not
whisper, talk, nor scrape your feet; and do not let your children cry
if you can help it. Twenty years ago I used to tell you that you might
pinch your children to make them cry as loud as they could if you
wished, and I could preach louder than they could cry. I could do it
then, but now I want all to keep still.
I trust we shall long have the privilege of enjoying this shade which
we have built; it is a cover from the burning sun in summer; and when
the storm of rain comes this umbrella will shelter us. I perceive
that, in the gallery, there is a little more heat now than before; we
shall open the ventilators and put in some skylights, then I think it
will be as cool as in the past.
Brethren and sisters, I feel to bless you. I ask my Father in heaven
to bless the Saints, to bless every quorum and organization of his
kingdom, from the First Presidency down to the last organization to
promote good in the midst of his people. I pray continually for the
Bishops, presiding Elders, High Councilors, and the Female Relief
Societies. I will bless you, my sisters, if you will hearken to the
counsel which has been given you with regard to these fashions. Then,
to my brethren, I say, I will bless you, if you will seek a little
closer to sustain yourselves, by preserving and wisely using that
which the Lord gives you, and not suffer your cattle and sheep to die
on the prairies, but preserve them, that we may have the wherewithal
to supply ourselves with the necessaries of life, by raising sheep,
building factories, raising flax, the mulberry and silk and other
things useful. I do not care how beautifully you are adorned, ladies,
if you will only raise the silk and adorn yourselves with your own
hands. That is the requirement of heaven. It was so almost forty years
ago. The word of the Lord to his Saints then was, "Let the beauty of
your apparel be the beauty of the work of your own hands." If you will
observe this, adorn yourselves as much as you please. Make your hats
and bonnets, and also make hats for your brothers and sons. It is your
duty to do it. Preserve that that the Lord has given you, and waste
nothing. I can say to the Latter-day Saints that there is no man nor
woman, person or persons, but what I would rather feed, clothe, and
sustain than to see a particle wasted in the midst of my family or
this people. God does not like it, his Spirit is grieved with it.
Idleness and wastefulness are not according to the rules of heaven.
Preserve all you can, that you may have abundance to bless your
friends and your enemies, as we did in '49, '50 and '51. In those
years we fed thousands and thousands of poor, starving emigrants, who
had gold so big in their eyes that, when they started for the Plains,
they did not know whether they had anything to eat or not. By our instrumentality they were fed and sent on their way rejoicing.
If we take the counsel now given we shall have abundance to bless our
enemies if it be necessary. Shall we say that we have any? Yes, there
are those who would delight to be our enemies if they knew how; but
they do not know how. I do not suppose that there was a greater enemy
to the Savior, when he was on the earth, than the devil. How he did
plead with the Savior to worship him! Said he, "I will give you all
you can see, if you will fall down and worship me." But Jesus rebuked
him. Yet the devil hunted and followed up Jews and Gentiles, that is,
the Romans, until they betrayed the Redeemer into the hands of his
enemies, who crucified him, and in doing that they consummated the
great act for the salvation of the human family, which will cheat the
devil out of pretty much all of them, one way or the other. If he had
had any good sense about him—but he was as short of that as the
infidels in our day—he would have said, "I am with you, I will go with
you, pay your taxes, and will make you welcome to my house." But no,
the devil and his followers did not know enough to do this, neither do
our enemies, and thank God for it!
Again I say, I feel to bless my brethren and sisters—every quorum,
every authority; our brethren and sisters who have sung for us, or
played on the organ. I thank you, doorkeepers, and you who have waited
on the congregation, and I say God bless you, and in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ I bless the whole house of Israel. I pray for the
redemption of the Center Stake of Zion, and the upbuilding thereof. It
is before us continually in our faith, and I hope that we shall live
to see it. Amen.