There are a few ideas and reflections that I wish to give to the
people. I shall have to make my remarks brief in order to be prepared
for our journey northward. You hear a good deal from time to time, and
you think a good deal, about the condition of the Latter-day Saints,
and what we are trying to do with them concerning the United Order. I
wish you to understand that this is no new revelation; it is the order
of the kingdom where God and Christ dwell; it has been from eternity
and will be to eternity, without end, consequently we have nothing
particularly new to offer you, but we have the commandments that have
been from the beginning. With regard to those who wish to have new
revelation they will please to accommodate themselves and call this a
new revelation. On this occasion I will not repeat any thing particular
in respect to the language of revelation, further than to say—Thus
saith the Lord unto my servant Brigham, Call ye, call ye, upon the
inhabitants of Zion, to organize themselves in the Order of Enoch, in
the New and Everlasting Covenant, according to the Order of Heaven,
for the furtherance of my kingdom upon the earth, for the perfecting
of the Saints, for the salvation of the living and the dead.
You can accommodate yourselves by calling this a new revelation, if
you choose; it is no new revelation, but it is the express word and
will of God to this people.
How many do you think would like and have hearts to enter into this
Order? Let me ask you a question. You sisters as well as the brethren
who have read the Bible and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, whether you have read the Book of Mormon and the sermons or
not, who is there among you who does not know and understand that the
people called the Saints of the Most High, or the disciples of the
Lord Jesus, must be of one heart and of one mind? I do not think there
are any of you who do not know, feel and understand this just as I do,
and yet perhaps you do not realize it. We can see that it does not sit
upon the hearts and take hold of the affections of the people; it does
not break up every particle of the fallow ground of their hearts so
that they can receive this into their affections and bring forth fruit
to the glory of God. If those now before me, brethren and sisters, who
profess to be Latter-day Saints, were of one heart and of one mind in
the sense of the Scripture that is given to us, revealed in days of
old and in our day, we never should have to say to them—Pay your
Tithing; but the feeling of every heart, and the language of everyone
who has come to years of discretion would be if there is a Temple to
be built—"What can I do to forward this Temple? Do you want my work? I
have abundance for my family to eat, they are capable of clothing
themselves with a little help from me, I can spend all my time;" and
the sisters would say—"We can make the stockings and the shirts, and
we can make up the cloth, if you will give it to us, for the hands,
and we can make their hats and, if necessary, we can make their
shoes." If this was in the hearts and affections of the people it
would no longer be Tithing alone, but the inquiry would be—"What do
you want? We have abundance."
We ask nothing but the labor of the people, and if the Latter-day
Saints felt the importance of the mission that is upon them, and of
fulfilling the requirements of heaven that are resting upon them, you
would see Temples rising here like magic; it would be nothing but a
breakfast spell for us to build a Temple. How do you think those feel
who do understand the mind and will of the Lord, and view the
condition of the Latter-day Saints as it really is? Unless you see it
by the Spirit, you know nothing about it.
We can say to the Latter-day Saints, it is the mind and will of God
that we organize according to the best plans and patterns and system
that we can get for the present. We can do this, and thus far give to
the Latter-day Saints the mind and will of the Lord; but we cannot
make a man or a woman yield to the will of God unless they are
disposed to. I can plant, I can water, but I cannot give the increase;
I cannot cause the wheat and corn to grow. It is true I can break up
and prepare the ground and cast the seed therein, but I cannot cause
it to grow, that can only be done by the people having willing hearts,
ready minds, and a disposition to go forth with a firm determination
and a willing hand to build up the kingdom. I will do my part—I have
done it. Brother Erastus Snow has made certain eulogistic remarks
about my career in the Church, but I will say this with regard to
Brother Brigham—I do not know anything about what he has earned, I
never inquired about that or about what he deserves. All I have to do
is to take good care of everything that the Lord gives me, improve
upon every means of grace and every talent he gives me, improve upon
the visions of the Spirit and speak the word of the Lord to the
people. My mind has been and it is today, that there is not an Elder
in all Israel that can do his duty in declaring the things of God to
the na tions of the earth unless he declares those truths by
the power of revelation. He must speak by the power of God or he does
not magnify his calling. The theory of our religion will not answer
the purpose of saving us. I can call upon the people, but will they
organize themselves? Some inquire, "Is this exactly the order that the
Lord requires? It is just exactly what the Lord requires."
I will say to you with regard to the kingdom of God on the earth—Here
is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organized with its
rules, regulations and degrees, with the quorums of the holy
Priesthood, from the First Presidency to the teachers and deacons;
here we are, an organization. God called upon Joseph, he called upon
Oliver Cowdery, then others were called through Joseph, the Church was
organized, he with his two counselors comprised the First Presidency.
In a few years the Quorum of the Twelve was organized, the High
Council was organized, the High Priests' quorum was organized, the
Seventies' quorums were organized, and the Priests' quorum, the
Teachers' quorum and the Deacons'. This is what we are in the habit of
calling the kingdom of God. But there are further organizations. The
Prophet gave a full and complete organization to this kingdom the
Spring before he was killed. This kingdom is the kingdom that Daniel
spoke of, which was to be set up in the last days; it is the kingdom
that is not to be given to another people; it is the kingdom that is
to be held by the servants of God, to rule the nations of the earth,
to send forth those laws and ordinances that shall be suitable and
that shall apply themselves to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints; that will apply themselves to the mother Church,
"the holy Catholic Church;" they will commend themselves to every
Protestant Church upon the earth; they will commend themselves to
every class of infidels, and will throw their protecting arms around
the whole human family, protecting them in their rights. If they wish
to worship a white dog, they will have the privilege; if they wish to
worship the sun they will have the privilege; if they wish to worship
a man they will have the privilege, and if they wish to worship the
"unknown God" they will have the privilege. This kingdom will
circumscribe them all and will issue laws and ordinances to protect
them in their rights—every right that every people, sect and person
can enjoy, and the full liberty that God has granted to them without
molestation.
Can you understand me? This Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints is organized for the building up of this Church alone; it is
not for the building up of Catholicism, it is not for promoting any or
all of the dissentients from the Mother Church, it is alone for the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for no other body of
people. When we organize according to these laws and ordinances we
make this people one, but we do not bring in the Methodists,
Presbyterians or Calvinists, they are independent of themselves. But
the kingdom of God, when it is established and bears rule, will defend
the Methodists in their rights just as much as Latter-day Saints, but
it will not allow them to infringe upon the rights of their neighbors;
this will be prohibited. These sects may want to afflict the Saints
just as now; they may want to persecute each other just as they now
do; they may want to bring everybody to their standard just as they do
now. But the kingdom of God, when it is set up upon the earth, will be
after the pattern of heaven, and will compel no man nor woman
to go contrary to his or her conscience. They would compel us to go
contrary to our consciences, wouldn't they? I recollect when there
were but few Methodists, when they were poor, and when there was
scarcely a college-bred minister on the continent of America in the
Methodist Church. I recollect them in their infancy, but what would
they do now? Then they were persecuted, and thought they bore a great
deal for Christ's sake. Perhaps they did.
Now I want to give you these few words—the kingdom of God will protect
every person, every sect and all people upon the face of the whole
earth, in their legal rights. I shall not tell you the names of the
members of this kingdom, neither shall I read to you its constitution,
but the constitution was given by revelation. The day will come when
it will be organized in strength and power. Now, as the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we work our way along the best we
can. Can you understand this?
A few words upon the organization of this United Order. We regret that
we are not in a capacity to make our own laws pertaining to our
domestic affairs as we choose; if we were in a State capacity we could
do so. The legislature could then pass laws by which we would have the
right to deed our property to the Church, to the Trustee-in-Trust, if
we chose, or in any other way the people would like to deed their
property to God and his kingdom. But we cannot do this now, we are
not a State. We are in the capacity of servants now, where we have to
bow to the whims and caprices of the ignorant, and to the prejudice of
willful, ignorant sectarianism; consequently we are under the necessity
of getting up our constitution or the articles of our association so
that they will agree with existing statutes and be legal, that we can
carry on business as we wish without being infringed upon or molested
by anybody.
Some have complained, and say—"This does not incorporate the whole, we
want articles of agreement under which we can give all that we have
got." Let me say to you that our articles of confederation, agreement
or association will allow us to deed every particle of property that
we have got to this cooperative institution—our houses, farms, sheep,
cattle, horses, our labor, our railroad stock, bank stock, factories,
and everything that we have we can deed to the trustees of this
association. Whatever you have here in Lehi that you wish to deed over
to those you have selected to be a board of trustees you can deed to
them to take the supervision of it, and then you will put it out of
the hands perhaps of unruly froward children and spendthrifts, and do
good by so doing. And if you can put in every particle of your
property, and have this governed and controlled by the best men you
have here, why not do this just as well as to deed it to George A.
Smith, the Trustee-in-Trust? Does not this answer every purpose? It
does. Look at the reason of it if you wish to. If it is the word and
the wish and the will of the organization here to deed only part of
the property, I expect they will take the liberty of doing so; but
this would not suit me. If I had property here in this place I should
wish to deed every particle of it to this association. I wish to deed
every particle of my property in Provo, just as quick as there is an
opportunity, and have it done in a way that it will be beneficial to
the people. I am laboring under a certain embarrassment and so are
many others, with regard to deeding property, and that is to
find men who know what to do with property when it is in their hands.
I will relate a circumstance here, which I related to some of the
brethren the other day. There was a very excellent good man in this
Church who found it very hard to get along with his large family. He
received a very fine present, for which he was very thankful to the
donor; but after it was given to him, he said he did not know what to
do with the elephant now that he had got it. He called his present an
"elephant" on his hands; he could not plow with him, he could not ride
him to meeting, he could not harness him to a carriage, and in fact he
could not do anything with him, the "elephant" was too large for him
to handle. When this factory at Provo can go into the hands of men who
know what to do with it, it will go; when my factory in Salt Lake
County can go into the hands of men who know what to do with it, it
will go. There is my beloved brother James W. Cummings, who has worked
my factory ten or twelve years; he counts himself A No. 1 in all
financial business. I have offered the factory to him and his workmen
on the cooperative system, in the order that we wish to adopt. I said
to him—"Take it and manage it, you are welcome." Said
he—"If I only
had plenty of money to furnish it I suppose I could do it." Have not I
furnished it without money? Yes, I had not the first sixpence to begin
with. I furnished my factories, and I have built what I have built
without asking how much they cost, or where I was to get the money to
do it. When we find somebody that knows what to do with property,
somebody who knows how to handle the "elephant," we will give them
charge of it. If I had him I would make the "elephant" get down on his
knees to me and keep him there until I allowed him to get up, and then
teach him to get up with his burden on his back, and carry it where I
said. As quick as we can find men who know what to do with the
"elephants" we will put the "elephants" into their hands; but here,
as
elsewhere, you will find, in all these business transactions, that the
greatest difficulty will be to find men who know what to do with money
or means when they have it. Can you understand this? I want to say to
you who have a little money, a farm or other property, seek first to
know where God wants you to put that property. That is the word of the
Lord to you. Hearken and hear it, men and women, seek to know where
God wants you to put it, and if it is into a factory where you will
not get a farthing for ten years, put it there, and in the end the
Lord will bring out more means to you than if you let it out at
twenty four percent. You will make by it. "How do you know, brother
Brigham?" I know by my own experience; my character and my life have
shown that from the first time I had fifty cents after I came into the
Church my first desire was to know what to do with it. In the days of
Joseph where we lived and worked, it was harder then to get fifty
cents than it is for a poor man to get a hundred dollars now, but if
Joseph came along, and said—"Brigham, have you got fifty cents?"
"Yes, I have." "I want it." "You can have it always and
forever." If
it was a hundred dollars, or two hundred dollars, he had it, and had
it freely, and I never asked for it again. And if ever I could work at
home and get fifty cents in money to buy a little molasses for my
family to sop their johnny cake in, if Joseph wanted it he always had
it, and I got rich by it, and I can say so of all who take the
same course; while the covetous, those who are striving continually to
build themselves up in the things of this life, will be poor indeed;
they will be poor in spirit and poor in heavenly things.
You have heard me say, a great many times, that there is not that man
or woman in this Church, and there never was and never will be, who
turn up their noses at the counsel that is given them from the First
Presidency, but who, unless they repent of and refrain from such
conduct, will eventually go out of the Church and go to hell, every
one of them; and I expect one thing will be true that Joseph said when
living. A gentleman came to see him and asked him a great many
questions, and among the rest he said—"I suppose you calculate that
you are just right, and that you "Mormons" are all going to be saved
and everybody else will be damned." Said Joseph, "Sir, I will tell you
this one thing, all the rest of the world will be damned, and I expect
that most of the "Mormons" will be unless they do better than they
have done." The man did not stop for an explanation. What Joseph meant
by being damned was that people will go into the spirit world without
the Priesthood, and consequently they are under the power of Satan,
and will have to be redeemed, or else they will be forever under his
power. That is all there is about that.
Now Latter-day Saints, I want to say this to you, when a man lifts his
heel against the counsel that we give him, I know that man will
apostatize, just as sure as he is a living being, unless he repents
and refrains from such conduct. Brother George A. Smith has been
reading a little out of the revelation concerning celestial marriage,
and I want to say to my sisters that if you lift your heels against
this revelation, and say that you would obliterate it, and put it out
of existence if you had the power to nullify and destroy it, I say
that if you imbibe that spirit and feeling, you will go to hell, just
as sure as you are living women. Emma took that revelation, supposing
she had all there was; but Joseph had wisdom enough to take care of
it, and he had handed the revelation to Bishop Whitney, and he wrote
it all off. After Joseph had been to Bishop Whitney's he went home,
and Emma began teasing, for the revelation. Said she—"Joseph, you
promised me that revelation, and if you are a man of your word you
will give it to me." Joseph took it from his pocket and said—"Take
it." She went to the fire-place and put it in, and put the candle
under it and burnt it, and she thought that was the end of it, and she
will be damned as sure as she is a living woman. Joseph used to say
that he would have her hereafter, if he had to go to hell for her, and
he will have to go to hell for her as sure as he ever gets her.
You sisters may say that plural marriage is very hard for you to bear.
It is no such thing. A man or woman who would not spend his or her
life in building up the kingdom of God on the earth, without a
companion, and travel and preach, valise in hand, is not worthy of God
or his kingdom, and they never will be crowned, they cannot be
crowned; the sacrifice must be complete. If it is the duty of a
husband to take a wife, take her. But it is not the privilege of a
woman to dictate the husband, and tell who or how many he shall take,
or what he shall do with them when he gets them, but it is the duty of
the woman to submit cheerfully. Says she—"My husband does not know
how to conduct himself, he lacks wisdom—he does not know how
to treat two wives and be just." That all may be true, but it is not
her prerogative to correct the evil, she must bear that; and the woman
that bears wrong—and any number of them do in this order—patiently,
will be crowned with a man far above her husband; and the man that is
not worthy, and who does not prove himself worthy before God, his wife
or wives will be taken from him and given to another, so the women
need not worry. It is the man who has need to worry and watch himself,
and see that he does right. Where is the man who has wives, and all of
them think he is doing just right to them? I do not know such a man; I
know it is not your humble servant. If I would only be dictated by
women I should make a hell of it; but I cannot be, I can humor them
and treat them kindly, but I tell them I shall do just what I know to
be right, and they may help themselves the best they can. I do not say
that in so many words, but that is what I mean, and I let them act it
out.
It is time to close this meeting. I say to the brethren and sisters,
peace be with you, and may God bless you. If you walk humbly before
Him so as to enjoy his Spirit, it will lead into all truth. I have one
little sermon to the Bishops, Bishop Young and all the rest of them,
and to the Elders. I want to see a pattern set for this holy order,
and, I give to each one of them a mission to go and call together
five, ten, twenty or fifty families, and organize a complete
organization, and show the rest of us how to live.