I have a testimony also to offer to my brethren and sisters. It is a
great thing, in my estimation, to know God and his Son, to know that
God has established the kingdom of the latter days, and to realize
that there are men upon the earth, who are capable, through the revela tions of Almighty God, to teach the people the way of
life, to point out to them the path by which they may regain the
presence of their Father and God. Such is the testimony I have had,
such a testimony I have at the present time. I am aware that to some
it seems incredible, and that in their ears it sounds preposterous to
utter such words, and especially does it seem so to those who consider
that they are living in the blaze of the Christian religion, for
the large majority of that class of people will not for a moment
entertain the idea that God will ever again speak to men upon the
earth, or inspire them as he did anciently. They believe the day as
gone by when such things can be, and that, having the Bible in their
possession, it is no more necessary for God to make known his will to
man. I am aware that the Christian world view it in this light, but I
cannot help that, I am not responsible for them, nor they for me. I
stand for myself and am supported by the evidence which I have
received from Almighty God. If they can testify to me that the
Christian religion is true, I can, in turn, testify to them that God
has revealed himself, that he has again spoken to men upon the earth,
and that they hear his voice just as much as Isaiah, Ezekiel or any of
the Prophets of ancient days. This is my testimony, and I know it to
be true. By the same Spirit that revealed unto Peter his Lord and
Savior I know that Jesus is the Christ. This has not become knowledge
with me through the testimony of others alone. I sought and received
that testimony for myself. Said Jesus unto Peter, "Blessed art thou,
Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but
my Father which is in heaven;" and I testify to you this day, that
that same God has revealed unto me that these things are true, that
this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that this people represent the
kingdom of God which Daniel and others of the ancient Prophets said
should be established upon the earth in the latter days. That is the
testimony which I have to offer here this morning. If I stood alone in
this matter, and there was no other person who could bear the same
testimony perhaps people would be justified in disbelieving me, that
is, if I gave them no evidence of the truth of my words; but when the
proof is positive and the evidences incontrovertible; when there are
scores of thousands of people gathered from as well as scattered
through the nations of the earth who can rise as one person and bear
this testimony, the nations of the earth will be condemned if they
reject it.
It is true that Joseph Smith was an unsupported witness in some
respects of the Gospel which he had to reveal unto the human family.
He came forth a boy, alone; his testimony was given to the world, and
God, in his wonderful providences, fulfilled the words of that boy,
and others were induced to believe what he told them. He told the
people that if they would obey the will of the Father, if they would
repent of their sins, be baptized for the remission of them and have
hands laid upon them for the reception of the Holy Ghost, they should
receive it, and it should be a witness unto them that his words were
true and faithful.
Have the words of Joseph Smith been fulfilled in this and in other
respects? I answer yes. He bore this mission unto the people, and it,
with its promises, came to me, and I obeyed it, doing as I was told in
order that I might obtain the evidences of the Holy Spirit. Did I
obtain them? Yes I did; and here is a congregation before me, the repre sentatives of a great people, who can bear witness with
me this day that the words of Joseph the Prophet were true and
faithful to this generation. Our testimony is not unsupported, for I
have gone forth into the midst of the nations of the earth, and have
stood before strangers and have said unto them—"If you desire the
knowledge that the Prophets who were with Jesus on the earth
possessed, if you will do those things which have been commanded you
shall know of the doctrine whether I speak of myself, or of God who
sent me." I have borne this testimony hundreds of times to the nations
of the earth, because I was sent forth to do it, and I had a testimony
that it was my mission to testify of these things. What has been the
result of the Elders going to the nations of the earth and bearing
this testimony? We see before us a mighty people gathered in these
mountains. There is scarcely an adult who has been gathered here who
came with any other purpose but to build up the kingdom of God,
because of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit which he or she received
through obedience to the words which were declared unto them. If any
have gathered here with any other purpose they are not in this Church
or if they are they will not remain in it very long. This people have
gathered here by scores of thousands, cannot those who are not of us
put their prejudices to one side for a moment and take a fair and
impartial view of the circumstances which surround us? Cannot the
world look upon the Latter-day Saints and ask themselves—"Is it
possible for men to make these promises, and yet be impostors and
deceive the people to the extent they have?" Have the Elders deceived
the people? It looks to me like folly in the extreme for people to
entertain such an idea. Have we deceived the people? No sirs, we have
not. Were those words false which were uttered by the Elders when they
called upon the people to repent? No. The people verily received that
testimony of the truth of this work by the inspiration of the Holy
Ghost which was promised them by the Elders, and that is the reason
why so many have gathered to these mountains.
But the majority of people now are like the Jews when they arraigned
Jesus—they want a miracle. "Then did they spit in his face and
buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee."
That is exactly the same spirit that prevails now—"If you Latter-day
Saints have the blessings and gifts you talk of, why don't you rise up
in power? Why does not God come out of his hiding place and preserve
you from your enemies?" I can testify today that he has done so. From
my earliest recollections I have been wandering with this people. I
have been with them when driven before their enemies, with my father
and his family in their persecutions, and I know, as I know that I
live, that God has stretched out his hand and preserved this people
when nothing but his providences could have saved them.
Who are they who smite this people? Are they righteous men, men who
are seeking to benefit the human family? Are they men who are turning
their whole attention to benefit their fellow men, or building up
principles of righteousness and truth, to sustain the poor, and to
gather them from the nations of the earth to a land where they can
possess those comforts and blessings which should surround the sons
and daughters of our God? No, they do not busy themselves
about such things as these, they have business on hand, which they
think is more important; they have the Latter-day Saints to persecute.
They do not have time to turn their attention, nor their minds to such
trifles as bringing the poor from the nations of the earth or
developing the resources of this great country. They have no time for
this, they have a far greater work on hand, opposing the progress of
this people and the fulfillment of the prophecies of men of God who
have lived upon this earth. That is the view I take of it from my
standpoint. Of course I do not expect others, outside of the Church,
to look at it as I do. But this people are engaged in what? First, at
the present time, in defending themselves, trying to secure their
lives and property from men who are seeking to deprive them of both;
they are also continuing their efforts to bring the downtrodden of
Europe and every other nation, to this land of America, where they can
enjoy freedom and religious liberty, and have a home and not be
servants of those who are more wealthy than themselves. This people
are expending millions of dollars to gather the poor from the nations
of the earth that they, with us, may enjoy the blessings of religious
liberty, and the blessings of this free land.
Why don't these men who are persecuting us, and all the time telling
how mean and contemptible we are as a people turn their attention, not
to our sins, but to their own shortcomings, and pick the beam out of
their own eyes before attending to the mote in ours, and then try and
do something to ameliorate the condition of the human family? These
are simply my views on this subject, and I would to God that every man
in this great nation would do right himself and not seek to persecute
his neighbors because he thinks they are doing wrong! A man might do a
thing in which, according to his conscience, he would be perfectly
justified, but from my standpoint it would be very wicked. A heathen
might be justified in doing that which I should consider a great
crime. Shall I go to work and persecute an individual that does not
see exactly as I see? Should I be justified in doing this? No. If I
see a person in the wrong I am justified in going to him and trying to
teach him the principles of the Gospel which I find contained in the
Bible, and which God has revealed to the human family for their
salvation; in other words, I should be justified in trying to lead him
in what I believe to be the path of righteousness, but I should not be
justified in trying to drive him.
Is this the course that is being pursued with us? By no means. The
spirit manifested towards us continually is—"If you don't do as we say
we will force you." Nobody comes here to persuade us, their object is
to compel us to bow to their wishes. They wish to make us forsake that
which we revere and consider holy, simply because they despise it, and
deride it as something that ought to be put down by force. It is not a
Christian spirit that induces persecution, not at all. Why not take
the example of Jesus, whom they profess to worship? If this people are
wrong, convince them of their error. "Oh," say they, "we can't do
it."
It is like the King of Denmark, Frederick the Seventh, if I mistake
not. The Priests complained to him and said that they could not put
down the Latter-day Saints, and that they were proselyting in spite of
all they could do. Said the King—"Why don't you take the Bible,
and confound them and let the people see their errors?" The Priests
said—"We have tried that, but have not succeeded, they have more
arguments in the Bible than we have." "Well," said the King, "I
think
yours is the poorest religion of the two, I will let the Latter-day
Saints go on, and shall not interfere with them." I would like this
position to be taken by those in this nation who are opposed to us.
But they will not assume this position, for we can correct them with
the Scriptures of divine truth. Why do they not use the word of God in
their operations against us, instead of the carnal weapons which they
happen to have because they belong to a certain party? Why not imitate
the example of Jesus and try and persuade us if we are in the wrong,
and put us in the right. We desire to be saved; it is salvation we
hope for. It is the desire for salvation in the kingdom of God that
prompts me to say these things; and as long as God shows to me that I
am right, as long as I have an approving conscience before Him in
carrying out the doctrines which I believe in, so long, with the help
of God, will I advocate them, let the issue be what it may. Amen.