During the time I may occupy, I desire to express my feelings with
regard to my faith in the Gospel, and the great latter-day work in
which we are all more or less engaged, that you as well as my brethren
may know how I stand before God and man.
I was born in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but not
under the sealing covenant; that principle was revealed to this Church
subsequent to my birth. I have been reared in the midst of the people
called Latter-day Saints, receiving most of my limited education in
their society, and that during my childhood under the guidance of my
mother. Since the age of 15 years, I have been engaged more or less in the ministry, and have received instruction through having the
counsels and teachings of the servants of God, as you all have; but
some, perhaps, have not enjoyed this privilege to so great an extent
as others who have been less abroad. In my childhood I learned to
believe the Gospel, and in the divine mission and calling of the
Prophet Joseph Smith, in the visitation of the angel Moroni, in the
establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth, and also in the
gathering together of the people of the Lord, and many important
things connected with this great latter-day work.
On my first mission I began to learn something for myself; I had
hitherto believed the testimonies of the servants of God whom I had
heard converse and preach, as well as the instructions I received from
a most kind and affectionate mother, as also what I could comprehend
through reading the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and
the Bible. But in the ministry, where I labored earnestly, I began to
comprehend more fully, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
what I had read and been taught, and so they became in my mind
established facts, of which I was as absolutely certain as I was of my
own existence; and from the beginning of my experience as an Elder in
the Church until the present, if there has been a moment in my life
when I have doubted the divinity and truthfulness of these things, it
has escaped my notice, and it is today as much a matter of fact with
me, as it is that I live.
I long ago learned to prize the principles of the Gospel, as of far
greater importance than all earthly things; they are of more value
than this present life, for without the Gospel it is valueless, the
grand ob ject and purpose of life being attainable only through being
obedient unto the Gospel.
A saying of the Savior is here forced upon my mind, "For what shall it
profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Again, "I am the
door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved," but only upon
this plan can he be saved.
By the principles of the Gospel, as revealed through the Prophet
Joseph Smith, we are privileged to secure unto ourselves the gift of
eternal life, which is the greatest gift of God. Without these
principles we are as the dumb animal, so far as relates to the
knowledge of God, for our fathers were unable to teach us, they knew
no more of the ways of God, or the plans of salvation, than the
children, notwithstanding their boasted enlightenment and their
possession of the holy Scriptures. They were not acquainted with the
principles of life, they knew not the law of the Lord, and neither did
we until we received and obeyed the Gospel, thereby obtaining heavenly
light through the channel of the Priesthood. Before this we were as
they were, clinging to dead forms, puzzled to divine the meaning of
many things which under the light of inspiration have become plain and
easy to be understood. "And this is life eternal, that they might know
thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
It behooves the Latter-day Saints, and all men, to make themselves
acquainted with "the only true God, and Jesus whom he hath sent." But
can we through our own wisdom find out God? Can we by our unaided
ingenuity and learning fathom his purposes and comprehend his will? We
have, I think, witnessed examples enough of such efforts on the
part of the intelligent world, to convince us that it is impossible.
The ways and wisdom of God are not as the ways and wisdom of man. How
then can we know "the only true and living God, and Jesus Christ whom
he has sent?" for to obtain this knowledge would be to obtain the
secret or key to eternal life. It must be through the Holy Ghost,
whose office is to reveal the things of the Father to man, and to bear
witness in our hearts of Christ, and him crucified and risen from the
dead. There is no other way or means of attaining to this knowledge.
How shall we obtain the Holy Ghost? The method or manner is clearly
marked out. We are told to have faith in God, to believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of all who diligently seek him; to repent of
our sins, subdue our passions, follies, and improprieties; to be
virtuous, honest, and upright in all our dealings one with another,
and enter into covenant with God that we will from thenceforth abide
in the principles of truth, and observe the commandments which he has
given us, then to be baptized for the remission of our sins, by one
having authority; and when this ordinance of the Gospel is complied
with, we may receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of
the hands of those clothed with the authority of the Priesthood. Thus
the Spirit and power of God—the Comforter, may be in us as a well of
water springing up unto everlasting life. He will bear record of the
Father, testify of Jesus, and "take of the things of the Father and
reveal them unto us," confirming our faith, establishing us in the
truth, that we shall be no longer tossed to and fro by every wind of
doctrine; but shall "know of the doctrine" whether it be of God or of
man. This is the course—it is simple, reasonable, and consistent. Who
is there with common abilities that can fail to see, or comprehend it?
Indeed, in the language of the Scriptures, it is so plain, that "the
wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein."
Having entered into this covenant, being cleansed from sin, and
endowed with the gift of the Holy Ghost, why should we not abide in
the truth, continuing steadfast before God and firm in the great work
he has established on the earth? We should never cease to serve Him,
nor thwart his mercy and goodness towards us; but ever live so that
the Holy Spirit may be within us as a living spring, calculated to
lead us to perfection in righteousness, virtue, and integrity before
God, until we accomplish our earthly mission, performing every duty
that may be required at our hands.
In this way I have learned the Gospel which I was first taught to
believe, which belief is now superseded by knowledge. For now I know
that God lives, and that Jesus Christ was sent into the world to atone
for the original sin, and also for the actual transgressions of
mankind, inasmuch as they themselves will repent of their sins and
humble themselves before Him in their pursuit of the gift and blessing
of eternal life. We should not be satisfied with the testimony alone
of our brethren. It is well and good, it is indeed encouraging and
cheering to the heart to hear the testimonies of the servants of
God—to believe that God has raised up men in this dispensation and
made them witnesses of Him and his Son Jesus, and who have been shown
the mysteries of heavenly things, and commanded to bear record of what
they saw and heard; yes, it is a joy to the soul to have men among us
who are in spired by the Holy Spirit and full of the light of
truth and of the power of God, bearing their testimony unto us that
this is the work of God, that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ—the
Savior of the world, and that he has spoken to the inhabitants of the
earth in the day in which we live, but is this sufficient to satisfy
me? No. It will not suffice me to believe that you know the true and
living God, etc. I must receive this knowledge for myself as you have
received it. Is not the way open to me to comprehend the purposes and
the will of God concerning my salvation, as to you? Certainly it is.
It is for all, yea, every son and daughter of Adam to learn the will
of God, to receive the testimony of the Spirit for him and herself,
and not to depend alone upon the testimonies of these good men that
God has raised up to fill the positions they occupy. And if we should
pin our faith to them, although we might realize consolation and even
joy and satisfaction in hearing their testimonies, yet, unless we
receive the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the time will undoubtedly
come when the winds will blow and the storms beat upon the house we
thus may build and it will fall. What a deplorable condition we would
then find ourselves in!
Is it not necessary for all to be capable of judging as to whether the
testimonies of these men are of God or man? How can we know that what
they testify of, is true? How can we know that they bear witness of
the Almighty, or that they possess the holy Priesthood authorizing
them to minister in the ordinances of the Gospel? I answer, only by
and through the inspiration of that Holy Spirit which is given to all
who diligently seek and obtain it according to the promise.
Then if we would know the Lord Jesus Christ, and his servants, who are
in our midst, and that their testimonies are true, we must enjoy the
light of the Spirit of the living God individually. The possession of
this heavenly knowledge is absolutely necessary to keep us in the
paths of life and truth, for without it we cannot distinguish the
voice of the true shepherd, which is spiritually discerned; and
although we may be in fellowship with the Church, fully believing the
counsels of our brethren to be dictated by wisdom, yet without
something more than mere belief or supposition we cannot stand; and
furthermore under such circumstances we cannot consistently claim that
we have part or lot in the kingdom of God. For as it is written, "An
actual knowledge to any person, that the course of life which he
pursues is according to the will of God, is essentially necessary to
enable him to have that confidence in God without which no person can
obtain eternal life." For unless a person does know that he is walking
according to the will of God, it would be an insult to the dignity of
the Creator were he to say that he would be a partaker of his glory
when he should be done with the things of this life. But when he has
this knowledge, and most assuredly knows that he is doing the will of
God, his confidence can be equally strong that he will be a partaker
of the glory of God. Then let us search after truth—for the light of
the Spirit which leadeth into all truth, that we may comprehend the
Gospel, be able to sustain the hands of the servants of God in their
efforts to build up Zion, and work out our own salvation. Though all
the world should be saved but ourselves, we being excluded from the
kingdom, what will it profit us? To see our fellow crea tures
enter into salvation and be exalted into the presence of God, and the
door closed against us, would indeed be poor consolation or comfort.
But if we would enter in, we must do the will of the Father, keep his
commandments, possess the gift of the Holy Ghost, enjoy the testimony
of Jesus, and become witnesses of the truth for ourselves; we then may
build upon a foundation more lasting than the solid rock. That when
trials come and temptations surge against us, as they will do, we may
stand and endure to the end. For not every one that saith Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom, but he that doeth the will of the
Father, etc.; or, as the wise man once said, "the race is not to the
swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise,
nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of
skill." Nevertheless, "he that endureth to the end shall be saved." I
cannot believe for a moment that any of us will attain to the gift of
eternal life, unless we shall qualify ourselves through the truth, in
the manner God has prescribed, and in that way become worthy of it. We
must obtain this light by revelation, we cannot do it by our own
wisdom. God will give us knowledge and understanding, he will lead us
in the path of truth if we put our whole trust in him and not in man.
He then can and will preserve us, and all the powers of the earth
combined cannot destroy us, for we are in His hands. Here are our
fathers and leaders that have passed through the school of experience;
they have seen what the enemies of this kingdom have tried to do, and
know full well what they would do if they had it in their power. It
has ever been the desire of the wicked to destroy the people of God.
They have never slackened their efforts, nor failed to use all the
means in their power, nor hesitated to resort to the most cruel, foul
and fiendish acts to accomplish their nefarious purpose. This same
cruel enmity, although for the time being, to some extent subdued or
held in check by the Almighty, still smolders and rankles in their
hearts, awaiting a favorable opportunity to burst forth as fiercely as
at any time during the life of the Prophet Joseph. This is one of the
strongest evidences we can have of the divine mission of President
Brigham Young. Because of the inspiration of the Almighty and power of
God which has rested upon him and accompanied his administrations, he
has been the very center of the target at which all the deadly weapons
of the enemy has been aimed ever since the death of the Prophet
Joseph. I say this is one of the strongest evidences we can have of
this fact, aside from the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which bringeth
knowledge. It is unmistakable. The hatred of the wicked always has and
always will follow the Priesthood and the Saints. The devil will not
lose sight of the power of God vested in man—the Holy Priesthood. He
fears it, he hates it, and will never cease to stir up the hearts of
the debased and corrupt in anger and malice towards those who hold
this power, and to persecute the Saints, until he is bound. He
delights in apostasy and in apostates, and uses them for his purpose,
but what does he or his emissaries care for their organizations? Do
they hate them? Is the world moved with anger or malice against them?
No. They become a part of the world, fraternize with the people of the
world and lose their distinction or identity, as the people of God
notwithstanding their claims and pretentions to being believers
in the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the Gospel which he was instrumental
in restoring to the earth.
What a host of apostasies there have been since the organization of
this Church! There have been Rigdonites, Strangites, Benemites,
Wightites, Gladdenites, Cutlerites, Morrisites, Josephites, and the
duce knows what ites? But what does the world care about these?
Nothing. Why? Because they have forfeited the Priesthood, they have
not the power, nor the principles of salvation only in part; they have
deserted the cause, have struck hands alike with the infidel and the
bigot, and formed an alliance with the maligners and persecutors of
the Saints, and therefore they are harmless in the eyes of the world
and of their master whom they have blindly listed to serve. While
these men who hold the keys of the Priesthood of the Son of God, who
have led forth the Saints out of bondage and oppression, such as
could not be endured in the States, who have gathered the people from
afar, and planted them in happy homes and peaceful dwellings, who have
reared cities, towns and villages well organized, well governed and
prosperous, and in short wrought miracles in the deserts, and who
still counsel and direct the Saints in the paths of life, are held up
to the ridicule and contempt of the world. Their peace, good names,
honor, possessions and lives are eagerly and persistently sought after,
but with less effect, by the bloodthirsty hearts and crimson hands of
relentless persecutors as during the lifetime of Joseph Smith the
martyr, when the Saints were driven from Ohio, expelled from Missouri,
or banished from their homes in Illinois. Such has always been and
such is today the spirit of the world towards us. This alone is
sufficient evidence to demonstrate the loyalty of this people to the
kingdom of God, and their possession of the Gospel which is the power
of God unto salvation. Do you want any stronger proof of this, when
you contemplate the sayings of the Scriptures, "If ye were of the
world the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the
world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you." (John xv, 19.) "And ye shall be hated of all men for my
names sake." (Matt. x, 22. "If they have persecuted me they will also
persecute you." (John xv, 20.) "In the world ye shall have
tribulation." John xvi, 33.) "Blessed are ye when men shall revile
you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely
for my sake." (Matt. v, 11.) "Yea and all that will live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim., 3, 12.) Therefore,
"Marvel not my brethren if the world hate you." (I John iii, 13.) "Yea
the time cometh that whoever killeth you will think that he doeth God
service." (John xvi, 2.) This was the nature of the legacy the Savior
left his disciples and followers. Is it strange that we should inherit
the same? Certainly not, if we are the disciples and followers of
Christ, for the same warfare continues between him and Belial, and
will until Satan is bound and righteousness triumphs upon the earth.
It is a consolation therefore to know, that, notwithstanding our many
shortcomings, frailties, and imperfections, the Evil one, with the
world at his back, considers us of sufficient importance to oppose and
persecute us with such bitter hatred as he does. Yes, I say it is
encouraging to know, that, as a people we are sufficiently faithful
and worthy before the Lord, notwithstanding our opportunities
for improvement, to arouse the indignation and hatred of the wicked,
and to entitle us to the chastisement of God, through his servants,
for our improprieties, for "whomsoever the Lord loveth he chasteneth."
But we should not provoke the displeasure or incur the chastisement of
the Almighty—presuming upon his forbearance and mercy by neglecting to
perform those duties and responsibilities so justly required of us—but
we should be most diligent, putting forth every energy in our power to
correct our ways, and thus increase our faith that we may become more
worthy of the blessings and protection of God, than hitherto. He is
more willing to bestow blessings upon us than we are to use them
properly when we obtain them, thus by our unworthiness we may prevent
ourselves often from receiving the very blessings we desire, and that
he is not only abundantly able, but willing and ready to shower upon
us if we were worthy, for he cannot consistently bestow "pearls upon
swine." No blessing or good will be withheld from those who are
prepared and worthy to receive and make a wise use of it. The kingdom
of God is to be enjoyed by the Saints—those who are righteous, not
those who are wicked. If we prove unworthy, Zion will have to be
redeemed by our children, who may be more worthy, while we may be
kept, like the ancient children of Israel, wandering in the
wilderness, enduring hardships, persecution and trials, until we shall
have suffered the penalty of neglected, not to say broken and
unfulfilled covenants.
May the Lord bless us all that we may prove ourselves faithful and
efficient servants unto him, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
- Joseph F. Smith