I shall feel very much obliged, while I attempt to address you; if you
will keep as quiet as possible; because it is quite a labor to speak
to so large a congregation, and unless quiet and order is preserved,
it is impossible for all the people to hear.
I have been very much interested and edified in listening to the
remarks made by the brethren since we have assembled together in this
Confer ence. And I have been very much pleased in witnessing the union
and general feeling of interest manifested among the people to attend
these meetings. It is evidence to me that the people feel interested
in these great and eternal principles developed through our holy
religion, and that they have a desire to yield obedience to the law of
God and to keep his commandments. And in that alone is our safety, our
happiness, our posterity, and our exaltation, as a people; for
we derive every blessing we enjoy, whether of a temporal or of a
spiritual nature from our heavenly Father; and without him we can do
or perform no good work, for in him "we live and move and have our
being," and from him, and through him we receive all blessings
pertaining to this life, and we shall hereafter, if we possess eternal
lives, inherit them and obtain them through the goodness, mercy and
long-suffering of God our Eternal Father, through the merits and
redemption of Jesus Christ our Savior.
It is not in man to direct, to manage and control affairs of the
Kingdom of God. No man ever did possess that power, nor will he,
unaided by the power of the Almighty. All nations and all peoples are
more or less under his direction and control, although many of them do
not know it. He raises up one nation, and puts down another, he
debases the proud and exalts the humble at his pleasure, and he
pursues that course among all the peoples and nations of the earth, as
seemeth best unto him; and all nations and all peoples are his
offspring and he is the God and Father of the spirits of all flesh,
and feels an interest in the welfare of all the human family. He has
been in the ages that are past, and he is in the present age doing all
that he can to promote the happiness and well-being of the human
family. This does not always appear to men of superficial minds, the
dealings of God with man are not always comprehended. But he
nevertheless does control the destinies of all peoples; and if in
many instances it does not seem for their present benefit, yet as
mankind are eternal beings, having to do with eternity as well as
time, when the secrets of all hearts shall be developed and the
actions of gods shall be made known and fully com prehended in the
future destinies of the races of men, it will be found that the Judge
of all the earth has done right.
The Lord has in these last days, for his own special purpose, and also
in the interest of humanity, revealed himself from the heavens, made
manifest his will to man, sent his holy angels to communicate and
reveal unto us his children certain principles as they exist in the
bosom of God, and he has pointed out the way whereby we may secure our
happiness and an eternal exaltation in the celestial Kingdom of God.
He has been pleased to restore again the everlasting Gospel in all its
fullness, with all its riches, and blessings, and power, and glory. He
has organized his Church and Kingdom upon the earth; he has chosen men
as he did in former times to be the bearers of his message of life and
salvation to the nations of the earth. He has, through these
instruments, instructed us, and gathered us together, as we are found
here today, from the different nations where the Gospel reached us. He
has brought us here according to certain eternal principles which he
had in his mind before the world was, and according to certain
councils that existed in the heavens among the gods, who have been
operating upon and with the human family from the commencement to the
present, and will until the winding up scene.
The work that we are engaged in is not the work of man, it did not
originate with man, it was not found out by him. It is the work that
has been prophesied of by all the holy prophets that have lived on
this continent, on the continent of Asia, and in the various portions
of the earth. As the Apostle Paul describes it, it is "the
dispensation of the fulness of times spoken of by all the holy
prophets since the world was." And anything that we may have
received—any light, any intelligence, any knowledge of the things of
God, have emanated and proceeded from him. He saw and comprehended the
fitting time for this work to commence; he prepared the way by once
more opening the heavens, by revealing himself and his Son Jesus, and
by afterwards sending holy angels to communicate his will and his
purposes and designs to the human family. It therefore did not
originate with us, nor with any sect or party or people, for nobody,
not even Joseph Smith, or Brigham Young, or any of the Twelve Apostles
knew anything about the great principles that were stored up in the
mind of God. It was the mind and will and revelations of God, made
known to the human family, in the first place to Joseph Smith, and
through him to others. And when the Elders of this Church went forth
to the nations of the earth, as bearers of the gospel message, if they
had gone upon their own responsibility they could have accomplished
nothing. But having been chosen and set apart of the Lord, they went
forth as his messengers, without purse or scrip, trusting in Him. And
he opened up their way and prepared their path, as he said beforehand
that he would. "Behold," said he, "I send you forth to the nations of
the earth, and my Spirit shall go with you, and my angels shall
prepare the way for you." I send you forth not to be taught, but to
teach, not to be instructed by the world of mankind or the
intelligence of the world, but by the wisdom and intelligence and
power and spirit which I shall give you, and it is through and by this
influence that we have been gathered together. And why are we
gathered? These Elders could not have gathered you unless God had been
with them; they could not have influenced you to come here unless the
Spirit and power of their mission had been with them. But the Lord
said in former years through his prophets, "I will take you one of a
city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will
give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with
knowledge and understanding." And through the operation and influence
of the Spirit of the living God, manifested through the priesthood,
God's ministers on the earth, you have been brought together as you
are today. But why should we be thus gathered together? That there
may be a body of people found to whom God can communicate his will,
that there might be a people who should be prepared to listen to the
word and will and voice of God: that there might be a people gathered
together from the different nations who, under the influence of that
spirit, should become saviors upon Mount Zion; that they might, under
the inspiration of the Almighty, and through the power of the Holy
Priesthood which they should receive, go forth to those nations and
proclaim to the people the principles of life, that they might indeed
become the saviors of men. And if we could fully comprehend our
position, we should see things very differently from what we now do.
If we could comprehend our relationship to God, to each other, to his
church upon the earth, and also the greatness and magnitude of the
work in which we are engaged, and the responsibilities that devolve
upon us as Elders in Israel, as Saints of the Most High God, we should
see things in a very different light from what we now do. We are not
here, as they say in the Church of England, to "follow the devices and
desires of our own hearts;" we are not here to pursue our own
individual interests and emoluments, we are not here merely to
attend to our own secular affairs, but to learn the laws of life, and
then teach the people the way of salvation. There was an old saying
among ancient Israel: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,
and thou shalt worship the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all
thy mind, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and him only
shalt thou worship." And Jesus, in after time, added a little more to
this: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." God is one, and they
who dwell with him are one. Those who will inherit the celestial
kingdom will be one when they get there; and we, as a people, ought to
be one—one in faith, one in principle, one in practice, one in our
interests, one in our associations, with each other and in our
families, one with God, one with the holy angels, one in time, and one
in eternity.
To bring about a union of this kind, the principle of baptism has been
introduced that we all might be baptized into one baptism, by the
laying on of hands, and through the various orders of his Priesthood,
we all partake of the same spirit; and being brought into union and
communion with God, that we all might feel after God, that the tens
of thousands, and hundreds of thousands might be brought into
connection with the Almighty, whose prayers could ascend into the ears
of the Lord of Sabbaoth. And for the accomplishment of this purpose,
he selected Joseph Smith to be the first Apostle in his Church: he was
called "not by the will of man," nor by the power of man, nor by the
intelligence of man, but by God who revealed himself unto this young
man, as also the Savior, committing unto him a mission to perform to
the inhabitants of this earth. He was endowed with power and authority
which was given him for that purpose, that he might be the legitimate
representative of God upon the earth. He also taught him how to
organize his Church, and put him in communication with many of the
ancient Prophets who have long since passed away, who also
communicated with him, and revealed unto him further the plan and
design of the Almighty in relation to this earth, and the salvation of
all who would listen to the principles of truth.
The nations of the earth have their representatives, their ministers,
their plenipotentiaries, empowered and sent forth by the recognized
authority of the several nations. He was the representative of God,
his credentials came from God, and his mission extended not to one
nation only, but to all nations; and he was authorized to establish
and organize what was termed the Church and Kingdom of God upon the
earth. And every step that he took, every principle that he
inculcated, and every doctrine that he taught, came from God by the
revelations of God to him, and through him to the people. He selected
others by revelation—Apostles, High Priests, Seventies, Bishops,
Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons, also High Councils, and
Bishops' Councils, and Patriarchs, and all the various authorities and
organizations of this Church. Joseph Smith neither knew how to select
men, whom to select, nor what their offices should be until it was
communicated by the Lord. And yet we find that these principles
revealed to him, agree with those that existed in former ages whenever
God had a Church or people on the earth. And hence the ushering in of
the Gospel simply means the revelation of the will of God to man; it
simply means the placing of mankind in communication with the
Lord that he may not be governed by his own follies or notions or
theories, but by the will and word of God. And the examples that you
heard referred to here, of our Stakes, with their Presidencies,
together with the Bishops and their Council, etc., is a part of the
system of heaven, as it exists in the eternal worlds; and the
Priesthood that we hold is the everlasting Priesthood, and it
administers in time, and it will administer in eternity; and a
knowledge of the works that we are now engaged in, in regard to the
building of Temples and administering therein, all came from God, and
are a part of the eternal system. Who knew about them until God
revealed it? Nobody. Who knows how to administer acceptably in these
Temple without revelation? Nobody but those to whom it has been
communicated, it came from God. And our preaching to the living, and
our administering for the dead are all of them parts and parcels of
the same concern. The fact is, we are in a state of probation; we have
enlisted under the banner of the Almighty; we have dedicated ourselves
to him for time and for eternity, and he expects it at our hands that
we be true to the trust conferred upon us, that we be faithful to our
obligations and fulfil them, that we honor our God, that we magnify
our callings and Priesthood, and that we stand forth among the people
and before the nations, as the representatives of God upon the earth.
We have a similar view to that of the Apostle Paul, who said when
addressing himself to the Corinthians: "Ye are not your own, for ye
are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God's." We have enlisted in a work, have
engaged in a warfare that will last while time shall be, and if we
live our religion, and keep his commandments, the principles that we
are in possession of will bear us off triumphant over death, hell and
the grave, and land us among the just, among the celestial host that
dwell with our Father in heaven. We really have no time to attend to
those trivial affairs, that some people seem to think ought to occupy
so much of our time. I wish now, while we are together to talk upon
some general principles associated with the Priesthood which has been
conferred upon us.
It was said of ancient Israel, if they had kept the commandments, that
he would have made out of them a kingdom of Priests. We are literally
a kingdom of Priests today. Our business is not to follow our own
will, our own desires and plans, but to seek to know and to do the
will of God, to carry out these principles which he has revealed, and
in this is our happiness and exaltation in time, and will be
throughout the eternities that are to come.
We ought to be operating with God, and with the holy angels; we ought
to be feeling after them, we ought to be operating with the ancient
Priesthood that have lived before—the Patriarchs, the Prophets, the
Apostles, and all those men of God who have lived and died in the
faith who act with God our heavenly Father, and with Jesus the
Mediator of the new Covenant. We ought to be operating with them in
establishing righteousness throughout the earth, not nominally, but
really; we ought to be laboring in conjunction with them in saving the
living, not to make it a hardship and a trouble and a toil; something
that we can hardly endure to go through; but on the contrary, feeling
it an honor to be associated with the interests of God and bearers of
the message of life and salvation, and also seeking for
wisdom, and intelligence, and power, and revelation from God to carry
out his will and designs, and to accomplish his purposes upon the
earth.
Will his purposes be accomplished? They will. Will the Gospel grow,
spread and increase? I tell you, in the name of Israel's God, it will.
Will the time come when every fictitious thing will be removed, when
light and truth shall prevail, and when the kingdoms of this world
will become the kingdoms of our God and his Christ? I tell you it
will, and God will hasten it in his time. And this priesthood and this
people are to be the instruments, in the hands of God, in connection
with the priesthood who have gone before, who are now operating in
their sphere, as we are in our's. The Lord hath so ordained, says the
Apostle, "that they (referring to the dead), without us should not be
made perfect;" neither can we without them be made perfect. There
needs to be a welding and uniting together, that in all of our doings
as God's servants and representatives, we may be influenced and
directed from above, being united with the Gods in heaven we may
become one in all things upon the earth, and afterwards one in the
heavens. And says the Lord, "If ye are not one, ye are not mine."
Everything that tends to divide the people, as you heard this morning,
proceeds from beneath, and those that are engaged in it are the
emissaries of the devil; for as he is the father of lies, so he is the
father of division, strife and discord. But union, peace, love,
harmony, fellowship, brotherhood and everything honorable, noble and
exalting, proceeds from God; these are the principles that we ought to
seek after and to disseminate as far as we can everywhere and among all
peoples. And then when we have done that work, turn our attention to
the building of temples and minister in them for the dead, that we may
operate with the fathers in the interest of their posterity, helping
them to perform that for their posterity which they were not able to
do.
And in regard to the world, what ought our feelings to be towards
them? A feeling of generosity, a feeling of kindness, a feeling of
sympathy, with our hearts full of charity, long-suffering and
benevolence, as God our Father has, for he makes his sun to rise on
the evil as well as the good; he sends his rain on the unjust as well
as the just. And while we abjure the evils, the corruptions, the fraud
and iniquity, the lasciviousness and the lyings and abominations that
exist in the world, whenever we see an honorable principle, a desire
to do right, whenever we see an opening to promote the happiness of
any of these people, or to reclaim the wanderer, it is our duty to do
it, as saviors on Mount Zion.
Will they have trouble? Yes. Will there be tribulation? Yes. Will
nation be arrayed against nation? Yes. Will thrones be cast down and
empires destroyed? Yes. Will there be war, and carnage, and bloodshed?
Yes. But these things are with the people and with God. It is not for
us; we have a mission to perform, and that is to preach the Gospel and
introduce correct principles, to unfold the laws of God as men are
prepared to receive them, to build up his Zion upon the earth, and to
prepare a people for the time when the bursting heavens will reveal
the Son of God, "and when every creature on the earth and under the
earth will be heard to say, blessing and glory, and honor, and power,
and might, and majesty, and dominion be ascribed to him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever."
Will this people grow and increase? Yes. And the time will come—it is
not now, we are not prepared for it—when calamity and trouble and
bloodshed, confusion and strife will spread among all the nations of
the earth. The time will come, and is not far distant, when those who
will not take up the sword to fight against their neighbors, will have
to flee to Zion for safety. That was true some time ago, and it is
nearer its fulfillment by a great many years than at the time it was
first uttered.
What are we here for? To build up or aggrandize ourselves? No, but to
build up the Church and kingdom of God upon the earth, and to spread
the light of truth among the nations. That is our duty, and also to
pray for the revelations of God, that the Spirit and power of God may
rest upon us, that we may comprehend correct principles and understand
the laws of life, to guide and guard and protect the ship Zion from
among the rocks and shoals and troubles that will sooner or later
overcome this nation, and other nations, and prepare ourselves for the
events that are to come. We ought to be men of honor, of honesty, of
integrity, having our eyes single to the glory of God. That is the
duty of these Apostles, and not to act with a view for their own
aggrandizement, and for the obtainment of filthy lucre, or anything
else pertaining to this world. We brought nothing into this world, we
can take nothing out. It is for us to operate for God and in the
interests of his Church and kingdom.
And what of these other brethren, the High Priests? They have a
mission to perform, and that is to make themselves acquainted with the
laws, doctrines, ordinances and gov ernment of the Church of God upon
the earth, that they may be prepared, when called upon, to fulfil the
duties and responsibilities devolving upon them. I will here read part
of a revelation which indicates the nature of these duties. "And again
I give unto you, Don C. Smith, to be a President over a Quorum of High
Priests, which ordinance is instituted for the purpose of qualifying
those who shall be appointed standing Presidents over the different
stakes scattered abroad." Hear it, O ye High Priests! This is the
prominent duty devolving upon you. The position you occupy is a sort
of a normal school, if you please, to prepare those who are in it and
are taught in it, that when they shall be called to hold official
places in the various stakes of Zion, they may be prepared to magnify
them. How was it when we were engaged organizing these stakes, were
these brethren prepared? No, many of them were not by any means. One
was engaged on his farm, another was tied up in his merchandising,
another had bought five yoke of oxen and had to prove them, and
another had married a wife and he could not come. And we, therefore,
had to go outside of the High Priests, whose legitimate business it
was to occupy these positions, and call other men and ordain them High
Priests, and set them apart to preside in these stakes, as Presidents
and Bishops and Councilors, having to take them from among the
Seventies' and Elder's Quorums, because the High Priests were not
prepared to magnify their legitimate calling; whereas, if they had
been doing their duty, living their religion, and meeting together in
prayer, and examining the doctrine of Christ, instead of being engaged
almost exclusively in many of these other matters, they would have been prepared to step forward and magnify their calling. There
are many other stakes to be organized. Prepare yourselves, you High
Priests, for the duties and responsibilities that may devolve upon
you, that the Church of God may be strengthened in all its parts, and
every man in his place, all prepared to magnify their calling.
Then, again, there are Seventies; I think there are some seventy-six
quorums of seventies. Does their duty consist merely in making their
own plans and calculations, such as to go on a farm and live there all
their lifetime, attending to their own individual affairs, or pursue
any other avocation without considering the obligations they are under
by virtue of their Priesthood, and calling? I tell you nay. We have
something else to do. I read in the revelation touching this matter,
when the seventies were ordained, "they were to ordain more seventies
until there should be seven times seventy, if the labor in the
vineyard required it." They were to do this "if the labor in the
vineyard required it." In whose vineyard? Their orchards and farms? I
do not read it so. Does this refer to their merchandising? It does not
so read. In looking after their own affairs or emoluments? That is not
what I read; but for the labor of the vineyard. Whose vineyard, then?
The vineyard of the Lord. But it seems that a great many of the
Seventies have no more idea of going into the vineyard of the Lord,
than if they held no such Priesthood or calling; they do not seem to
comprehend their duties, nor their responsibilities. Hear it, O ye
Seventies! You are called and set apart by the Priesthood, to act
under the direction of the Twelve, to go forth as His messengers to
the nations of the earth. Do you believe it? This is your calling.
Prepare yourselves for it. I do not want Elders coming to me, as some
have been doing, after having been called upon missions saying, I pray
thee have me excused. And I call upon the first President of the
Seventies to instruct the various Presidents of Seventies, and they in
turn the members of their several quorums, in regard to their duties;
and to live themselves so that the spirit of the living God may rest
down upon them, that they may indeed be qualified to teach their
brethren what their duties are, that they may prepare themselves to
magnify them. Instead, therefore, of everyone seeking his own
individual gain from his own quarter, let every man feel that he is a
servant of the living God, a messenger to the nations of the earth,
and that when the Lord calls upon him, through the proper authority,
to do a certain work, he must obey, and that readily and willingly!
These are the duties and responsibilities that devolve upon you, my
brethren of the Seventies.
And it is the duty of the Elders also to magnify their callings; to
feel after God and to seek instruction from Him, and to magnify their
calling and Priesthood at home or abroad, being governed by the Holy
Priesthood, in regard to their duties, that they may be acceptable to
the Lord, and magnify their callings with all diligence and fidelity,
and then it is the duty of the Presidents of Stakes to look after the
interest and welfare of their own people under their Presidency, not
in a formal manner, but as interested in their welfare, having a
lively desire to benefit and build them up, both spiritually and
temporally, and perfect them in righteousness, purging out when
necessary the ungodly, lifting up and exalting the poor, and blessing
and benefiting everybody according to the principles of righteousness and truth, guarding their virtue and their honor, and
see that men are honorable, that they regard their word of more value
than their bond, that all people may rely on them; men who, in the
language of the Prophet, will swerve to their own hurt and change not,
and who will do that which is right and equitable before God. It is
their duty, and the duty of the Bishops and also that of the High
Priests and Seventies and Elders operating with them to look after the
poor and see that they are provided for. Do not let us have anybody
crying for bread, or suffering for the want of employment. Let us
furnish employment for all, divide up our farms and plan and devise
liberally that all who need work, and want to be employed, may find
labor. And I now call upon the Presidents of Stakes throughout Zion to
give this matter their serious and earnest attention. We have land in
abundance, water in abundance, and means in abundance; let us utilize
them for the common weal. Talk about financiering! Financier for the
poor, for the working man, who requires labor and is willing to do it,
and act in the interest of the community, for the welfare of Zion, and
in the building up of the kingdom of God upon the earth. This is your
calling; it is not to build up yourselves, but to build up the Church
and kingdom of God; and see that there is no cause for complaining in
all your villages and cities and neighborhoods. Let us take hold
together for the accomplishment of this object, and pray God to give
us wisdom to carry it out, and he will pour upon us blessings that
there will not be room enough to contain.
Again, we have what is called a Perpetual Emigration Fund. I wish to
draw the attention, not only of the Presidents of Stakes but of the
Bishops of the various wards, and of the whole people, to the
responsibilities that devolve upon us in relation to this matter. We
seem to be dwindling down in some of these matters, and I am sorry to
say that there is a great lack of that integrity and interest that we
would like to see manifested among our brethren. There are those here
who have assisted with their means to the amount of upwards of a
million dollars, which is unpaid by those who received the benefit of
it. It was the calculation that this means should be used to bring
those of our brethren to this land, who needed and were worthy of this
assistance, and when you who were thus assisted were in distant lands
praying and wishing to be gathered to Zion, this help came to you and
you were brought here; and instead of paying this your honest debt,
you go to work and build up yourselves, without meeting your
obligations, what is the result? Those of your brethren who still
remain, who are just as worthy as you to be gathered to Zion, are left
to cry for assistance. I am daily in receipt of letters from different
parts of the earth, asking to be thus assisted pleading: "we want to
gather with the Saints, can't you help us?" Yes, we can if you who owe
the Fund will pay your honest debts, we can then meet all these
requirements. And I call upon the Presidents of Stakes and upon the
Bishops to look after these things, and see that these obligations are
met, that the poor from abroad may not cry in vain; but that we may
help them, and then they return the amount advanced to them to assist
others, and thus keep the work rolling in the same direction. And if
this duty is not performed, how can we expect the blessing of God to
rest upon us?
We are engaged quite extensively in the erection of Temples.
We are building one here, and also one in Cache Valley, and another in
Sanpete, and if we had time, and it was considered advisable, we could
read the report read setting forth the receipts and disbursements of
these places; and I presume we shall, before the Conference adjourns.
Suffice it to say, with all our backwardness in some other things,
there are a great many of the Latter-day Saints who are doing all they
can in every laudable enterprise. I presume at the present time there
is not less than 500 men engaged in rearing the walls of these
Temples. And men are taking hold of it with energy, doing all they can
in many instances, but not in all by a great deal.
Then in regard to our Tithing operations, Bishop Hunter informs me
that many of the people are very negligent in regard to this matter.
Now, I would say in behalf of the people, that perhaps there may be a
partial excuse for some of these things. We have had a very stringent
time for a number of years past, a financial crisis has prevailed in
the eastern States for some years now, and almost every paper reports
the failure of mercantile and business institutions—of the failure of
one firm after another; and we have been subject, more or less, to
these depressions. The fact also must be considered that great
exertions have been made in the building of the St. George Temple, and
also the three Temples now under way, which have already exhausted
considerable means furnished chiefly by the people residing in those
Temple districts. I must give the people credit for their zeal and
energy in this direction, which we must all acknowledge is very
commendable and praiseworthy. And, perhaps, in the performance of this
labor many have done the best they could, and possibly circumstances
have so overruled that they find themselves hardly able to meet their
Tithing, for as a rule it is those who take delight in observing the
law of Tithing that subscribe to these other calls. We do not wish to
crowd or press upon the people; but rather let us take things easily
and deliberately, seeking always to break off the yoke of him that is
bound, letting the oppressor go free. And let our sympathies be
extended towards the widow and the orphan; and while we are building
Temples, paying our Tithes and offerings, and doing the best we can
before God and man, we will let that go for the present, and when we
get into more favorable circumstances we will do better. At any rate,
we will keep doing with a long pull and a strong pull, and a pull
altogether, as one in the interests of all Israel. But we must not
forget our duties to the Lord.
I would say in this connection that there are three of the Twelve
appointed to superintend the erection of these edifices in these
outside districts, and then there are those residing here attending to
home affairs. And we are seeking to act in concert and do the very
best we can. Some people have an idea that these Temples ought to be
built from the proceeds of the Tithing; I do not object to it in the
least, providing you will only pay your Tithing. But we cannot build
Temples with something that exists only in name. You deal honestly
with the Lord, handing over in due season that which belongs to his
storehouse, and then we will show you whether we cannot build
Temples, as well as do everything else that may be required with it.
In the mean time, we have got to do the best we can in these matters;
and as we are personally interested in these things, as well as our
brethren, the departed deed who have gone before us, and who
depend upon this being done, we feel a strong desire to carry out
these projects; and this feeling, I am happy to say, exists throughout
all Israel.
We want also to be alive in the cause of education. We are commanded
of the Lord to obtain knowledge, both by study and by faith, seeking
it out of the best books. And it becomes us to teach our children, and
afford them instruction in every branch of education calculated to
promote their welfare, leaving those false acquirements which tend to
infidelity, and to lead away the mind and affection from the things of
God. We want to compile the intelligence and literacy of this people
in book form, as well as in teaching and preaching; adopting all the
good and useful books we can obtain; and what we need and cannot
obtain make them. And instead of doing as many of the world do, take
the works of God, to try to prove that there in no God; we want to
prove by God's works that he does exist, that he lives and rules and
holds us, as it were, in the hollow of his hand. For it is very unfair
for man to take the works of God to try to prove that there is no God.
But then it is only the fool that has said in his heart, there is no
God. I would like to talk upon this subject if time would permit.
I am pleased to see the exertions made by the young men's and young
women's mutual improvement associations, to benefit and bless the
rising generation of our people. And I am also pleased to witness the
degree of intelligence and studiousness manifested by our young
people; it is creditable and praiseworthy. We want to lead them on and
encourage them in the study of correct principles, so that when the
responsibility of bearing off the Church and Kingdom of God shall pass
from us to them, they may be prepared for it, and carry on the work to
a glorious and triumphant consummation. And that we may stand in
regard to education and literacy, the sciences, the arts and
intelligence of every kind, as high above the nations of the earth, as
we do today in regard to religious matters.
And before closing I would refer briefly to the ladies' relief
society. We are told that, "the man is not without the woman, nor the
woman without the man in the Lord." She is spoken of as a helpmeet to
her husband. I remember the organization of the first Relief Society
in Nauvoo, by the Prophet Joseph Smith; today we find them spreading
all over the land, and the benefits of their labors are widely
realized. Our sisters are doing a noble and commendable work in
writing and publishing, in visiting the sick and needy, and
ministering to their wants, and showing kindness and benevolence
towards the suffering and distressed, and also advocating principles
that are honorable and praiseworthy before God and man, calculated to
elevate and bless their sex. And I say to the sisters, God bless you
in your labors of love, and in your enterprise, continue to press
forward in your good work, and the Lord will bless you and your
posterity after you; for you are mothers in Israel who are raising up
kings and priests unto the Most High God. See that your children are
taught aright, and that they grow up in virtue and purity before the
Lord. Teach them good principles, never mind so much about the
fashions; but let economy, industry, charity, kindness and virtue be
early impressed upon their minds, and try to love your sons and
daughters, and to lead them in the paths of life.
I should like to speak of our Sunday Schools and other institutions,
but time will not permit. I have talked long enough. God bless you, in
the name of Jesus. Amen.