I will call the attention of this large I assembly to the latter part
of a very important and extensive parable, recorded in the Book of
Mormon.
The speaker read from the Book of Mormon, commencing at the 128th
page.
I have read these words of the ancient prophet, to whom it seemed
good unto the Lord to reveal his purposes and designs in regard to the
inhabitants of this earth, by means of the trees of the vineyard,
calling the house of Israel, the literal descendants of Israel, the
natural trees of his vineyard; and the other nations, whom we term
Gentiles, as the wild branches of the wild olive tree.
I have read only a small portion of the latter part of this extensive
parable, that part which more particularly relates to the great work
which we, as Latter-day Saints, are now performing in the earth.
Forty-eight years ago, yesterday, after this Book had been printed
making known this great parable to the people, the Church arose,
consisting of only six individuals. From that time until the present,
as the Church has grown and extended its borders, the Lord through his
ser vants, has been organizing his Priesthood. We speak of the Church
being organized on the 6th day of April, 1830, and of it consisting
then of only six members. No one could expect that with that very
small number there could be a very perfect organization. But so far as
there were individuals introduced into the Church, on the day of its
organization, the Lord gave a revelation concerning their duty. And
after the Church had extended forth its borders, and a few hundred
individuals were gathered unto it, in the year that it was organized,
a still further organization took place; and it was but a few years
until the Church stood forth in a more perfect organization then it
had on the day of its foundation. Twelve men were called to be
Apostles according to a certain prediction given some ten months
before the organization of the Church. About this same period of time
the first seventy elders were chosen, which perfected the
organization still more. And also in those early days the High
Priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, was made manifest more
fully and men were ordained to that order of priesthood. In those
early days also the Lesser Priest hood, or the priesthood after
the order of Aaron was made manifest more perfectly in the eyes of the
people, bishops were called and their duties defined, requiring them
to manage, in conjunction with the higher authorities, the temporal
concerns of the Church. This organization continued to increase and
grow, and become more and more perfect, until finally, temples were
built to the name of the Lord, when the duties of these various
councils of priesthood were, in a greater degree, made manifest before
the people. The teachings were many that were imparted in those days,
and a union began to exist among the Saints of God, such as had not
been known among the inhabitants of the earth for many long
generations.
After the completion of the Temple at Kirtland, and this more perfect
organization had been established, the Saints of God began to increase
and multiply to that extent that the Lord saw proper to place them in
a country and land by themselves, where they could have a chance to
enlarge their borders, to lengthen the cords of their habitation, to
break forth on the left and on the right, and where there might be a
majority in the land, and where they might have the privilege of
serving the Lord their God, according to the dictates of their
conscience.
Thus you see our Heavenly Father has been at work among this people,
and with this people, for almost one half of a century, bringing
together, gathering the branches of the wild olive tree from the
distant nations of the earth and grafting them in and making them, as
it were, one body, on this great western hemisphere.
You may ask, what great purpose the Lord has in thus organizing his
people, year after year. The answer is, to accomplish a very important
object, namely to make them like unto one body, that there may be a
most perfect union from the highest officer in the Church down to the
lowest member; that there may be no disunion, no division of feeling
or sentiment in regard to doctrine or ordinances or in any of the
principles pertaining to the Gospel of the Son of God; and that there
may be no division in our political ideas and sentiments, but that a
perfect oneness may exist in the heart of every male and female, from
the grayheaded old man down to the little child, that one feeling and
one spirit may pervade the whole body, that they may be equal and
bring forth the natural fruit again. That is the object; that is the
reason why you behold the organization such as now exists throughout
all these mountain regions. When has the Church, from its commencement
exhibited what we now behold in all parts of our land—stakes of Zion
having jurisdiction over every branch in the Church in these
mountains, and over every family and every individual. And every one
of these stakes has its presiding officer with his two counselors; and
is also composed of numbers of wards over which bishops, with their
counselors are appointed to preside.
What is the duty of the presiding officers of these stakes? To see
that all things under their watchcare are conducted according to the
order of God, to look to the spiritual concerns first, that pertain to
their stake, and to see that the high priests, the seventies, the
elders, the priests, the teachers, and the deacons are all doing their
respective duties, according to the requirements of the Most High; and
then they act as the presiding authority and power over the bishops
that may be in the several wards of their stakes, seeing also that
they are in the performance of their duty, in relation to temporal
matters. And then all the other authorities under these
presiding officers of stakes are to see that those, under their
immediate watchcare, are performing their duties, according to the
laws of heaven which have been revealed for our guidance.
When all things are in proper working order, and when every bishop is
living his religion, and has the spirit of his bishopric resting upon
him, and he fully understands the nature of his duties, everything in
regard to temporal affairs will move like clockwork, and there will be
no running down, as it were, of the clock, no deranging of the
machinery, but every part will fulfil that which is required of it in
relation to its particular calling, and all these various quorums of
priesthood will strive to stir up the people to a oneness in regard to
spiritual things; thus we keep spiritual and temporal things running
parallel to each other, connected more or less together. So that the
whole church becomes like unto one body, they become equal. "And the
root, and the top thereof is equal." Indicating, when these things are
carried out strictly, that the branches will not have power to overrun
and grow beyond the strength of the root; neither would the roots have
power to outgrow the branches. The husbandmen trimmed up the trees of
the vineyard, and they pruned them; or in other words, the servants of
the Lord teach the people, and instruct them, so that they may become
one in all things. What! become one in our views in regard to
politics? Why not? One may say, If you undertake to carry out such
views of union in regard to political affairs, you will all vote the
same ticket; there will be no division nor disunion throughout all the
Church organization, and would not such a state of things be
antagonistic to the genius of our American government? Wherein, I
would ask, would it be contrary? Is there any principle connected with
our government that would forbid us, as a people, becoming so united?
Does the constitution of our country in any one particular prohibit
American citizens from uniting and casting a solid vote in favor of
any eligible candidate who may be regularly nominated, say for the
position of President of the United States? I know of no such
restriction; there is none.
Supposing, then, that all the states of this union at the next general
election, should, without one dissenting voice, conclude in their own
minds to vote for one and the same individual, making him our
president, what part or portion of the Constitution of our country
would be violated by such a united effort? None whatever; because it
is the privilege of the people to unite or divide as they may choose,
there being no compulsion one way or the other.
Which is calculated to produce the greatest good, union throughout all
the states, concentrated not only upon the president, but upon the
governors, and all of our political officers, or disunion and party
strife. Everybody would certainly agree with me in saying that union
in such matters would be the best calculated to promote the interest
and common good of our government and people; that to be without a
single dissenting voice in our election affairs from Maine to Texas,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, all concentrating themselves upon
the officers they want, and then vote for them unanimously would be
carrying out the form of the American government in its perfection.
But our fathers, who framed that Great instrument of nationality—that
instrument by which all classes of people are protected in their
rights —provided for disunion, if the people should feel
disposed to introduce it. Showing that they were permitted to dissent
and vote for as many candidates as they may choose to nominate.
But in the Church of the living God, according to the oneness required
by the Lord of heaven, we should act unitedly in all things. Some may
have an idea that if we are only united about some of the spiritual
things of the kingdom that is all the union needed among us. I do not
know of any one principle, or subject, connected with the building up
and advancement of the kingdom of God upon the earth, upon which we
have a right to be disunited. The law of God is of such a nature, when
complied with strictly, as to unite us not only in the first
principles of the Gospel—faith, repentance and baptism, and
confirmation, and upon doctrine and spiritual things generally, but
also in regard to the cultivation of the earth, the raising of flocks
and herds, manufacturing, and all kinds of mechanical business, and
also with regard to our political affairs and everything with which we
have to do here in this temporal probation. There are some great
political parties very much united, and how diligently they strive to
make themselves still more united. The Republican and Democratic
parties vie with each other in their efforts to elicit the sympathy of
a majority of the people, in order to become the dominant party. Hence
the great number of political agents, that go forth throughout the
country stump speeching, as well as other means that are resorted to
for this purpose. Is there anything in the Constitution of our country
prohibiting them from striving to bring about disunion? No, not in the
least. Neither is there anything written that would forbid the
Methodists, the Baptists, the Presbyterians, or any other religious
society throughout the confines of this great republic, from striving
with all their might to vote with one heart and one mind, both in
regard to their political and their church affairs.
That is what we are striving to do. We are laboring in faith and with
much assurance, that the day will dawn upon Israel, when this people
will attain to a perfect oneness, so much so that not a dissenting
voice will be heard or raised, in regard to things religious or
secular, from one end of the Territory to the other.
This union exists in the eternal worlds. If you should dwell there for
the period of ten millions of ages, you would see no dissension among
those who dwell in yonder celestial worlds. If the affairs of a
celestial world were divided into different departments, calling one
political and another religious, and so on, you would find the whole
body, both religious and political, vote for the same ticket, if I may
be allowed the expression; they would be agreed, of one heart and one
mind. This oneness among the people of God must be attained in this
world, in order that His purposes may be brought about, respecting man
and the earth on which he lives.
How much reason have we to rejoice that our fathers, a little over a
century ago, began to consider the importance of being free and
untrammeled in regard to their religious ideas and opinions; and that
by having their feelings so deeply impressed upon their minds, they
were enabled to get out that great instrument of liberty which
guarantees to this great nation today civil, political and religious
rights.
Our enemies would try to frighten us, by representing before the
Congress of the United States there is a union among those Latter-day
Saints, and that all vote one way. Supposing we admit this to
be true, ought not Congress to rejoice exceedingly to think that there
is one portion of the people under the flag of this great and glorious
republic, that have strength of mind sufficient to be united on
politics. I presume the Republican party of our government, that has
some hundreds of thousands united with them, rejoice exceedingly to
think that they have as much union among them as they have; and it is
their constant labor and study to use and devise every means in their
power to maintain and, if possible, increase this union. And so we
intend to use every lawful (not unlawful) means in our power to keep
the people united upon one platform, religiously and politically, and
also in every other position in which we may be placed.
Remember the parable I have read in your hearing, which was printed in
the Book of Mormon, before we had on existence as a Church. The
servants labored in the vineyard with their mights. What for? To prune
up the trees, to graft them into their proper place, that they may
bring forth that fruit which was most precious to the Lord from the
beginning and the fruit become like unto one body. And the roots and
the top thereof were equal. And the blessings of the Most High began
to be made manifest upon the fruits of the vineyard, and they began to
grow and extend themselves, their branches spreading upon the face of
the whole earth. What will be the final result of all this? I will
answer in the words of Daniel the prophet: "I beheld until the
kingdom, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven was
given unto the Saints of the Most High." And what became of the other
kingdoms, empires, republics and governments, generally instituted by
men? I will again answer you in the words of the same prophet: "They
became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors, and the wind
carried them away, that no place was found for them." Amen.