I esteem it a privilege to meet with the Latter-day Saints. I have
visited Farmington many times, and I can say that, as a general thing
in attending your meetings, I have felt much of the peace and
blessings that flow from heaven to this people.
I have no doubt that the majority of the people called Latter-day
Saints desire really to be Saints; were it not for this I might feel
partially discouraged. The people who are honest, who are seeking to
know and to understand the truth, they are the ones who, so far as
their faith and good works, and their influence and ability are
concerned, sustain the kingdom that God has commenced to establish on
the earth. When we consider the condition of the Latter-day Saints,
and see how many there are who seem to have their eyes fixed upon the
things of this world, things that are not lasting, but that perish in
the handling, and how anxious they are to obtain them, how do you
think I feel about it? We see many of the Elders of Israel desirous of
becoming wealthy, and they adopt any course that they think will bring
them riches, which to me is as unwise as anything can be—to see men of
wisdom, men that seem to have an understanding of the world and of the
things of God, searching after minerals throughout these mountains;
they traverse the hills, and they dig here and there, and keep digging
and picking, and rolling the rocks from morning till night. This chain
of mountains has been followed from the north to the south, and its
various spurs have been prospected, and what do they find? Just enough
to allure them, and to finally lead them from the faith, and at last
to make them miserable and poor. Ask the brethren why they do this,
and the ready reply will be, "Is it not my privilege to find a gold
mine, or a silver mine, as well as others?" As far as I am concerned I
would say, "Yes, certainly it is your privilege, if you can find one."
But do you know how to find such a mine? No, you do not. These
treasures that are in the earth are carefully watched, they can
be removed from place to place according to the good pleasure of Him
who made them and owns them. He has his messengers at his service, and
it is just as easy for an angel to remove the minerals from any part
of one of these mountains to another, as it is for you and me to walk
up and down this hall. This, however, is not understood by the
Christian world, nor by us as a people. There are certain
circumstances that a number of my brethren and sisters have heard me
relate, that will demonstrate this so positively, that none need doubt
the truth of what I say.
I presume there are some present who have heard me narrate a
circumstance with regard to the discovery of a gold mine in Little
Cottonwood Canyon, and I will here say that the specimens taken from
it, which I have in my possession today, are as fine specimens of gold
as ever were found on this continent. A man whom some of you will well
know, brought to me a most beautiful nugget. I told him to let the
mine alone.
When General Conner came here, he did considerable prospecting; and in
hunting through the Cottonwoods, he had an inkling that there was gold
there. Porter, as we generally call him, came to me one day, saying,
"They have struck within four inches of my lode, what shall I do?" He
was carried away with the idea that he must do something. I therefore
told him to go with the other brethren interested, and make his claim.
When he got through talking, I said to him, "Porter, you ought to know
better; you have seen and heard things which I have not, and are a man
of long experience in this Church. I want to tell you one thing; they
may strike within four inches of that lode as many times as they have
a mind to, and they will not find it." They hunted and hunted,
hundreds of them did; and I had the pleasure of laughing at him a
little, for when he went there again, he could not find it himself.
(Laughter.)
Sometimes I take the liberty of talking a little further with regard
to such things. Orin P. Rockwell is an eyewitness to some powers of
removing the treasures of the earth. He was with certain parties that
lived nearby where the plates were found that contain the records of
the Book of Mormon. There were a great many treasures hid up by the
Nephites. Porter was with them one night where there were treasures,
and they could find them easy enough, but they could not obtain them.
I will tell you a story which will be marvelous to most of you. It was
told me by Porter, whom I would believe just as quickly as any man
that lives. When he tells a thing he understands, he will tell it just
as he knows it; he is a man that does not lie. He said that on this
night, when they were engaged hunting for this old treasure, they dug
around the end of a chest for some twenty inches. The chest was about
three feet square. One man who was determined to have the contents of
that chest, took his pick and struck into the lid of it, and split
through into the chest. The blow took off a piece of the lid, which a
certain lady kept in her possession until she died. That chest of
money went into the bank. Porter describes it so [making a rumbling
sound]; he says this is just as true as the heavens are. I have heard
others tell the same story. I relate this because it is marvelous to you. But to those who understand these things, it is not
marvelous.
You hear a great deal said about finding money. There is no difficulty
at all in finding money, but there are a great many people who do not
know what to do with it when they do find it. This is the great defect
with the human family. I could relate many very singular
circumstances. I lived right in the country where the plates were
found from which the Book of Mormon was translated, and I know a great
many things pertaining to that country. I believe I will take the
liberty to tell you of another circumstance that will be as marvelous
as anything can be. This is an incident in the life of Oliver Cowdery,
but he did not take the liberty of telling such things in meeting as I
take. I tell these things to you, and I have a motive for doing so. I
want to carry them to the ears of my brethren and sisters, and to the
children also, that they may grow to an understanding of some things
that seem to be entirely hidden from the human family. Oliver Cowdery
went with the Prophet Joseph when he deposited these plates. Joseph
did not translate all of the plates; there was a portion of them
sealed, which you can learn from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants.
When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them
back to the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph
and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave,
in which there was a large and spacious room. He says he did not
think, at the time, whether they had the light of the sun or
artificial light; but that it was just as light as day. They laid the
plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under
this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and
there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many
wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls.
The first time they went there the sword of Laban hung upon the wall;
but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the
table across the gold plates; it was unsheathed, and on it was written
these words: "This sword will never be sheathed again until the
kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ."
I tell you this as coming not only from Oliver Cowdery, but others who
were familiar with it, and who understood it just as well as we
understand coming to this meeting, enjoying the day, and by and by we
separate and go away, forgetting most of what is said, but remembering
some things. So is it with other circumstances in life. I relate this
to you, and I want you to understand it. I take this liberty of
referring to those things so that they will not be forgotten and lost.
Carlos Smith was a young man of as much veracity as any young man we
had, and he was a witness to these things. Samuel Smith saw some
things, Hyrum saw a good many things, but Joseph was the leader.
Now, you may think I am unwise in publicly telling these things,
thinking perhaps I should preserve them in my own breast; but such is
not my mind. I would like the people called Latter-day Saints to
understand some little things with regard to the workings and dealings
of the Lord with his people here upon the earth. I could relate to you
a great many more, all of which are familiar to many of our brethren and sisters.
Now, should you go prospecting for gold or silver, you will find just
enough to allure you and to destroy you. But it might be said, "Are
not the earth and the treasures the property of the Lord who created
them, and will he not, according to the promise, give them to his
faithful disciples?" O yes, this is strictly correct; but you mark
this—the man who is faithful to his calling and to this holy
Priesthood, never goes hunting for gold or silver unless he is sent.
Such men are found following their legitimate pursuits, working in
their fields, in their workshops and gardens, making beautiful their
habitations; in other words, engaged building up and assisting to
establish the Zion of God on the earth, with their minds centered on
the true riches and not upon the things of this world. People do not
know it, but I know there is a seal set upon the treasures of earth;
men are allowed to go so far and no farther. I have known places where
there were treasures in abundance; but could men get them? No. You can
read in the Book of Mormon of the ancient Nephites holding their
treasures, and of their becoming slippery; so that after they had
privately hid their money, on going to the place again, lo and behold
it was not there, but was somewhere else, but they knew not where. The
people do not understand this; I wish they did, for they would then do
as I do, pay attention to the legitimate business that God has given
them to perform. Do I run after mines or digging holes in the ground?
No, not at all. It is like the will-o'-the wisp, a jack-o'-lantern.
You ask our businessmen, or go to California, and inquire there
whether it pays to hunt for gold. I will venture to say there never
was a dollar taken from the mountains of California, neither from
these mountains west, nor from out of this Territory, but what cost
from ten to one hundred dollars. Do you believe that? It is said a
great deal of money has been made here and there. Who has made it?
Considerable lead has been taken from here, and a little silver; but
when you count the time that has been spent, and after putting a fair
valuation upon it, you will find what I say to be a fact, to say
nothing of the lives and property that are lost. A little town
directly west of here, some fifteen months ago, contained a certain
number of men, who followed mining. We calculated their time at the
rate of what was paid for common labor; and then we ascertained the
amount realized from the treasure taken out of the earth, which was
well known; and it was shown that they spent in the neighborhood of
seven hundred dollars a day, and got in return about thirty. What they
did get was just sufficient to allure them.
The Lord has permitted our enemies to come among us, who would destroy
us if they could. They are only allowed to allure the minds of the
foolish and those who lack judgment and who know not the things of
God. But when we, as individuals and as a people, learn things as they
are, we will find this fact—all truth is worthy and worth possessing,
while all untruth is not worthy nor worth running after, nor working
for, nor spending our lives for. The Gospel of life and salvation
which God has revealed to us, incorporates all the systems there are.
Every true principle and every true science, and every truth there is,
are incorporated within the faith of the Latter-day Saints.
This is something worth possessing, this is worth spending our time
for; but the religions of the day, independent of their moral worth,
are nothing but a myth, a shadow; there is no reality in them. But
when you come to the philosophy of the religion of heaven, you have
facts in your possession that are worth having, they are worthy the
admiration of the wise, the prudent, the noble, the great and those
that seek after the wisdom that comes from God, and the Latter-day
Saints are in possession of this treasure! What are we doing? If we
were the people of God, as we profess to be, there would not be a
dissenting voice in all Israel in obeying the Priesthood. It was
observed this morning by brother Cannon with regard to yielding
obedience, that we were called upon to yield obedience because it was
a command of God, and our faith demands obedience. To what? Why?
Wherefore? Obedience to every principle of truth. What for? So that we
may become possessors of all truth. Why should we do it? Because it
gives us health, it gives us wealth, it gives us knowledge, it gives
us power, it gives us beauty, it gives us excellency, it gives us
treasures on the earth and treasures in heaven, it gives us a
knowledge of God and of the love of God, it gives us fellowship with
the Saints that are sanctified and glorified, and it gives us all
things that will promote happiness and peace. These are the reasons
why we do it. Should you take the other road, what do you get?
Nothing. When persons turn away from the Gospel of the Son of God,
what do they turn to? Nothing. And what do they turn from hereafter?
All things worth possessing, everything that men and the Gods can
possess in time and in eternity. Take the other road, and you get a
shadow for the time being, and you may think you have the substance,
but sooner or later you are left as a feather floating in the air, or
worse than a ship upon the ocean, without compass or rudder, deprived
of the light of the sun, the moon and the stars, tossed hither and
thither until it sinks to rise no more. In order to yield obedience to
the truth, you must love the truth and have the fear of God in your
hearts. All who feel the true spirit of this latter-day work delight
in the truth, they delight to hear the truth, and they delight to obey
the truth; it is their delight to know the mind and will of God, that
they may render obedience to it. This is the experience of every
faithful man and woman in this Church. But take the experience of the
apostates, and the experience of those who have risen up in opposition
to the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Gospel brought forth and contained
in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants and in the Book of Mormon, and
the revelations that he was the honored instrument in the hands of God
of revealing to the people; those that rise up in opposition to this,
who are they and what is their end? You will hear one fact from
them—"Brother——, have you enjoyed yourself since resigning
'Mormonism?' Now speak the truth. Come, tell us just as it is. Have
you experienced joy and happiness since leaving the kingdom of God?
Come, now, don't lie!" Brother——answers, "I have not
enjoyed one day's
peace since I left the Church." This is the declaration of the
apostates today, when they tell the truth about it. Look at their
countenances—is there happiness depicted there? No, it is
sorrow; they choose error instead of truth, they love darkness rather
than light, and the end thereof, to use Scripture language, is death.
The sorrow thereof they feel every day, for man's spirit is operated
upon continually. We are as independent in our organization as the
Gods are, but still we are creatures of circumstances, influenced by
the spirits and by the powers of eternity that are here and round
about us. We are here and are operated upon by them in our
organizations. This is the place where every man commences to acquire
the germ of the independence that is enjoyed in the heavens. These
influences, in comparison, are like the cooling breezes from the
mountains that are so grateful to us, that revive and refresh us, that
give us life. But on the other hand, here comes the miasma from the
swamp, bringing disease and death, and without knowing we inhale the
poisonous air, we become conscious of weakness, we feel that we are
taking fever, that we are getting sick—we become a prey to the enemy,
and death ensues. That is the difference between the two influences
that operate continually on mankind. It is either enjoyment or
suffering. All are subject to these elements in which we live. Here is
the good operating, all the time telling men and women, before passing
the ordeals of redemption, that they must repent, that then the light
of Christ will be upon them from time to time, to operate upon their
minds, teaching them—you are doing wrong, you are saying that which is
not right, you have renounced the Book of Mormon, you have renounced
the Doctrine and Covenants, you have re nounced Joseph, your
endowments, or Celestial Law. When they reveal the truth of their
hearts, they will say, as Lyman E. Johnson said, at one of our Quorum
meetings, after he had apostatized and tried to put Joseph out of the
way. Lyman told the truth. He said, "Brethren—I will call you
brethren—I will tell you the truth. If I could believe
'Mormonism'—it
is no matter whether it is true or not—but if I could believe
'Mormonism' as I did when I traveled with you and preached, if I
possessed the world I would give it. I would give anything, I would
suffer my right hand to be cut off, if I could believe it again. Then
I was full of joy and gladness. My dreams were pleasant. When I awoke
in the morning my spirit was cheerful. I was happy by day and by
night, full of peace and joy and thanksgiving. But now it is darkness,
pain, sorrow, misery in the extreme. I have never since seen a happy
moment."
Lyman E. Johnson belonged to the Quorum of the Twelve; he was the
first man called when the Twelve were called; his name was first,
Brigham Young's second, and Heber C. Kimball's third. The testimony
that he gave of his bitter experience is the testimony that every
apostate would give if they would tell the truth. But will they
acknowledge it? No, because they do not want to tell the truth.
There is no enjoyment, no happiness, no comfort, there is no light to
my path, for me there is no real pleasure or delight only in the
observance of truth as it comes from God, obeying it in every sense of
the word, and marching forward as a good faithful soldier in the
discharge of every duty. The man or the woman—perhaps you may think it
presumptuous in me, but I will pro mise you that what I am going
to say is the truth—who has embraced what is called "Mormonism," but
which is nothing more or less than the Everlasting Gospel of the Son
of God, who when counseled by men of God holding the eternal
Priesthood to do thus and so, and who will indulge in a spirit that
will prompt him to say, "O yes, I think I will use my own judgment. I
think I have discretion as well as you, and I will take my own course.
I can attend to my own business as well and perhaps a little better
than anyone else, and therefore I don't need anyone to advise me." I
say the man or the woman that will do so, thereby taking to himself or
to herself strength and wisdom to counsel themselves, unless they
repent, turn round and do better, they will go into darkness, and
sooner or later each person or persons will apostatize and go to
destruction. Do you believe it? It is just as true as the sun that
shines. Is it hard to believe? No, it is the easiest thing in the
world to believe the truth. It is a great deal easier to believe truth
than error. It is easier to defend the truth than to defend error. It
is necessary that the religions and creeds of the Christian world be
defended by the most able and learned students, in order to make them
popular and to appear as true. But after these Christian students have
been through academies and colleges; and the most famed seminaries in
the world, and after they have studied and studied, spending a
lifetime in the acquisition of a theological education, it takes but
one of our boys, with the aid of the Bible and the little Catechism,
to wind them up as you would an old clock. This has been the
experience of many of our boys, and when they started out from their
homes to preach the Gospel, they did not know that they could say
anything at all about its principles; but when they have come in
contact with those who have professed much and who have undertaken to
disprove the Gospel as taught by the Latter-day Saints, their minds
have become enlightened and passages of Scripture have come to them
and they have discomfited their opponents, so that they have had
nothing to say. I have done so many times myself, and that too with a
few words; and the conversation would be turned to something else.
With all their study and learning, and with all the philosophy and
science there is brought to the aid of false theories, how easy it is
to believe the truth! It is much easier than to disbelieve it. Truth
commends itself to every honest person, it matters not how simply it
is told, and when it is received it seems as though we had been
acquainted with it all our lives. It is the testimony of the majority
of the Latter-day Saints that when they first heard the Gospel
preached, as contained in the Bible and Doctrine and Covenants,
although entirely new to them, it seemed as though they already
understood it, and that they must have been "Mormons" from the
beginning.
Well, before I sit down I will present to the congregation the names
of three of our brethren whom I shall recommend to form the presidency
of this Stake of Zion, which will comprise Davis County, and the name
of which will probably be Farmington Stake of Zion. (Here Pres. Young
proposed the names of Wm. R. Smith of Centerville as President, and
Christopher Layton of Kaysville as his first and Anson Call of
Bountiful as his second Counselors). I know some of you wish it
otherwise, or that someone else was chosen for President; but as we
cannot suit everybody's desire in a matter of this kind, we
have to center on one, and I have felt to suggest the name of brother
Smith. (Each name was put separately, and each vote was unanimous).
Before presenting the names of brethren to compose the High Council,
which would be in order to do, I propose for President of the High
Priests' Quorum the name of Thomas S. Smith, who was once Bishop of
this place. (Brother Smith was unanimously sustained; and brothers
Thomas Steele and Job Welling were elected as his Counselors, without
a single dissenting vote. The names of the brethren to act as members
of the High Council were also presented and sustained in a similar
manner).
The Wards will be organized hereafter; Bishops will be placed over
them, with their two Counselors, all of whom will be ordained High
Priests, if not already so ordained, and then be set apart to act in
their several offices. They then will form a court; and then all the
other quorums of Priesthood will be set in order. For what? Paul says,
"For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ." But whether this will be the
result here I do not know. All I know is that it should be so, and if
everyone does his duty and lives his religion, it will be so. (The
brethren chosen and elected to fill the several offices herein named,
were then set apart to act therein. The President then continued—)
Just a few words to the Presidency of this Stake of Zion. It is now
their duty to see that the officers within their jurisdiction perform
their several duties, it is sufficient work for them too if they will
attend to it. The High Council I hope will not have much business to
do. I am told that there have only been three cases during the last
twenty-three years, that have gone for trial before the High Council
from Farmington. That is doing very well. To the now acting Bishops,
who will be ordained Bishops, as well as to brother Hess, who I
believe is the only ordained Bishop in the county, I will say that you
will now be required to look after your several Wards more assiduously
than heretofore; see that Teachers are diligent in the performance of
their duties, and that all difficulties that may arise among the
brethren of the Ward be settled, if possible, by the Teachers; and
also see that all who claim membership in this Church observe the
moral law of our religion. We shall not expect to hear of people
breaking the Sabbath, and a hundred other things all of which are
inconsistent with our holy callings, and opposed to the accomplishment
of the work that the Father has given us to do. You are called upon
now to make yourselves familiar with the revelations and commandments
that have been given us of the Lord for our perfection, for our
sanctification preparatory to our exaltation, and so live that our
acts and conversations may conform to the same. We expect to see a
radical change, a reformation, in the midst of this people, so that,
when the proper authorities shall call upon you to do thus and so,
everyone may be found willing and ready to respond, placing himself,
with all he commands, for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God. This
is in accordance with a revelation given to this Church before the law
of Tithing was revealed; but in consequence of unbelief and
imperfection on the part of the people it was not observed, and hence
a law more adapted to their condition was given, namely, that of
Tithing. You are called upon now to improve your ways, to seek
with all earnestness for an increase of faith that you may live
according to the higher laws, which is your privilege to do, and which
is so necessary for our peace and comfort and for the good order of
society and for the salvation of the Latter-day Saints. We shall look
for this change, and I do not think we shall be disappointed; if at
all, I believe it will prove a happy disappointment to all Israel,
because of the great reformation that will be effected among the
Latter-day Saints.
Brethren and sisters, we feel to bless you, we are blessing you all
the time, and God is blessing you. See how he has tempered the
elements; how he has held our enemies in check, and delivered us out
of their grasp and power; how he has prospered us when we have
confined our attention to our legitimate business; and I can say with
all propriety that, if we had strictly followed the counsels that have
been given from the commencement until today, instead of being in
such poverty, as we are in one sense, we would be a self-sustaining,
independent people, commanding millions just as easy as we now command
thousands. But how unwise, how foolish some of our brethren are! I am
ashamed of them, and their condition is deplorable. Instead of
beautifying their homes and improving their farms, and helping to
reclaim the community and build up the Zion of the latter days, they
have done—what? Dug holes in the ground? and, I do not know how it is
with you, but go to Salt Lake City, and you will find men whose
experience and judgment should have taught them better reaping the
results of their folly—their houses and lots mortgaged, their farm,
also many are in this condition, and most of them will lose their
property. They wanted a little more money, they allowed themselves to
be allured and they lose all. I myself was the means of making several
brethren by employing them, letting them have business to attend to
until they became wealthy; and now they are in poverty. Whereas, if
they had taken my counsel they could have added to their wealth and
been in good comfortable circumstances today, success and prosperity
would have attended them, peace and blessing would have been their
portion, and they in turn would have been in a position to bless
others of their brethren. This I say, with all confidence and
assurance; but no, selfishness and covetousness blinded them, they
wanted more and they coveted that which was not their own; and if they
have not already sensed it, I can tell them that weeping, mourning and
lamentation will overtake them, and this they bring upon themselves.
Let us take the course pointed out and we will avoid trouble; if we
pay attention to our calling we will be blessed abundantly, both
temporally and spiritually; and when it shall be said to the people,
Let us do this or that, it will be done. We require nothing more of
the people than the Lord requires of us. And what is that? It is this,
"Son, give me thine heart." Let us truly and in reality be servants of
God, holding ourselves with all we have subject to the will of God, to
be used, if necessary, for the building up of his kingdom on the
earth. This is what the Lord requires, this is what the Priesthood
require, and is the course I endeavor to pursue.
I say God bless you; I bless you. I say peace be with you. Brethren,
one and all, be faithful, be diligent. We have all plenty to do; it
remains for us to live so that by the light of the Holy Spirit, we can
see the work before us. Do not let our minds run after gold and
silver, nor upon houses and lands; what the Lord gives us take the
very best care of, putting the same to a wise and proper use, or our
hearts cannot be for the kingdom.
Never have I seen to so great an extent that willingness to labor for
the cause of righteousness, as was witnessed in the Temple, at St.
George, last winter. The Spirit of God pervaded the hearts of the
brethren and sisters, and how willing they were to labor! This work
will continue, and the brethren and sisters will go into the Temples
of the Lord, to officiate for those who have died without the Gospel
from the days of Father Adam to the winding-up scene, until every one
is officiated for; who can or will receive the Gospel so that all may
have the opportunity and privileges of life and salvation.
Don't you think we have a work to perform? Yes, and it will take a
thousand years to accomplish it. In the Temple last winter the
brethren and sisters enjoyed themselves the best that they ever did in
their lives. So they said. And our children, just old enough to work,
how happy they were! They would exclaim, "I never knew anything about
'Mormonism' before!" If you were in the Temples of God working for
the
living and the dead, your eyes and hearts would not be after the
fashions of the world, nor the wealth of the world. Yet the whole of
this world's wealth belongs to the Lord, and he can give to whomsoever
he pleases. Amen.