I presume that the people who are now before me feel, with myself,
somewhat disappointed in their expectations this morning. We met
together here for the purpose of hearing an address from our beloved
President, in regard to the views of this people respecting the
Government of the United States, and our relations and connection with
that Government as a people.
It is certainly a disappointment to me, and I have no doubt but it is
to all who are under the sound of my voice, but you see that the house
is insufficient to accommodate us all, and in consequence of this,
being requested by some of the First Presidency, I have come out into
the open air for the purpose of addressing you, according to the
strength of my lungs and the wisdom which God may be pleased to give me.
Let us all lift up our hearts in faith before the Lord, that in our
disap pointment in not hearing the President, the Lord may still be
merciful, and pour out from on high the Holy Ghost upon us, that we
may be instructed and edified, and have our minds strengthened by the
gifts, and power, and wisdom thereof; for without the gifts and
strength of the Holy Spirit to inspire the hearts of those who speak
and of those who hear, our remarks will be in vain, and our hearing
will be in vain; but keep that Spirit with us, and then,
notwithstanding the circumstances under which we are placed, all will
be well; and never let the Saints feel discouraged, neither forget to
pray for the Holy Spirit to rest down upon them, and upon those who
speak to them, that each and all may be directed to act at all times
by that Spirit that is able to guide into all truth. This certainly is
the object for which we are gathered out from the nations of the
earth; this is the object for which we are assembled here
today; at least, it ought to be. We ought not to have any other thing
in view only to be blessed, edified, and strengthened in the Lord.
I am sure that I have no other object in view, and I am the last
person in my feelings that would come out and undertake to speak for
the sake of hearing myself and getting the applause of men; for so far
as speaking is concerned, I feel more like retiring into some lonely
place; for I never did feel a desire to be engaged in public life,
only so far as I can do good; but I have a desire to serve the Lord, I
have a desire to do good, I have a desire to persuade men and women to
become righteous, I have a desire to understand the knowledge and
things of God, and those great principles that will be calculated to
aid me under all the circumstances of this life, as well as in that
which is to come; and for these things I live, and for this cause
(believing that it is required of my hands by the Lord) I take a part
in public life.
I believe I will take a text, and then I can, perhaps, collect my
thoughts and concentrate my mind upon some subject. I am aware that it
is very difficult to speak in the open air, but I will endeavor to
make all hear. I know of no more appropriate text than one which is
expressed in two words, and it is therefore a very short one; and
although I have spoken and written upon the subject before, there may
be those present who are not fully acquainted with it, and it may also
assist the Elders to defend our principles when they are sent forth to
preach the Gospel. It is comprehended in the following two words—"Be one."
Why are we required to be one? What is the object of being one? I do
not know of any better way to illustrate this question than this—if
this congregation who are now present be fore me, were required to
perform some great and mighty works, wherein great strength was
necessary to be exerted, and each individual went and tried to perform
the work given to them to do unitedly, his acts, being individually
and separately performed, would fail to perform the work.
It may be a work of great moment which we are called upon to perform,
requiring all the union, strength, and force that are in our minds. If
men undertake any work of great magnitude by their united force and
strength, they may be able to bring to pass that which they could not
accomplish individually; and so it is with regard to the things of the
kingdom of God.
We are required to be one in order that our exertions and strength may
be united, and have an influence to accomplish our great end and aim;
for by our united faith and exertions we shall be able to prove
ourselves worthy. The Saints are universally interested, as much as we
are, in the building up of this kingdom, which requires oneness of
action.
The devil is all the time working in opposition to our exertions, and
he feels quite interested in opposing us by all his forces, embodied
and disembodied; for he has a great many ways by which he overcomes
the human family, and brings them into bondage. He has been a long
time in war with the kingdom of God, and has become very wily, and has
great experience in his favor, and that is the way he has acquired
such a great deal of cunning; although he has not the same degree of
knowledge that there is in exercise in behalf of the Saints; for he
knows not the mind of God in all things.
That he is thus limited in knowledge is clearly revealed in the
Prophet Joseph's inspired translation of the book of Genesis. He has
many years of experience, and so have his associates; for they have
been enga ged in a spiritual warfare for many ages, endeavoring
to bring into captivity the spirits of men, to lead them into
subjection to his own power; and it requires a strong force to operate
successfully against his numerous host; consequently, we read that in
the last great battle that shall be fought with this adversary, all
the forces of heaven will be brought to bear against him: they will
all be united in one great body under the direction of our father
Adam, the chief prince, the archangel who was appointed in the
beginning to overcome the devil by the assistance of his children. He
will marshal all the hosts of heaven, and will be able to prevail
against him; and then will the Saints be delivered from his power from
henceforth and forever.
Now you see the nature of the thoughts and ideas that the Savior had
in his mind when he commanded his people to be one. We have to learn
the lesson of union here, and when the time shall come for the
commands to be issued forth by the archangel, or the head angel, that
his children may be ready, and all under his command really prepared
to go and perform the work that is given them to do. How, or in what
manner, this battle will be fought, it is not necessary in this
discourse to explain; indeed, we do not know all the particulars, for
they are not revealed, but we may judge from analogy.
We see how the devil operates with us in this life, for he knows now
that our strength is broken; some are in distant settlements, and some
here, and others scattered abroad among the nations; and he is all the
time operating and laying plans for the purpose of injuring and
afflicting the Saints of the living God; and he will not alter his
evil course, but will try to entrap as many as possible by his
stratagems, and lead them astray from the path of life. That is the
way he fights against the cause of God.
Whether there will be any physical force used by celestial beings
when fighting against other beings, is not revealed; but suffice it
to say, that there will be a spiritual strength and force exercised,
and an endeavor made to overcome the minds of men and women, and bring
them into subjection and captivity; and when the mind is brought into
subjection, there will be a spiritual misery, and this is one of the
greatest causes of misery.
It is not this physical body that suffers in such a case as the one we
have mentioned; but as I have, years ago, frequently told the people
that the body has not life in itself; it is the spirit that has life
and feeling, and that is capable of experiencing sorrow and joy, and
all those changes of sensation to which we are liable in this mortal
state; when we are overcome, the spirit is in bondage, subject to the
power of him who has subjected and overcome it, and so it will be with
those that Satan finally overcomes; they will become his prisoners,
for he will have prevailed against them; and thus they are spiritually
subdued.
If they are overcome in their bodies while here, if their minds are
bound down in captivity by their great enemy, if they render
themselves subject to him, it will produce misery and pain and
wretchedness to every such soul. This is compared to a literal pain of
the body by fire and brimstone, about which so much has been said by
the religious world.
I do not know but there will be a literal hell of this description;
for aught I know, the Lord may have worlds prepared with plenty of
fire and brimstone in them; but in my opinion the greatest torment the
wicked will have, will be the torment and sting of the mind, being
brought into subjection to that being that is continually seeking to overcome and entangle mankind in his snares.
Then, it is necessary that we should be one, and hence the Lord said
to us in the early rise of this Church, "If ye are not one, ye are not
mine." Why not His? Why will He not accept of us? Because without
union, without concentration, it is clear that we cannot enjoy
ourselves as the Lord designs we should; in short, exclusive of the
principle and spirit of union, we never can accomplish any great work
like the one given into our hands.
The Lord, therefore, designed to have His people united in one, to
show us the nature of His laws, and the necessity of being united, so
that we may enjoy the society of the ancients, and be one with them.
We are also commanded to shun all contentions and strifes, and all
those friendly emanations that would create a hell for us, and for
those with whom we are associated in our families.
The Lord has no sure foundation to work upon, unless we are united;
and consequently in order to prevent discord and disunion, the results
of everyone going his own way, He has warned us beforehand, and said
that unless we are one, we are not His.
But let us for a few moments examine this text. The Scriptures read in
one place that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one. What are we to
understand from this expression? Are we to understand that the persons
of the Father and Jesus Christ are incorporated in one? No, it has no
such meaning as this. Then are they one in substance, as the Methodist
discipline, and many other creeds, declare? No; from the very fact
that two particles of matter can never be one; or in other words,
where one is, the other is not, and cannot be at the same instant of
time.
There may be several separate substances existing at the same time,
pos sessed of the same properties, perfections, and attributes; the
particles of which they are composed may be the same in kind, and be
possessed of the same amount of wisdom, power, and intelligence; but
still they are separate substances, occupying separate portions of
space; so with the persons of the Father and Son: for instance, if we
examine the constituents of rum water obtained in Utah and in France,
we find them the same, not in substance, but in quality.
A particle of oxygen, or of hydrogen in Europe, is precisely the same
in quality as in America, or anywhere else; it is just so with the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. They are one in the attributes and
principles that exist in their substances, the materials being the
same in kind and qualities only. But I will not say that the Holy
Ghost is a personage, the same as the Father and Son. When I speak of
the Holy Spirit, I speak of it as being a substance that is precisely
the same in its attributes as those of the Father and Son; I speak of
it as a substance that is diffused throughout space, the same as
oxygen is in pure water or air, and as being cognizant of every day's
events. And wherever this Holy Spirit is, it possesses the same
attributes and the same kind of qualities that the personages of the
Father and the Son are possessed of; consequently, the oneness that is
here spoken of, must be applied to the attributes, and not to the
persons themselves.
This subject has been a great mystery to men in the religious world;
they could not comprehend it, and consequently they have conjectured
many things in relation to it, without having the inspiration of the
Almighty to guide them; and hence, one has got one idea, and another
has conjectured in his way and got another idea, quite different from
that of his neighbor. And in this way men have got up creeds and
systems diverse from each other, and contrary to the real
truth; and about these false creeds they have been striving and
contending for ages.
For my own part, I see no mystery about it; the subject is plain and
simple to those who enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost.
In order to explain my mind more fully upon this subject, I will take
a father and son, and a person who lives with them, and works about
the farm, and performs such other duties as may be required: let those
persons have the same attributes, suppose that one knows as much as
the other, and that they all act in union and concert; it could then
be said of those three persons that they were one; and no one would,
from that expression, suppose them to be one identical person, but
everyone would believe and understand that they were one in their
knowledge, one in their views, and in their attributes. I understand
the same with regard to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
I will tell you what I believe in regard to the Holy Ghost's being a
person: but I know of no revelation that states that this is the fact,
neither is there any that informs us that it is not the fact, so we
are left to form our own conclusions upon the subject, and hence some
have concluded that they were right, and that others were not. It is
in fact a matter of doubt with many, and of uncertainty, I believe,
with all, whether there be a personal Holy Spirit, or not.
I am inclined to think, from some things in the revelations, that
there is such a being as a personal Holy Ghost, but it is not set
forth as a positive fact, and the Lord has never given me any
revelation upon the subject, and consequently I cannot fully make up
my mind one way or the other.
I know there are indications that such is the fact; for instance,
where the personal pronoun is applied to the Spirit, as "He shall lead
and guide you into all truth;" "he shall not speak of
himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak;" and "he shall take of
the things of the Father, and show them unto you."
From these and many other passages of the same kind and bearing, we
may draw the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is actually a person.
Then, again, there are other revelations where the pronoun it is
applied, such for instance as, "The Spirit itself maketh intercession
with groanings that cannot be uttered." And many other revelations
convey the idea that the Spirit is a diffused substance. Just so in
the Book of Mormon, we find many of those terms, and consequently we
are left to our own conjecture respecting there being a personal Holy
Spirit; but one thing is certain, whether there is personal Holy
Spirit or not, there is an inexhaustible quantity of that Spirit that
is not a person. This is revealed; this is a fact. And it is just as
probable to my mind, that there should be a portion of it organized
into a person, as that it should exist universally diffused among all
the materials in space.
This Holy Spirit is all-wise, and in many of its attributes much like
the Father and Son, and acts in concert with them. It governs and
controls all things, and from this some might infer that it has the
same knowledge and power as the Father and Son have.
I will tell you some of the knowledge that this Holy Spirit has; it
controls all the laws that you see existing around you in the
variations of the weather and the changes of the seasons, and all
those phenomena that you behold, and that you call the laws of nature;
all these are nothing more nor less than the workings of this all-wise
Spirit.
You see a stone or other substances fall to the ground, and you ask,
What makes them fall, and what controls them? Why will they
not rise? Has any person ever found out the cause of this? No; even
Sir Isaac Newton's principles of gravitation have failed to show it;
as learned a man as he was, he has only given us an index or key to
the effects, but not the cause of those effects. He has taken great
pains to show us that when anything falls to the ground, it is the
effect of the law of universal gravitation; but he himself declares
that the law gives no indication of the cause; he makes this
declaration in his writings.
If, then, he knew nothing about the cause of stones falling, and if no
other persons know, the inquiry may still with propriety be made—what
is the cause of stones or any other substances, when hurled into the
air, falling to the earth? This is one of the mysteries of nature not
yet discovered, unless we can attribute it to the Holy Spirit's
governing and controlling all things. But is the Holy Spirit in the
stone, says the inquirer? And is it that which causes it to fall to
the ground, instead of going upward, or instead of going in a
horizontal direction? This Spirit is in all things, governing and
controlling them according to the eternal decrees of the Almighty.
"How do you prove it," says one? I will prove it by quoting a
revelation where it says, "He is in the sun, and the light of the sun,
and the power thereof by which it was made. As also he is in the moon,
and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was
made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which
they were made; And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the
earth upon which you stand."
"And the light which now shineth," meaning the light of the sun,
"which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes,
which is the same light that quickeneth your un derstandings; Which
light proceedeth forth from the presence of God, to fill the immensity
of space—The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all
things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the
power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of
eternity, who is in the midst of all things."
This light, then, recollect, is so universally diffused, that it
giveth light to all things. This is the same light that governs all
things, and it is called the "power of God." And this, in connection
with another passage in the same revelation, clearly sets forth the
doctrine I have presented before you; the passage says that "light
cleaveth to light." You all recollect the paragraph. The revelation
goes on to say that "God, who sitteth upon his throne, governeth and
executeth all things. He comprehendeth all things, and all things are
before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all
things, and in all things, and all things are by him, and of him, even
God, forever and ever."
Well, then, shall we say, when God, or His Holy Spirit, which in many
revelations is called God, is through all things, being universally
diffused, and in and round about all things, that it is not in a stone
when it falls to the ground? No; we will not exclude it from anything
that exists, for if we exclude that Spirit from one substance, we
might as well exclude it, or attempt to exclude it, from all matter.
If God be in all things, He is in the stone. If we were to take the
wings of the morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the earth, God
is there; or if we make our bed in hell, He is there; and that Spirit
is there, not in suffering, but executing the decrees of the Almighty.
All those vast bodies which we behold traveling space, are governed and controlled by the same Spirit. If each of them, or the
Holy Spirit diffused through them, did not know enough of those
universal laws by which all worlds and all matter are kept in order,
they might frequently come in contact with each other, as the orbits
of many of them intersect each other in performing their revolutions.
Even the stone that is thrown into the air does not go at random, but
its path is marked out systematically; according to certain laws and
conditions, it always falls to the ground.
Why did the axe rise to the top of the water when commanded by Elisha
the Prophet? I will tell you how Elisha made it come up to the surface
of the water. The spirit or power that caused the piece of iron to
sink, was used to bring it up again, for it required the same power to
bring it to the top of the water that it did to take it down. The
agency or power that caused the iron axe to sink when it fell into the
water, is called the law of "universal gravitation." There is no
attraction towards the earth, as some have supposed, but there is a
gravitating power, or a power that sends everything towards the earth
as soon as it is left loose in the atmosphere.
Suppose you take the spirit, which is in all things, away from the axe
of which we are speaking, would the particles of iron cleave together?
No, they would not; there would be no more union of the particles than
there is in the atmosphere we all breathe; but it is the Spirit of God
that causes the particles of iron to cleave together in the axe, and
it is the same Spirit that brings it up to the water's surface, and
that same Spirit causes iron to sink to the bottom of a creek or river
into which it may fall; and consequently all these universal laws that
appear so prominently before us from day to day are nothing more than
the operations of that all-wise Spirit which we are told is "round
about and in all things," and which act according to certain laws
prescribed by the Almighty.
It is this same Spirit that acts in connection with the Father and Son
in governing all things in the heavens and upon the earth, and through
all the boundless extent of space. Cause this oneness, this union
among the particles of the Spirit, to cease, and you would soon see
all things go into confusion. Take away this Spirit, and you would
immediately see some things going up, others down; some moving
horizontally; one portion of the earth would divide from the other;
one part would be flying here and another there. Unless there was a
oneness existing in the innumerable atoms of this universal Spirit,
matter would cease to move by law; but they all act in concert, and
hence there is no confusion in the operations of nature or of nature's
laws.
I have heard it observed, as an argument against this view of the
subject, that if all the particles of the Holy Spirit had the same
degree of knowledge, they might get to quarreling with each other.
Take away this kind of union that now exists, and you would find one
particle contending for one kind of government, and a second for
another, and each would think its own method the best; there would be
room for a great deal more contention and quarreling where diversity
of opinion exists through lack of knowledge, than if they had the same
knowledge. In short, if the particles of the Holy Spirit were not one
in knowledge, there would be a constant quarreling for want of
understanding. Differences of views, arising from the want of the same
knowledge, introduce discordant feelings and expressions into every
family, and among every class of persons where they exist.
Give to two individuals of the same capacities the same knowledge of
anything—let them see and understand so that they shall have the same
views formed by that sameness of knowledge, and they will not quarrel
about their views, but they will act as one, and consequently will be
one in the thing which they understand alike; and just so it is with
the planets, the earth, the moon, and other worlds; they act in
concert, and the spirit that governs them understands the principles
by which this world and all others are governed, and consequently
there is no confusion nor discord; no worlds clashing against each
other, and breaking themselves into millions of atoms, and scattering
themselves throughout space. Why is there nothing of this kind?
Because the particles of the Holy Spirit are one.
You do not find one part of our spirits or our bodies fighting against
another part. You do not find the spirit that is in our left foot
fighting against the spirit that is in the right foot; but they act
together, being one. If one hand gets burnt, the other is warned and
keeps away from the fire. Why is this? It is because the particles of
spirit in both have the same degree of intelligence, and being united
in all things, one is warned by the other.
Some suppose that all our intelligence is in the head. I do not
believe any such thing; but I believe that if our spirits could be
taken from our bodies and stand before us, so that we could gaze upon
them with our natural eyes, we would see the likeness and image of
each of the tabernacles out of which they were taken. Not only the
head, but the figure of the head, feet, arms, hands, face, and of the
whole body. If the spirit is composed of innumerable particles
possessing knowledge or intelligence, we argue that it is diffused
through the system in which it dwells. For if the parts of the spirit
had individually no knowledge, then they would not have any knowledge
collectively.
How many dead persons would you have to pile together to make a living
one? If ten thousand were piled together they would produce neither
life nor knowledge. And it is just so with these particles or parts of
the body said to have no spirit in them, you might bring them
together, and they would know just as much as a hundred thousand dead
persons. Consequently, if the whole is intelligent, the parts are. It
matters not if the particles are so small that ten thousand of them
might be put upon the point of a cambric needle, they all form parts
of that intelligent Spirit, and act in unison one with the other in
all things; and hence there is a oneness according to the words of
our text. No fighting one against the other, but a perfect oneness
exists, and is exhibited through all the actions of that Spirit. If
the all-wise Spirit gains an existence in man, it endeavors to
influence and persuade him to become one with God, as it is one with
Him.
Portions of this Spirit, we say, exist throughout every part of space,
and they perform all the work of governing, and keeping that perfect
harmony which we behold in all nature. All nature is by these means
made to submit to the great law of oneness. Then why not we conform to
the same great principle at once? We must conform to it, if we intend
to enjoy the presence of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ. We have got
to become just as much one in our faith and in our actions as our
right and left hands are in their actions one with the other.
"But," say the people, "inasmuch as you are touching upon this
principle of oneness, we should like to have you explain to us the
passage where it says, 'The Father is in the Son, and the Son
in the Father, and the Spirit is in them both,' or words to this
effect." It is the passage recording Jesus' prayer for his disciples.
I will give you our Savior's own words: "Neither pray I for these
alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee,
that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou
hast sent me." How often we are told in the Scriptures of truth of
this one great and important fact—the oneness of the Father and the
Son, and it is as often repeated in the Book of Mormon. Just on one
single page of that book we find it repeated a great number of times.
Now Jesus, in his prayer, had no reference to the oneness of their
substances, but to the attributes, showing to us, in a most explicit
manner, that the attributes that dwell in the Father dwell also in the
Son.
Now, let me ask you, if the same knowledge be in two or more
persons—if they understand a truth, and any other persons understand
it, does that make it more than one truth? Or, if I understand a
truth, and some other person in this congregation understands the
same, does that make two truths of it? No; it does not. And if this
body of people before me were in possession of the same truth as I am,
does that make as many truths as there are persons who understand it?
No; certainly not: it is all one truth, dwelling in various
tabernacles; it is one truth wherever it is found, or whoever may
possess it—it is still the one unchangeable truth.
Jesus could with all propriety say, when speaking of the knowledge he
had, "The Father is in me, and I in him."
What does he say concerning us in a revelation in 1831? He says, "I am
in the Father, and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received
me, I am in you, and ye in me." That is as much as to say, that "not
the whole of me is in you, because, you are imperfect: but inasmuch as
you have received the truth I have imparted, so much of me is in you,
for I am the truth, and so much of you dwells in me." And if you
should happen to get a knowledge of all the truth that he possesses,
you would then have all of his light, and the whole of Christ would
then dwell in you.
There is one revelation that this people are not generally acquainted
with. I think it has never been published, but probably it will be in
the Church History. It is given in questions and answers. The first
question is, "What is the name of God in the pure language?" The
answer says, "Ahman." "What is the name of the Son of God?"
Answer,
"Son Ahman—the greatest of all the parts of God excepting Ahman."
"What is the name of men?" "Sons Ahman," is the answer.
"What is the
name of angels in the pure language?" "Anglo-man."
This revelation goes on to say that Sons Ahman are the greatest of all
the parts of God excepting Son Ahman and Ahman, and that Anglo-man are
the greatest of all the parts of God excepting Sons Ahman, Son Ahman,
and Ahman, showing that the angels are a little lower than man. What
is the conclusion to be drawn from this? It is, that these intelligent
beings are all parts of God, and that those who have the most of the
parts of God are the greatest, or next to God, and those who have the
next greatest portions of the parts of God, are the next greatest, or
nearest to the fulness of God; and so we might go on to trace the
scale of intelligences from the highest to the lowest, tracing the parts and portions of God so far as we are made acquainted
with them. Hence we see that wherever a great amount of this
intelligent Spirit exists, there is a great amount or proportion of
God, which may grow and increase until there is a fulness of this
Spirit, and then there is a fulness of God.
Looking at the subject in this light, there is no longer any mystery
in the Scripture that says the Father is in the Son, and the Son in
the Father, for they are always one, working together to accomplish
the great work of redemption.
The flesh and bones of the Son were not in the Father, neither did
Jesus try to convey such an idea. The Apostles understood as we do on
this point, and they likewise knew that he had made and created all
things; we believe the same, and that he is infinite. Not infinitely
expanded in his person, but that the all-wise substance, called the
Holy Spirit, is "in all things, and round about all things."
We see the propriety, then, of this prayer of our Savior's: "Father, I
pray not only for these Twelve Apostles that thou hast given me, but
for all those who shall believe on me through their word; that they
all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they
may be made perfect in one, even as we are one."
Hence, then, men are to be one with Christ on the same principle that
he is one with the Father. Now there is no man that will be so foolish
as to think and believe that all men, who shall believe on the Savior
through the Apostle's words, will become the same identical person;
this is not the idea conveyed, but they were to have that same truth,
so as to make them one in their feelings, desires, designs, and
actions for the salvation of the fallen race of Adam.
When we look at all those principles, and reflect upon them, they
afford us joy and comfort, and the reflection gives me an earnest
desire to be one with my brethren, and to be one upon the principles
of righteousness, and not upon unrighteous principles; for if it were
possible for men to be one upon unrighteous principles, it would be of
no use to them.
You will perceive that in the devil's kingdom, with all the knowledge
that they have gained by a long experience, they are not one. There
are disunion and strife continually among them; they are not united
upon false principles, and wherever false principles exist in the
world, or anywhere else, there will be discord and contentions, and
hence he (Jesus) says, "Be one." This has no reference whatever to being
one upon an unrighteous foundation; it has only a reference to being
one upon the principles of the celestial law. And as soon as this
people are united, and become one upon the principles of the celestial
law, the Lord will pour out His blessings more abundantly upon them;
when all understand it, they will all be governed by it; they will
believe alike, and act alike, and this will make them one.
There is another thing upon which I will now speak, namely, the
Omnipresence of God.
Everyone knows that it is absurd to believe in a personage being
present in two places at once. "But," says one, "nothing is impossible
with God." But I beg to differ with such persons, and inform them,
that if the Scripture be true, there are things which are impossible
with God; for it is said that it is impossible for Him to lie; and if
so, it would be impossible for Him to act inconsistent with truth; He
could not place His body in Europe and America at the same time, for
that would be inconsistent with the simplest principles of truth.
We heard a most excellent discourse last Sunday about the angels being
sent to the various nations of the earth, to superintend the
affairs and destinies thereof; also about each person upon the face of
the whole earth having his guardian angel from the time that he comes
into the world. The Holy Spirit acts in conjunction with those angels,
and in places where they cannot be, for there are a great many places
where those angels cannot be present, and the Holy Spirit being
omnipresent is in every place at the same moment of time, regulating
the seasons, and governing the planets in their courses. There would
have to be a vast number of angels to be present in every place at the
same instant of time, directing the movements of each particle of
matter throughout the vast extent of space; consequently this is
attended to by that All-powerful Spirit that exists in inexhaustible
quantities throughout the universe.
The Holy Spirit "is in all things, and round about all things,"
holding all things together in every place and part of the earth, and
in all the vast creations of the Almighty. If you ascend into heaven,
it is there: if you take the wings of the morning and fly to the
uttermost parts of the earth, it is there; if you go to the depths of
hell, it is there, not suffering, but performing the works of His
justice upon the ungodly. Go where you will, through endless space,
and you will find the Spirit there, and consequently, when we speak of
the omnipresence of God, we have reference to His Spirit, and not to
His person. But why is this called the omnipresence of God? Simply
because this Spirit possesses the same knowledge that dwells in the
persons of
God the Father and God the Son, hence
God is there, so far as that knowledge is there.
This, then, will account for the great mystery which exists in the
sectarian world about God's being everywhere present. Some of them
think and believe that God is a person, and that He can be everywhere
present in a personal capacity. Those who are called the wisest among
the religious world have made it out, that the persons of the Father
and Son can be in them and in every other place at the same instant of
time. This is as gross an absurdity as it would be to say that three
times three make ten, or three times one make four. But they have
drawn this conclusion out of certain passages of Scripture, in order
to satisfy their hearers with regard to this intricate subject. They
do not wish to acknowledge their ignorance, and therefore they have
given out this doctrine, which is diametrically opposed to every
principle of science as well as of reason.
The plain, simple Scriptural doctrine is that God's Spirit is there,
which is God in all His power and majesty. All those seemingly
mysterious passages which the learned divines have applied to the
person of the Father being omnipresent, have reference to that
All-wise Spirit of which we have spoken. What effect will this view of
the doctrine have upon persons? We answer, that a person who believes
and follows this as taught in the Book of Covenants, and the Book of
Mormon, will never be confounded. Such persons will be all the time
thinking, "If we have anything to do, God is in that thing, and is the
law and power by which all things that surround us are governed and
kept in such perfect order." What influence will this have over a man
who believes it? It will put him more upon his guard, far more than he
otherwise would be; for God cannot be in this board, or in each blade
of grass in person, but when we know that the Holy Spirit is
everywhere present, being combined with all matter then we have a
correct understanding. God cannot be in every place without
understanding our ac tions and our thoughts too. Do you believe
that the particles of the Holy Spirit have such great knowledge? How
much knowledge will they require to enable them to overlook and
superintend all the works of God? They will require knowledge
infinitely greater than ever we thought of. For instance, they must
have a most perfect knowledge of the law of the inverse square of the
distance pertaining to universal gravitation, or how could they know
the exact distance of those innumerable worlds under their charge, so
as to keep them all moving harmoniously as we see them. Particles of
intelligence that can do all this, can surely know of the thoughts and
intents of the heart; hence, we should always consider, when tempted
to do evil, that God is round about us with all the knowledge that
governs and controls nature. You see, then, that this view of the
subject is calculated to have an effect that will be profitable to us
all.
"But," inquires one, "how are you going to get along with the passage,
in Isaiah, where the Lord declared that, 'There is no God before me,
nor shall there be any after me?'" How can we believe this, when we
believe in the revelation given through Joseph Smith, which says there
are many Gods, and that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are Gods, and that
all good men in this Church shall become Gods? Paul also speaks of the
only wise God. Perhaps some may suppose that it is translated
improperly. But you will find the same thing in the Book of Mormon,
translated by the Urim and Thummim; the same things are also contained
in the new translation of the book of Genesis, given to Moses, where
the Lord declares that, "There is no God besides me." In these
expressions, God has reference to the great principles of light and
truth, or knowledge, and not to the tabernacles in which this
knowledge may dwell; the tabernacles are many and without number, but
the truth or knowledge which is often personified and called God, is
one, being the same in all; God is one, being a unity, when
represented by light, truth, wisdom, or knowledge; but when reference
is made to the temples in which this knowledge dwells, the number of
Gods is infinite.
This explains the mystery. If we should take a million of worlds like
this and number their particles, we should find that there are more
Gods than there are particles of matter in those worlds. But the
attributes of Deity are one; and they constitute the one God that the
Prophets speak of, and that the children of men in all worlds worship.
One world has a personal God or Father, and the inhabitants thereof
worship the attributes of that God, another world has another, and
they worship His attributes, and besides Him there is no other; and
when they worship Him they are at the same time worshipping the same
attributes that dwell in all the personal Gods who fill immensity. And
hence the Lord says, in one of the revelations of these last days: "Ye
are tabernacles in which God dwells, man is the tabernacle of God."
Suppose that there should be a thousand, or one hundred and forty-four
thousand, which number John saw, and they should have the inscription
"God" on their foreheads, not placed there to make fun of them, but to
describe their persons and the authority they possess. Suppose they
should all receive the same knowledge, would not God dwell in them? If
man is the tabernacle of God, then God dwells in them all, being only
one God; but when we speak of them in their personal capacity, we say
that John saw a hundred and forty-four thousand Gods; if we speak of
the light or truth in each that governs them all then there is
but one God, and He is in all worlds, and throughout all space,
wherever the same identical light or truth is found; and all beings,
from all eternity to all eternity, have to worship and adore the same
one God, and always will have to worship Him; though they worship Him
in so many different tabernacles, yet it is the one God, or in other
words, the same light or truth that is worshipped by all. When we look
at the subject in this light, there is no mystery about it. Only look
at it in the light that it is revealed to man in these last days, and
there is none of that darkness and sectarian foolishness which
characterize apostate Christendom; and we cannot understand nor
explain one single principle correctly, and are in the dark and cannot
see the way before us; but when we talk and act under the immediate
influence of the spirit of revelation, then we can see that which the
world are ignorant of. When we undertake to talk of the great and
glorious principles revealed in our day, and speak of the great and
glorious light now revealed, and of which the world have been ignorant
for so many generations, and assert that the Lord has seen fit to
reveal the fulness of the everlasting Gospel to Joseph Smith, an
illiterate man, the religious world spurn at it and drive it from
their dwellings.
How came the Lord to pass by all the great and good men with their
wisdom—how was it, I say, that He passed by the learning of this
generation to reveal the doctrines and principles of our holy
religion? Because He was determined that no flesh should glory in His
presence. How was it that Joseph Smith was enabled to make those
doctrines as plain as the alphabet? It was because God was with him;
God was in the work; and we would just as soon worship that Holy
Spirit or intelligence in Joseph Smith or in any person else, not the
person, but the God that is in him, as to worship the same attributes
somewhere else. And when we find the Father of Jesus Christ, we will
worship Him, not the flesh and bones, but the attributes. The Savior
tells us that he has revealed a great many things, that we may know
how to worship in spirit and in truth. How can a man call on the name
of God acceptably and understandingly, unless he knows about His
attributes, and unless His doctrines are revealed? How can the poor
ignorant Indians of the forest worship acceptably until they are
taught about God and about Jesus? They must understand a great many
things in order to enable them to comprehend the things of God, and be
baptized in an acceptable manner. If we would worship the Father and
the Son, we must know something about them.
We should study the laws of God, and get a perfect understanding of
all things that are revealed, and we will find that we can comprehend
all that is for our present good.
I do not know but I am taking up too much time. I have been led in my
mind to explain some of these things, I have done it from the fact
that the Elders go abroad among the nations of the earth and meet with
much opposition. For instance, when the learned and the wise begin to
controvert the revelations given to Joseph the Seer, let them (the
Elders) know what arguments to bring forth to sustain them, and you
will see, brethren, how easy it is to show that there is but one God
when speaking of the attributes, but that there are many Gods when
speaking of the personages in which the same attributes dwell, and you
can make it clear and plain. These things I published on my last
mission, according to the knowledge I had, knowing that they were
views that the Christian world came in contact with; and knowing also,
this morning, that they were things that the Elders would need
to understand, I have spoken as I have. If the Elders would inform
themselves, they would find that they have a strong armor to support
themselves with, and their testimony would be so powerful that the
arguments of our enemies would fall to the ground; indeed, when on my
mission, I could not find any to investigate or to controvert what I
set forth, and this was a disappointment to me. I could not find any
opposition, only through the papers; and consequently, I had to throw
out our views and leave the public to judge. Amongst all the papers
and periodicals that are published in the States I have never seen one
of the arguments set forth in the Seer met by good sound reason;
ridicule and denunciations were the only weapons used against us; and
this has always been the case. You will find when truth is set before
the people they will appeal to ridicule, from the fact that they have
no arguments.
Having said this much, may the Lord bless you, brethren and sisters,
and His Spirit rest upon us all, and may we feel the importance of
being one in all things that are good, virtuous, and upright. Amen.