We meet together here and elsewhere in a Conference capacity, for the
purpose of regulating, managing and directing the affairs of the
Church, and submitting the reports of the several Stakes to the
people, that the Saints may comprehend the position which they occupy,
and that through our inter-communication with each other and through
the various reports, we may become acquainted, to a certain extent,
with the spirit and feeling, the desires and motives that permeate
the Saints of God, throughout all the land of Zion.
We talk about a great many subjects, and many principles are
introduced to our notice. The various duties and responsibilities of
the presiding authorities are referred to, as well as those of the
Presidents of Stakes and their Counselors, the Bishops and their
Counselors, and the Priests, Teachers and Deacons, as also the various
societies and organizations which exist as aids to the Holy Priesthood
in the several Stakes. All these things are very good, so far as they
go; but it is proper that we should examine ourselves, and when it is
our duty so to do, examine one another; and then ask the Lord to
examine us; for it is possible that we may entertain ideas regarding
ourselves and our position that may not be sanctioned by the Almighty;
and if this be the case, then if that harvest should come off which we
have heard sung this afternoon, it may find some of us who are not
"wheat," not faithfully performing in all respects the various duties
and responsibilities which devolve upon us. And it is quite proper
that we, as an intelligent people, professing preeminently to be the
servants of God, should act with candor and truthfulness, and
should be able to scan our own actions as well as those of others, to
see wherein we come short in following the example that was set us by
one of the ancient Prophets, in which he said, "Search me, O God, and
try me and prove me; and if there be any way of wickedness in me, bid
it depart."
The position that we occupy is indeed a very peculiar one. We are
gathered here from the nations of the earth. We are gathered here
because of certain plans, purposes and designs of Jehovah, pertaining
to the world wherein we live, pertaining to the peoples who have
existed before us, and relating to all men whether living or dead. And
as the Lord organized this world; as He is said to be the God of the
spirits of all flesh; and as he is interested in the welfare of all
humanity, he would be the proper personage to inaugurate every
measure, everything that would be calculated to promote the interests
of mankind. And in the accomplishment of the salvation of the human
family his designs, plans and purposes have been perfected generations
long ago. If he could reveal unto Adam all of the events which would
transpire upon the earth associated with coming generations, he
certainly must himself have had a knowledge of those things which he
communicated to our first parents, or he could not have revealed them.
Among other things which the Lord designed should be introduced upon
the earth was what is termed the dispensation of the fulness of
times, wherein he would gather together all things in one, whether
they be things on the earth or things in heaven; but all should be
gathered together in one.
We have had in the different ages various dispensations; for instance
what may be called the Adamic dispensation, the dispensation of Noah,
the dispensation of Abraham, the dispensation of Moses and of the
Prophets who were associated with that dispensation; the dispensation
of Jesus Christ, when he came to take away the sins of the world by
the sacrifice of himself, and in and through those various
dispensations, certain principles, powers, privileges and Priesthoods
have been developed. But in the dispensation of the fulness of times
a combination or a fulness, a completeness of all those dispensations
was to be introduced among the human family. If there was anything
pertaining to the Adamic, (or what we may term more particularly the
patriarchal) dispensation, it would be made manifest in the last days.
If there was anything associated with Enoch and his city, and the
gathering together of his people, or of the translation of his city,
it would be manifested in the last days. If there was anything
associated with the Melchizedek Priesthood in all its forms, powers,
privileges and blessings at any time or in any part of the earth, it
would be restored in the last days. If there was anything connected
with the Aaronic Priesthood, that also would be developed in the last
times. If there was anything associated with the Apostleship and
Presidency that existed in the days of Jesus, or that existed on this
continent, it would be developed in the last times; for this is the
dispensation of the fullness of times, embracing all other times, all
principles, all powers, all manifestations, all Priesthoods and the
powers thereof that have existed in any age, in any part of the
world, For, "Those things which never have been revealed from the founda tion of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise
and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the
dispensation of the fullness of times."
And who was to originate this? It originated with God the Father, and
it was sustained by Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and it
was sanctioned by all the Prophets, Patriarchs, Apostles and men of
God who held the Priesthood in former ages. And finally, when all the
preparations were made and everything was ready, or the time had fully
come, the Father and the Son appeared to the youth Joseph Smith to
introduce the great work of the latter days. He who presides over this
earth and he who is said to be the maker of all things, the Father,
pointing to his well-beloved Son, says, "This is my beloved Son, hear
him." He did not come himself to regulate and put in order all things,
but he presented his Only Begotten Son, the personage who should be,
as he is termed in the Scriptures, the Apostle and great High Priest
of our profession, who should take the lead in the management and
regulation of all matters pertaining to the great dispensation that
was about to be ushered in. And that Jesus who had been spoken of by
all the holy prophets since the world was, and was the Lamb slain from
before the foundation of the world, who was the Son of the Eternal
Father, and who was the brightness of the Father's glory and the
express image of his person, he it was who was to take charge of this
all-important work, to regulate the affairs pertaining to the
interests of humanity, to introduce the dispensation of the fullness
of times, and to operate with the various Priesthoods that had existed
and the men who held the keys of these Priesthoods in former times for
the salvation of humanity.
And thus the work was commenced. Everything was prepared in the
heavens that had been contemplated from the beginning. And I here
desire to mention one thing pertaining to the Son of God. We are told
that when it was determined to organize the earth, and when God had
laid his plans before the councils of the heavens that he asked
Lucifer what he would do. Lucifer answered, "Behold I, send me, I will
be Thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be
lost; and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor." The
Father then turned to his well-beloved Son, and asked, "What will you
do, you have heard these things as well as Lucifer?" The Son replied,
"Father, thy will be done, and thine be the glory." Satan, we are
told, rebelled against God; and he wanted to introduce something that
was contrary to the law of God and to the counsel of God; as much as
to say, "O, you do not know much about it; I will go and save all;
wherefore give me thy glory." Some of our folks nowadays feel and
say sometimes, they have a portion of the Priesthood, and they think
they are almighty personages; they think they know better than anybody
else, better than the Bishop, better that the Twelve, better than the
Presidency of the Church: they are puffed up and filled with their
vain imaginations. Say they, "let me have my way; and then, I want you
to give me your honor to help me to carry it out." Or, in other words,
"I want to fight against the work of God and against the Priesthood of
God, and I want you to give me power and influence to accomplish it."
They do not tell you that in so many words; but those are the
facts. Now, we are told that Satan rebelled against God. He could not
rebel against a law if that law had not been given; he could not have
violated a commandment if that commandment did not exist. And we are
told that he sought to take away the agency of man, to make man a poor
miserable serf; and then to take his own course in regard to the
destiny of the human family. But God would not have it so; and because
of his rebelling he cast Lucifer out of heaven and with him one-third
of the hosts of heaven because of their departure from God and his
laws, and because they sought to pervert the counsel of God, and
violate those principles which he had introduced for the salvation of
the world which was to be, and upon which we now dwell.
Was it known that man would fall? Yes. We are clearly told that it was
understood that man should fall, and it was understood that the
penalty of departing from the law would be death, death temporal. And
there was a provision made for that. Man was not able to make that
provision himself, and hence we are told that it needed the atonement
of a God to accomplish this purpose; and the Son of God presented
himself to carry out that object. And when he presented himself for
this position he was accepted by his Father, just the same as any man
who owes a debt, if he is not able to pay that obligation, and
somebody steps forward and says, I will go security for him. If the
persons to whom he is indebted are willing to take him as security
they will receive the security's note or obligation to meet the debt.
So Jesus offered himself. Now, man could not have done that. Man could
do all that he is capable of doing. But there was an eternal law of
God violated and it needed an eternal, infinite sacrifice to atone
therefore; and Jesus offered himself as that sacrifice to atone for
the sins of the world; and hence it is written, he was the Lamb slain
from before the foundation of the world.
Now, to carry out this view of indebtedness a little further. We will
suppose that a man has given his note to pay a certain amount in a
certain given time, and in order to keep that note good, he agrees to
pay interest on it. Now, when Jesus gave himself up as security for
the sins of mankind, and God accepted of his security, what was done
then? Why, sacrifices were introduced as types of the sacrifice of the
Son of God, to show that the ancient servants of God recognized this
principle which had existed in the heavens, and many of them
understood the principle with great clearness. We find that Adam
offered sacrifices, and when he did this, he said in answer to a
question put to him by an holy angel, I do not know why I do it, only
the Father has commanded it. And then the angel commenced to explain
to him that this rite was a type of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten
of the Father who should come in the meridian of time to offer himself
as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; and said he, "Thou shalt do
all things in the name of the Son, and call upon the Father in his
name for evermore." When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, the
mercy of God was extended to them, and they perceived as Eve expressed
it, that if there had been no fall, they would have had no posterity,
and that they would have been deprived of many joys and blessings
relating both to this life and the life to come. And so Adam and Eve
rejoiced in their hearts that God had provided the plan, and
although they were fallen, yet in this life, through the atonement,
they would have joy, and by and by they would return to their Father,
and there rejoice exceedingly in the abundant mercy of God, and in the
redemption wrought out for them by the Son of God.
We find that from that time Satan began to operate and to use his
influence against God, seeking to introduce rebellion on the earth as
he had done in heaven. He succeeded but too well in his operations.
And when Cain and Abel offered up their sacrifice, Cain would not have
done it if the devil had not urged him; but we are told that Cain
loved Satan better than he loved God, and that he departed from the
laws of God. Satan requested Cain to offer up a sacrifice, which he
did, and the Lord rejected it, but he accepted his brother Abel's. Why
did the Lord refuse one and accept the other? Because the Lord knew
that Cain had departed from him, and that he was not sincere in his
offering, as we sometimes are not sincere in our offerings and in our
worship, and therefore he rejected it. Then Satan came again and
whispered to Cain, I could have told you all about it before; God is
an unrighteous God; he gathers where he has not strewn, he reaps where
he has not sown. He was unjust to me in heaven, and therefore I
rebelled against him; and I advise you to do so also. And Cain listened
to the advice of Satan, and as the devil was a murderer and a liar
from the beginning, so he induced Cain to become the same, and he
instigated him to kill his brother Abel. Here were the two powers
represented in the two men, that of God in Abel, and that of Satan in
Cain; and thus the warfare commenced, and the opposition was
inaugurated, for we are told it was necessary there should be an
opposition in all things. And furthermore, we are told that it became
him of whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing
many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect
through suffering.
Now, these things spread and grew. It was necessary and proper that
there should be good and evil, light and darkness, sin and
righteousness, one principle of right opposed to another of wrong,
that man might have his free agency to receive the good and reject the
evil, and by receiving the good (through the atonement of Jesus Christ
and the principles of the Gospel, which he introduced, and which were
advocated long before he himself appeared on the earth), they might be
saved and exalted to the eternal Godhead, and go back to their Father
and God, while the disobedient would have to meet the consequences of
their own acts.
This warfare continued; and as men began to increase upon the earth,
so wickedness increased, until it was decided that they should be
destroyed, that they might be deprived of the privilege of
perpetuating their species. Why? Let us go back to the time when Satan
rebelled against the Almighty and drew away one-third of the hosts of
heaven. We find that there were pure spirits that stood that test and
who had given to them the promise of bodies on this earth. Let us
suppose that you and I were there as spirits, awaiting the privilege
of taking bodies, and that we could see the wickedness and corruption
that was going on upon the earth, and that we could see Prophets going
about teaching the principles of righteousness and warning the peo ple of judgments that should come, of the flood that should
overwhelm them and of the prisons prepared in which the ungodly should
be cast. And we say, "Father, you see the people on the earth that
they are wicked and depraved, fallen and corrupt!" "Yes." "Is it right and
just that we who have done no wrong should have to enter into such
corrupt bodies and partake of the influences with which they are
surrounded?" "No," says the Father, "it is not just, and I will cut
them off, I will cause the floods to come upon them to destroy them,
and I will send those wicked and disobedient spirits into prison,"
which he did.
Here was an act of justice. Some men who profess to be very wise,
think God was unjust in thus destroying so many of his creatures. They
know nothing about it because they do not comprehend the law of God
and the purposes of God. It was an act of justice and righteousness
according to the eternal justice that dwells in the bosom of the
Father.
What next? Before they were destroyed, Enoch ministered unto them; he
organized a church, and he sent forth Elders, as we are now doing, to
warn the people of the desolation that was about to overtake the
inhabitants of the earth; and the Savior, according to Luke, said
referring to this event in the world's history, "And as it was in the
days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man." And
says Matthew, in referring to the same thing, "As the days of Noah
were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the
days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into
the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so
shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." After these Elders had
gone forth, under the direction of Enoch, they gathered together those
who believed in their message, and they built up a city which they
called Zion. And the power of God was with Enoch, and with those
Elders; and the enemies of God and of his law arrayed themselves
against God and against Enoch and his people, as some of our very
pious people are doing today against us, and as others would like to
do. Say they, "Look, what a wicked people these 'Mormons' are, they
have more wives than one. It is true we have mistresses besides our
wives; it is true we commit adultery; it is true we are covered with
infamy and debauchery; it is true that the stink of our crimes and
iniquities rises into the nostrils of Jehovah, as it did in former
days, but we will cover all that over." But they cannot do it; it
sticks out on every side; the covering is too narrow. They are
murderers and murderesses of their infants, and the stench of their
infamy ascends into the nostrils of Jehovah; and you that want them,
take them, and you that do will go along with them, and go to
perdition with them; and I tell you that in the name of the Lord. And
you that want your children to go to perdition send them to be taught
by those not of us. Are there any more foolish than some of the
Latter-day Saints are today? We read in our newspapers from time to
time of certain combinations conspiring against us, and who are they?
The Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Episcopalians and
others, and they want to petition Congress—what to do? To destroy the
very people whom you profess to love; and still you would send your
children to be taught by them, to drink in their influence and
spirit, and in time to imitate their acts, would you? What is being
done in certain parts of the Southern States today? Mobs, led on by
Christian ministers, co-religionists of these men, are seeking the
lives of your own brethren, and those who are here manifest the same
spirit and would perpetrate the same acts if they had the power in the
same way that is being done in Georgia, for instance; but they pretend
to be so nice, and so pure and so virtuous, and to have such agreeable
manners, and to be so well educated, and they want to teach your
children, and to tell you the truth, to lead them to hell. And you
will assist them to do it! Woe to that man and that woman who permit
their children to come under such influences! They will sup sorrow in
time and in eternity, where there will be weeping and wailing and
gnashing of teeth. Do you hear it? I tell it to you in the name of the
Lord. Woe be unto those fathers and mothers, I say, who thus tamper
with the children that God has given them.
I am reminded of a case of mobbing which occurred lately in Georgia,
in which Elder Geo. W. Bean, a young man from this place (Provo), was
attacked, the mob as usual having been gotten up by Christian
ministers. And this same class of men will tell you what good people
they are, and yet they will approve such acts; and on the back of that
they will ask that your children may be sent to them to educate, to
be taught what? How to mob; how to trample on the rights and liberties
of men, how to trample upon everything that is great and noble and
exalted in Israel. And they will pull down the pillars of this nation
by their mobocracies and infamies; and, yet, you will tamper with
them, will you? Leave them alone. Tell them to convert those
Christians who are engaged in mobbing their fellow men, and when they
get that done to come and convert you afterwards.
You know they had Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc., in
Enoch's time—or a lot of religious professors like them. Perhaps they
did not call them by those names; but they assembled together their
armies, the same as armies have been assembled against us, and will be
again. And some of you will help to do it, and teach your children to
do it. Now, the wicked assembled against the people of God, and Enoch
rose up in the power and spirit of the living God, and prophesied and
the mountains shook, whilst the people trembled and fled afar off,
because of the power of God that was with him; and the power of God
will be with Israel today if Israel will serve God; but if we pander
to iniquity, evil and corruption, we will have to abide the
consequences. What next? The flood came and destroyed the unrighteous,
and their spirits were confined in prisons, as they are termed. And I
think I hear the devil laughing, as some of them did when we were
driven away from our homes, thinking that "Mormonism" had gone to
perdition. But we live yet, and they were mistaken; and so was the
devil. For although they were destroyed in the body, yet when Jesus
came and was put to death in the flesh, yet quickened by the spirit,
he went and preached to the spirits in prison that were disobedient in
the days of Noah. And then the devil put on a long face and said, I
imagined I had got rid of these fellows, but they are going to have a
chance yet that I did not think of. And after the flood we are
told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued
through Ham's wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did
it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil
should have a representation upon the earth as well as God; and that
man should be a free agent to act for himself, and that all men might
have the opportunity of receiving or rejecting the truth, and be
governed by it or not according to their wishes and abide the result;
and that those who would be able to maintain correct principles under
all circumstances, might be able to associate with the Gods in the
eternal worlds. It is the same eternal program. God knew it and Adam
knew it.
Now, with regard to Noah and his day. God made arrangements
beforehand, and told Methuselah that when the people should be
destroyed, that a remnant of his seed should occupy the earth and
stand foremost upon it. And Methuselah was so anxious to have it done
that he ordained Noah to the Priesthood when he was ten years of age.
Noah then stood in his day as the representative of God; and after him
Abraham was selected to take the lead in relation to these matters
pertaining to man's salvation, Some people suppose that Abraham was an
old fogy who knew but little, a kind of dull, dumpy old shepherd. But
we were informed that he was a man that followed after righteousness,
and that he sought to obtain more righteousness; that he searched the
records of his fathers as they had come down to him, and traced them
back until the days of Adam, and even before the world was. Before the
world was? Yes. God, we are told, talked with him, and told him of
certain noble spirits who stood in his presence in the beginning, whom
he had determined to make his rulers; "and thou, Abraham," said he,
"art one of them." He was not only a prince on the earth but a prince
in the heavens, and by right came to the earth in his time to
accomplish the things given him to do. And he found by tracing his
genealogy that he had a right to the Priesthood, and when he
ascertained that, he prayed to the Lord, and demanded an ordination.
And he was ordained (as we are told by Joseph Smith) under the hands
of Melchizedek to the holy Priesthood. And afterwards, we are
informed, became in possession of the Urim and Thummim by which he
could obtain a knowledge of God and of his laws, and all things
pertaining to the earth and the heavens. And God revealed himself unto
him; and he told him that in blessing, he would bless him; and in
multiplying, he would multiply him, and that in him and in his seed
all the families of the earth should be blessed. And has this been so?
Yes; from that time forth, by that lineage the blessings of heaven
have flowed to the children of men. Let us examine a few things. Who
were Isaac and Jacob? Heirs of the same promises as himself. Who was
Joseph, who was sold into Egypt? A descendant of Abraham. Who was
Moses, who delivered the people from Egyptian bondage? A descendant of
Abraham. Who was Aaron, who was associated with the Aaronic
Priesthood, and who presided over it? A descendant of Abraham. Who
were the Prophets that we read of in this Bible? They were descendants
of Abraham. Who was Jesus, who as the Son of God, taketh away the sins of the world? A descendant of Abraham according to the
flesh. Who were the Twelve Apostles, commissioned to preach the Gospel
to all nations? Descendants of Abraham. And who were the Twelve
Apostles that lived upon this continent? Descendants of Abraham. Who
was Joseph Smith, to whom the Gospel was revealed in these last days?
A descendant of Abraham. And it had been predicted of him that his
name should be Joseph, and that his father's name should also be
Joseph, and that he should be a descendant of that Joseph who was sold
into Egypt. And who are the present Twelve? Just the same kind of
people. And who are we gathering to Zion? A remnant of that seed, with
a considerable mixture of grizzly, grey, and all kinds. But Jesus
said, My sheep hear my voice, and they know me, and a stranger they
will not follow, because they know not the voice of a stranger. And
why do not the millions of the inhabitants of the earth embrace the
Gospel? Because they are not sheep; that is all. And if the goats kick
up and cut a few antics, you need not be astonished. It is the nature
of goats, is it not? (Laughter.)
This Gospel is introduced that we may be taught and instructed in the
ways of God, and that the Priesthood may be organized according to the
holy order of God, What for? That this Priesthood may associate with
the Priesthood behind the veil, who are operating with God and for God
in the interests of humanity. That is the reason of it. And hence we
find that these men who hold the Priesthood, the everlasting
Priesthood, that ministers in time and in eternity, coming one after
another to Joseph Smith, and conferring upon him the Priesthood which
they held. They conferred on him first the Priesthood of Aaron, a
descendant of Aaron, John the Baptist, who held the keys of that
Priesthood in his day, came to Joseph Smith and to Oliver Cowdery, and
laid his hands upon their heads and said, "Upon you, my
fellowservants, in the name of the Messiah, I confer the Priesthood
of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministry of angels, and of the
Gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of
sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the
sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in
righteousness." Then came Peter, James and John, who conferred the
same Priesthood and keys that they held. And then came other powers,
principles and revelations in succession, one after another. After the
Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods had been conferred in general
terms, then some of the most specific things in regard to the
introduction, of this Gospel were accomplished. When Joseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery were together in Kirtland Temple, we find that Moses
appeared to them. He committed unto them the keys of the gathering of
Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten
tribes from the land of the north. And did they have this power
conferred upon them? Yes. And is that power continued? I think it is
or I do not think you would be here today. What brought you here? Why
did you not stop where you came from? Because you believed the Gospel.
When you heard it and obeyed it, the Elder who laid his hands upon
your head, conferred upon you that principle which brought you here,
and you hardly know why you came, but you could not rest easily until you did come; and you entered into all kinds of plans
and calculations to get here. And I have known people so anxious to
come here, that they were ready almost to sell themselves. And was it
because we were such a good people? I do not know about that; I do not
think we were as good as we ought to be. Nevertheless, that spirit
operated upon you, and you could not rest until you got here.
Another thing associated with this was the coming of Elijah. What to
do? To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts
of the children to the fathers. And what is meant by that? He was a
representative of a certain class in the heavens who felt interested
in their children. And their children are our fathers; and hence they,
the father's hearts, are turned to their children; and our hearts who
are their children, are turned towards them. And we begin to build
Temples. Some think this is a very foolish thing to do. It does look
like it to some, but not to those who are informed. Why do we build
Temples? Because Elijah conferred certain keys which he held upon
Joseph Smith. And when he laid his hands upon Elders conferring on
them the Holy Priesthood, they carried the principles imparted by
Elijah to Joseph to you and to others, and you received it without
knowing it. And by and by as the Church began to gather together, we
began to talk about building Temples in which to receive and to
administer ordinances which had been revealed unto Joseph Smith,
pertaining to the interest of the living and the dead and necessary to
our salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of our God, as well as for
those for whom we administer. And we have not only talked about it,
but have done considerable in that direction. For besides having one
handsome structure in St. George, we are employing not less than 500
men today who are engaged in the same work in different parts of the
Territory. And we intend to go on with this work; and while our
Christian friends look on and wonder what it all means, we will carry
on the work, for we know what we are doing if they do not. As I have
remarked before in speaking on this subject in other places, if we
were to turn over a Temple to them after we had built and finished it,
they would not know what to do with it, for God has not communicated
this knowledge to them; and hence they could do no more than they used
to do when I was a boy, and which I suppose they still do; that is,
the minister, if an Episcopalian, would appear in a white surplice
with a prayer book in his hand, from which he would read something
like this: "We have erred and strayed from Thy ways like lost
sheep" —which by the way, would be quite correct (laughter); "we have
done those things which we ought not to have done, and left undone
those things which we ought to have done." And if the minister were a
Methodist, he would be in favor of getting up a great revival, to
embrace each other and invite each other to "come to Jesus," and call
upon the mourners to come to the mourner's bench to be prayed for, and
the sum total of the whole would be, "Come to Jesus." Say some, "What
shall I do to be saved?" Says the Methodist, "Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ." "Well, I do believe." "Well, continue to believe."
"But I do
believe." "Well, continue to believe," (Laugh ter). Would not
the devil laugh at such foolishness? Yes, and the angels would, and
everybody else who had good common sense, for such kind of foolishness
is incompatible with the plan, ordinances, order and law of God, and
with the Gospel of the Son of God.
In our Temples we expect to receive certain ordinances revealed to us
from God through His servants. And would not the world like to know
what they consisted of? They will have to go to their God to find out.
But I am afraid that he would be a good deal like the gods we read of.
It reminds me of a story told of Abraham. It is said Abraham's father
was an idolater, and that he had a number of gods in his house. This
grieved Abraham, whilst his father wanted his son to believe and
worship as he himself did; but Abraham knew better than to do such a
thing. Abraham at last thought he would teach his father a lesson by
making a clean sweep of his gods. So he got a club, or some other
weapon, and knocked off the heads of some, the arms and legs of
others, and made a general wreck among the idols, but left the biggest
untouched. When Abraham's father learned what had happened, he of
course was greatly exercised; he inquired of Abraham who had done it.
Abraham told him that the gods had had a quarrel among themselves,
"and," said he, "here is the fellow, (pointing to the big one he had
spared) that did it." Said the father: "My son, why do you tell me
such a thing. My gods cannot fight; they have legs, but they cannot
walk; they have arms, but they cannot use them; they have eyes and
ears but they cannot see nor hear." "Why, father," said Abraham,
"is
it possible that you worship a god that cannot hear or see, walk or
use himself at all?" The god of the Christians, according to their own
description of him, being a god without body, parts or passions, would
be as unlikely to hear them: when they called upon him, as were the
gods of Terah, Abraham's father, when he called upon them.
In speaking further on this matter, I will tell you what we are doing.
We are building three Temples, besides the one that is built in St.
George. Two or three weeks ago we were in Logan; and we were on the
roof of the Temple at that place. Brother Woodruff was at Sanpete; he
says the Temple being built there is progressing finely. And then we
are moving along with ours at Salt Lake City. A gentleman who called
on us lately asked me when we expected to finish our Temple. I told
him that I could not tell him. "I suppose," said he, "it will depend
upon the means at your disposal to carry on the work." "O no," said I,
"money has nothing to do with it; we go at it, and work at it, and
intend to work at it until it is done." To show the kind of feeling
that existed in Cache Valley, I will say they were a few thousands of
dollars behind, and they applied to me, as Trustee-in-Trust, to help
them. "O yes, I said, we cannot only help you, but finish the
building. But we would not do that. Why? Because we would be doing you
an injustice. When you build it yourselves, you have a right there.
You are called to be Saviors upon Mount Zion, and it is one of your
privileges, of which we would not deprive you, to build a Temple to
the Lord, in order that people may be saved therein." And it is not
the men that wear the best clothes that are doing the work. I said to
the people in Logan, the man who chops down trees, and those
who drag them through the snows and frosts, and expose their bodies to
the inclemency of the weather in the interests of the kingdom of God,
as well as those who hew the rock and carry the hod, are as much
interested in these things, and will receive their reward as well as
those who contribute money or other means for that purpose. I saw,
amongst others, a number of Lamanites helping to make mortar. I felt
like blessing them in the name of the Lord. All men, those engaged in
the work, and those who contribute to it, have an interest in these
things. God is looking upon us, and has called us to be saviors upon
Mount Zion. And what does a savior mean? It means a person who saves
somebody. Jesus went and preached to the spirits in prison; and he was
a savior to that people. When he came to atone for the sins of the
world, he was a savior, was he not? Yes. And we are told in the
revelations that saviors should stand upon Mount Zion; and the kingdom
shall be the Lord's. Would we be saviors if we did not save somebody?
I think not. Could we save anyone if we did not build Temples? No, we
could not; for God would not accept our offerings and sacrifices. Then
we came here to be saviors on Mount Zion, and the kingdom is to be the
Lord's. Then what shall we do? We will build Temples. And what then?
Administer in them, When we get them done. Do we know how? Yes, we do,
for God has told us how. And who shall we save? Our fathers and
mothers, our uncles and our aunts, our grandfathers and our
grandmothers, and we will look after the interest of all we can trace;
we will still go to work, after we have settled indi vidual matters and
attended to our family affairs and a few little things among us—for we
are a small people comparatively, notwithstanding that we talk about
extending our power; we are a few people comparatively, but God has
chosen us and selected us and planted us here, and told us what to do.
Then after we get through with our own affairs, what next? There are
myriads who have died without a knowledge of the Gospel, that God and
Jesus and the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets and men of God were
interested in as they are in us, and whom we are informed shall have
the opportunity of receiving the Gospel if they had it not on this
earth. And are the Priesthood operating behind the veil? Yes, and we
are operating here. And we have a Priesthood here, and they have one
there. Have we a Presidency? They have one there. Have we a Twelve? So
they have there. Have we Seventies here? They have there. Have we High
Priests here? They have there. Have we various quorums? Yes, and we
operate in them; and when we get through we join our quorums above. As
I told you yesterday that when Patriarch Joseph Smith died we were
told that he was seated at the right hand of Abraham. And why was he
there? Because Abraham was a Patriarch, and Joseph Smith's father was
a Patriarch. He was at his right hand because he was associated with
the dispensation of the fullness of times, the same as Abraham was a
leading Patriarch in the dispensation in which he lived. And David
Patten, one of the first Twelve, what about him? Another was to be
ordained in his place, but he was not to have his Priesthood; of
David, we are told, his Priesthood no man taketh—he should stand in his proper position. Where? He was dead. No, he was not; he
was alive. But he died? Yes, he did; but he lives. He was killed by a
mob in Missouri, but he lives behind the veil and occupies his proper
place there in his own quorum. Then, there was a man named Seymour
Brunson, who died, who was a member of the High Council. It was said
that another should be put in his place, but that he held his
Priesthood: Where? Behind the veil. What of Seventies and High
Priests? Just the same, if they fulfil their duties and magnify their
callings. Has Joseph Smith ceased to minister in his office because he
has left the earth? No; he administers in his office in the eternal
worlds under the direction of the Son of God, and a proper presiding
Priesthood as it exists in the heavens. And so will we. Hence they
have gone to live forever. If a man dies, shall he live again? Why,
yes. A man goes to sleep, but he wakes again. It is said that Jesus
possessed life in himself; and says he, "I have power to lay down my
body, and power to take it up again." But we have not that power. But
says he, "I am the resurrection and the life;" and, "Whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die." Die! We will go to sleep, and we
will wake up again. We will associate with the Priesthood again; and
that is the reason why we want to have our records all right, and
everything straight in relation to all of these things.
If we are saviors, what have we to do? Build Temples. What then?
administer in them; and others in the heavens are engaged in the same
work as we, but in another position and in other circumstances. They
preach to spirits in prison; they officiate in ordinances with which
we have nothing to do. We administer in ordinances which God has
revealed to us to attend to; and when we attend to them correctly, God
sanctions them. For instance, you Elders who have been out preaching,
you told the people if they repented of their sins and were baptized
they should receive the Holy Ghost, and they received it, according to
the promise you made them. God sanctioned these proceedings, and you
are all witnesses thereof. And God has said that it was his business
to take care of His Saints. But then it is our business to be Saints.
And then, in relation to these matters, when we are faithful and true
to our calling on the earth, and we step behind the veil and are associated
with our quorums in the heavens, and there continue to
operate, what shall we have to do? We are told that all those myriads
before referred to, that would have received the Gospel, but had not
the privilege of hearing or receiving it in this world and have died
without it, shall have the opportunity of receiving it hereafter. But
who are to be the administrators of these ordinances? Are we? No, they
are out of our reach, they are behind the veil. But there is a
Priesthood there; and there is a place for the Seventies and the High
Priests, etc., to operate there. And what were the Twelve to do who
lived and operated on the continent of Asia? It is written that they
should sit upon twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
And what of those Twelve that were on this continent? They are to be
judged by the Twelve whom Jesus chose in Judea. And then the people of
this continent will be judged by the Twelve that were here; and very
likely the Presidency and Twelve of this Church will have
something to do in this matter in relation to those who live in this
age of the world.
Now if they have that to do what have we to do? Build Temples. What
then? Administer in them. And when we have got beyond the range of
those whom we know, we shall need information from the powers behind
the veil to know for whom we are to be baptized. Do you think they
will be at the trouble of informing us? I rather think they will, if
they are set to judge people. And having seen proper to organize the
Church and establish the Holy Priesthood and reveal the first
principles of the Gospel, it is but reasonable to conclude they will
be sufficiently interested about the other matters. But it is for us
to build the Temples and administer in them, and help the fathers to
save their children, and the children to save the fathers. Have they
rights in heaven? So have we on earth. Have they privileges? So have
we. Have they earned salvation and become saviors? We also shall
participate in that if we magnify our calling, honor our God, and keep
His commandments. Hence we are joint saviors with them. We need their
assistance, they need ours. These are some of the things that we have
to perform. We have a labor before us. You, Seventies; you, High
Priests, you are not here to find out what you shall eat or drink, or
wherewithal you shall be clothed. You are not here to quarrel over
little things and to have your own way. Jesus said, "Father, Thy will
be done." He said, He came not to do His own will, but the will of His
father who sent Him. And when His disciples came to Him and said,
Lord, "Teach us how to pray, as John taught his disciples." He said,
pray, "Our Fa ther who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: Thy kingdom
come." Let the rule and government of God be established. "Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This was His
feeling, and this is the feeling of all good Saints and faithful
Elders in Israel. And what did Joseph Smith come to do? The will of
his Father, to learn that will and do it. What, was the duty of
Brigham Young? The same. What is mine? The same. What is the duty of
the Twelve? To follow the counsel of the Presidency. What is the duty
of the Presidents of Stakes? To follow the counsel of the Presidency.
What is the duty of the Bishops? To follow the counsel of the
Presidents of Stakes and of their presiding Bishop. I have had men
frequently come to me and want to pass by the Presidents of Stakes. I
pass them back again. I tell them to go to their Presidents. Again I
have men come to me who wish to pass by their Bishops; I send them
back to their Bishops as I wish to honor all men in their place. I
have enough to do without interfering with the little details of
others and so on from them to the Elders, Priests, Teachers and
Deacons, every man in his place.
When the disciples of Jesus desired to know who should be the greatest
amongst them. He placed a little child in their midst and said "Verily
I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore
shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the
kingdom of heaven."
We need not talk about our dignity; we have none only as God gives it
us. We want the spirit of union and harmony in our midst, every man being governed by the principles of the Gospel and the laws
of God. We are traveling through the Stakes instructing the people in
the principles of life, that they may be one as the Father and the Son
are one, that we may be one in Him; and that all the Presidents, and
all the Bishops, and all the various authorities of the Church may see
eye to eye, as we are told they shall when God brings again Zion. We
want men to be governed by those principles; and for this reason we
are traveling among the Stakes to teach people the principles of truth
and righteousness; and we want you to be governed by your various
officers; and by your various courts too.
Here I want to talk a little on a certain principle. There has been
some considerable difficulty between you people of Provo and those of
Salt Lake County about water. You should come together as men, and if
you cannot compromise the matter, bring it before your High Council,
and have it regulated there: and I will tell you here today, that if
you take this matter to law before the courts of the ungodly, you
shall be cut off from the Church. Now, do you hear that? If I have any
voice in the matter I wish to be heard, and I tell you, in the name of
Israel's God, we will not tolerate such flagrant violations of the law
of God, among the Latter-day Saints. No man shall hold a standing in
the Church and kingdom of God, or preside in that Church, who will
violate the laws of God, and seek to the ungodly, inasmuch as God has
laws by which He expects us to be governed. That is my feeling about
it; and we will carry it out, God being our helper. For we will not
suffer this kind of iniquity; and if they do it in the other county,
we will treat them the same. It is time for us to lay aside our
follies and nonsense, and cleave to the truth and rely upon it, and
maintain the Church of God upon the earth. If we do this, we shall be
the blessed of the Lord and our offspring with us; and if we do not,
then we shall not be, and this will not be a land of Zion unto us. But
it will be a land of Zion. The work of God will progress; but the
ungodly shall be severed from this Church. I will not fellowship them.
And any man who does it, he does it at his own peril, for I will not
have anything to do with it. God has given us laws to regulate these
matters and all our matters before our High Councils, under the
direction of inspired men who have been ordained to the holy
Priesthood to judge in matters brought before them. And when we turn
to the ungodly, we sell ourselves to the devil, which we will not
permit men to do and maintain the fellowship of the Saints and a
standing in the Church and kingdom of God. Now, all who are in favor
of this hold up your right hands. (The congregation held up their
hands). Now, Brother Smoot, you see that carried out.
Brethren and sisters, God bless you and lead you in the paths of life.
Do I talk plainly? God expects me to talk plainly. I have not come
here to daub you with untempered mortar, but I tell you the truth. And
while He has called us to high privileges, to thrones and
principalities and dominions, and to be saviors on Mount Zion, and to
be kings and priests unto God, and our wives, queens and priestesses
unto their husbands, while God has ordained us for this, in the name
of Israel's God we will try and carry it out. And we will find enough
that will be true and faithful to God and to His Holy
priesthood. And the work of God will roll on, Zion will be
established, and the kingdom of God built up, and no man will stay its
progress. Amen.