Brother Lyman on rising wished you a happy New Year; I will continue
the compliment by adding a hundred thousand happy New Years and as
many more as you wish.
A remark of this kind would sound rather peculiar in the ears of many
individuals who do not look at things in the light which we
do. But there are principles associated with the Gospel of the Son of
God, which reach beyond this life into that which is to come; and we
are simply here acting and operating in a state of probation. And if
we act well our part here, the principles of the Gospel will place us
in a position whereby we shall be enabled to act well our part in
another world, and in another state of existence.
We occupy a peculiar position before the Lord. God is our Heavenly
Father; and we are told that he is the God of the spirits of all
flesh. We are told moreover that when men leave this earth, the spirit
returns to God who gave it. And if we are faithfully performing our
part, and attending to the duties and responsibilities which devolve
upon us, as Saints of the Most High, then we shall be in a position
whereby we shall have a right and a claim upon an inheritance that is
incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in the
heavens for us. But we are here subject to the trials and vicissitudes
pertaining to humanity, to prepare us for this inheritance referred
to. And if we are faithful and diligent, as has been referred to by
Brother Lyman, in regard to the various duties and responsibilities of
life, we shall have a legitimate claim to the blessings that the good
and the faithful expect to enjoy. But if we do not conduct ourselves
aright, if we do not fulfil the requirements which the Lord makes of
us, if we do not obey the commandments of Jehovah, we shall have no
claim upon those promises that are made to the righteous, to those who
fulfil His laws and keep His commandments. This is the way that I look
at these things. Hence we are called to occupy a peculiar position in
the world.
We have had a great many precious things revealed unto us, many of
which have been hid from the minds of men from the foundation of the
world. We are placed in a position to operate with God our Heavenly
Father in the interests of humanity. He has selected, called and
chosen us for this purpose. He has revealed Himself from the heavens.
He has introduced the holy Priesthood, and conferred upon men power
and authority to operate in his name, to act under his guidance, to be
his mouthpieces to declare his will and to make known his designs to
the human family. For this purpose men thus endowed and clothed have
been sent forth to the nations of the earth, and are now being sent
forth to spread that light, truth and intelligence which God has seen
fit to reveal to the human family for their good, for their blessing,
and for their exaltation in time and throughout the eternities that
are to come. For this purpose he has imparted the Holy Ghost, and the
light of revelation, confirming the testimony of his servants in their
ministrations among the children of men. For this purpose he has
gathered us together as we are here today, and as the Saints are
gathered in other parts of this Territory, and in other Territories,
that whilst we are pursuing the natural avocations of life, we might
at the same time be taught and instructed of God, that we might learn
the laws of life; that we might comprehend the object of our being and
existence, and that we might in time learn to comprehend God the
Eternal Father, and his purposes and designs in relation to mankind;
that we might be purified from the corruptions and infamies that exist
in the world, and that our spirits might be purged from
everything that tends to deteriorate, injure or destroy man; and that
we might be enabled to comprehend those principles which are
calculated to elevate, to exalt and ennoble mankind, and to prepare
them for the enjoyment of a place among the Gods in the eternal
worlds. For this purpose he has organized the Church of Jesus Christ
and the kingdom of God, and revealed his law and his purposes to his
Saints. For this purpose he has taught us of things pertaining to the
future, having drawn aside the veil of the invisible world, and made
known his purposes to his people, and taught us how to become saviors
upon Mount Zion, that we may fulfil our destiny upon the earth, and
accomplish the purposes of God, and carry out his design and will in
sending us here upon the earth; that those principles which exist in
the heavens and operate among the Gods may be communicated to man, and
that we may be enabled to present them in all purity and in all their
beauty, glory and grandeur, and that we may learn to save ourselves
and then to save others. For this purpose we are building our Temples
and, as they are being built, operate in them, that we may be one with
God, and one with the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets and Apostles and
men of God. And that while God our Heavenly Father and the holy angels
and men of God who have lived in the different ages, who have been
clothed upon with the Holy Priesthood, and admitted to communion with
God, and have fulfilled their destiny upon the earth—are operating in
the heavens with God our Heavenly Father for the accomplishment of his
purposes pertaining to things upon the earth as well as to things in
the heavens; it is for us to perform our parts and fulfil our duties
and magnify our callings and Priesthood, and be one with them in the
objects which they have in view pertaining to the welfare and
exaltation of the Saints, the blessing of humanity and the salvation
of the living and the dead, according to the foreknowledge and the
eternal purposes of God relating thereunto. And we are here for that
purpose.
We are here to establish the Church of God, that there may be a people
who shall enjoy the right to serve him upon the earth in manner
acceptable to him. We are here to establish the kingdom of God, that
his government and rule and that an intelligent and comprehensive
liberty and freedom may prevail among men and the peoples of the
earth as they exist in heaven, and that we may be under the tuition
and direction of our Heavenly Father, that his will may be done on
earth as it is done in the heavens, and then be enabled to communicate
these principles to our brethren and to the world.
These are some of the thoughts that pass through our minds when we
read the word of God, and are in communion with him, when the Spirit
of light, life, intelligence, and revelation rests upon us, and when
the heavens and purposes of God are unfolded to our view. These, I
say, are some of the thoughts that naturally flow through our minds.
And talking about making new covenants on this the first of the year,
why No! No! We do not wish to serve God by fits and starts, but to
make his service and the obedience to his laws as the business of our
lives. We love, reverence and serve God, because he loves us, and
blesses and benefits us and acts as a kind and beneficent father to
us. We have already entered into covenant with Our Heavenly
Father; but the question is, are we fulfilling these covenants? Have
we the Holy Priesthood, and do we magnify that before God and the holy
angels, or do we suffer ourselves to be corrupted and demoralized, and
make light of the things of God, and thus tamper with these great
principles which are calculated to exalt all who are obedient thereto?
These are some of the questions that we should apply to ourselves. We
hear of things sometimes which make us blush for humanity. We hear of
crime, corruption and debauchery spreading itself abroad throughout
the world; and we hear too, sometimes, I am sorry to have to say of
some calling themselves Latter-day Saints, being tainted with evils of
that kind.
The great majority of the people of this city have been moved, because
of drunkenness and kindred evils increasing among us, to petition the
Mayor and members of the City Council to adopt such measures as will
prevent this state of things. It is a shame for men professing to be
Saints to be under the necessity of imploring the aid of the civil law
to keep them sober; and while it is proper to guard our youth from the
insidious wiles of the adversary, yet all men ought to do right from
principle; and while we endorse such an act as most commendable on the
part of the people, yet, in one sense, what have these dens of infamy
to do with the Saints of God; or what have the Saints of God to do
with the haunts of shame and disgrace? Why, if there were ten thousand
of such things around, and men were living up to the spirit and power
of God within them, they would say, My soul, enter thou not into their
secret, mine honor, with them be not thou united, my morals, be not ye
contaminated with such infamous corruptions. That would be the case if
men did right and had the Spirit and power of God in them, and if they
loved God and righteousness. But men who practice these infamies do
not love God, nor have they a respect for his law; they do not love
righteousness; they are not Latter-day Saints; they cannot be
Latter-day Saints, neither can they have part or lot in the blessings
and exaltations of the kingdom of God, either on the earth or in the
heavens.
Let the wicked then pursue their course, and let the righteous pursue
their's. If any of our people are found mixed up with these
iniquities, let them be dealt with as the law of God directs, and let
them be purged from our midst. Let righteousness, truth and integrity
be maintained, and let God be honored and let the Gospel be sustained
and the law of God upheld, and He will stand by the righteous. These
are my views and feelings in relation to these matters. And I would
not give five cents for a man who had to have a law placed upon him;
or someone to stand guard over him, to prevent him from going into
those dens of infamy and those sinks of corruption that "civilization"
has introduced into our midst. I would not give five cents for the
religion of such a man, it is not worth having, the sooner he gets rid
of it and comes out in his true colors, the better. And then let the
transgressor be dealt with according to the law of God. Purge
yourselves from them and their iniquities, and follow in the paths of
righteousness. These are my feelings in relation to these matters.
We learn that in former times that there was no fellowship between God
and Belial, no fellowship between light and darkness, no
fellowship between truth and error, no fellowship between the Saints
of God and the workers of iniquity. That doctrine is just as true
today as it was when taught in former days. I speak of this because
it is something which I, for one, will not bear; for one, I will not
fellowship the workers of iniquity, I do not care who they are, or
where they come from. And it is for us all to do right and keep the
commandments of God. We talk sometimes about a man being an honest
man; the reason why some are honest is because they cannot steal. But
let a man be placed in a room or elsewhere with an amount of gold or
other valuables within his reach, with the understanding that there
was no fear of being detected, that if he appropriated any to his own
use no one would know it as there was no check upon him; and if he of
his own free will let it alone, I would say he was an honest man.
And in regard to drunkenness, which has been of late a prevailing
topic of conversation—what a nice creature is a drunken Elder, a
drunken Saint, a reeling, staggering, drunken Saint! What do you think
of it? We write over our stores sometimes, "Holiness to the Lord." We
are called the Saints, or as the Germans express it, the heilige, der
letzten tage or the holy of the last days. What! a drunken Elder, a
drunken High Priest, or a drunken Saint? We will not have such a
person associated with us; we will not be contaminated nor disgraced
with the name nor with the infamy of such conduct. And as regards the
sellers of intoxicating drinks, they would many of them, sell
themselves. And any man who cannot let these things alone, any man
that has not got manhood and respect enough to keep out of these
pest-houses that disgrace our city, is not fit to associate with
decent people, and respectable people ought to guard against him as
they would against smallpox or any other pestiferous evil. And as the
honesty of a man can only be tested by his having temptation within
his reach, so no man can be considered as acting properly who cannot
let liquor alone, when that is within his reach. Virtue does not
consist simply in being prevented from committing evils, but in having
temptations presented before us and then governing our passions and
appetites. Good and evil are placed before us, no matter by whom, it
is for us to resist evil and cleave to the right; we are told that it
is to him that overcometh that I will grant to sit down on my throne,
as I have overcome and sat down on my Father's throne. Neither do we
want excuses for any of these things, for God will condemn us if we
bear them, and His wrath will be enkindled against us, and we shall
find it a hard matter to pack such infamies upon our shoulders. I will
not do it, I will throw them off of mine, I will have no fellowship
with those who indulge in them; and I call upon all the Saints to do
the same, and upon the proper authorities to take measures to root out
from our midst everything that would defile and contaminate the morals
of the Latter-day Saints.
About the world and their course—let them take their course. The
wicked will, we expect, continue to do as they have done for years,
grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. And to the evils
that are among us, which have been introduced here, and which are
being fostered and encouraged by wicked and corrupt men, I would say
to our people, let them alone. If, however, our young men or
any of the older ones should be found violating the laws of the land,
let them be punished as the laws direct, it does not matter whose sons
they are, or who they may be. If you should find any of mine doing it,
bring them up and straighten them out, and let the penalty of the law
be inflicted for their evil, pernicious practices; and if it be
anybody else's sons or fathers, do the same with them. And let us
guard jealously the principles of virtue, sobriety and purity, by
disfellowshipping and purging from us those who dishonor and trample
them under foot. And let us be for God and for Zion, for truth and for
righteousness; for we cannot drag the contaminated and corrupt into
heaven, such are not wanted there; and I do not want to introduce them
there whether they are my sons or the sons of anybody else. The
Scripture says: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap. For he
that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he
that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
Now, it is for us to choose what course we will pursue. I do not
suppose that I am talking to any of these drunkards, they generally do
not come to meeting; they would rather have a bottle with them at
home, or meet in grog shops or other places where the debased and
contaminated are wont to assemble. And it is proper they should seek
their own company, for we do not want them here. We want men who are
Saints from principle, men who love God, who keep his commandments,
men who are pure and virtuous, men who are seeking to glorify God
through obedience to his laws, and men who do these things because
they love to do them. We do not wish to see anything approaching
coercion in dealing with persons, but we wish them to understand that
we will not any longer be disgraced by their infamies.
As has been referred to, we have entered into covenant with God, and
it is only on the condition of our keeping our covenants inviolate
that we shall be entitled to the exceedingly great and precious
promises which he has made to us. And he does expect us to be true to
him: he expects it of me; he expects it of my brethren associated with
me as Counselors; he expects it of the Twelve; he expects it of the
Presidents of Stakes; he expects it of the Bishops; he expects it of
the High Councilors; he expects it of the High Priests, of the
Seventies and the Elders, and of all Israel. He expects us all to be
men of God, with clean hands and pure hearts, seeking to magnify our
calling and to honor our God. Let us do this, and all will be right
with us; and those who do not wish to do this, let them step on one
side. And while we would avoid anything like harshness or
precipitancy, and treat all men with forbearance and kindness, and
bear, to a reasonable extent, with the weaknesses and infirmities of
men, we must deal with transgressors for their fellowship, and cut
them off from the Church. We must have people who will serve God and
keep his commandments. And then we can go to God our Heavenly Father
when our enemies conspire against us, and plead with him for
protection; and he will take care of Israel and maintain and sustain
his saints. But if we fellowship evil and iniquity, crime and
corruption, infamies and drunkenness, debauchery and lasciviousness,
and all the evils of the Christian world—if we do this we need not look for the help of God; he will leave us to ourselves to
take our own course. But if we will do our duty, discountenance
iniquity, obey the laws of God and keep his commandments, he will take
care of Israel and sustain his people. These are my feelings in
relation to this matter.
God bless you, and lead you in the paths of life, in the name of
Jesus. Amen.