The Gospel, it has been said, is the power of God unto salvation; its
object is to elevate humanity. There are evils of various kinds
existing in the world; and we ourselves are not free from evil in some
of its forms, which should not be the case. We are here, as a people,
gathered out from the various nations, not to imitate the world,
unless it be in that which is good—for there are many good things
among the people of the world, which we may imitate with profit—but
that we may put ourselves in possession of every truth, of every
virtue, of every principle of intelligence known among men, together
with those that God has revealed for our special guidance, and apply
them to our everyday life, and thus educate ourselves and our children
in everything that tends to exalt man. We, therefore, must avoid the
evils of the world, which some of our so-called Christian brethren are
striving to introduce into our midst; we must shun those corrupting
influences as we would a viper, and we must further use our influence
against evil in every form, and in favor of the good. It becomes the Latter-day Saints to cherish in their hearts the spirit of
Zion; to live pure lives, that Zion may indeed be Zion to them. We are
told that God is love, and that they that dwell in God dwell in love.
Love is one of his attributes; another is justice, another is truth;
another is integrity, another is knowledge. And we are likewise told
that "the glory of God is intelligence." We should seek to know more
about ourselves and our bodies, about what is most conducive to health
and how to preserve health and how to avoid disease; and to know what
to eat and what to drink, and what to abstain from taking into our
systems. We should become acquainted with the physiology of the human
system, and live in accordance with the laws that govern our bodies,
that our days may be long in the land which the Lord our God has given
us. And in order to fully comprehend ourselves we must study from the
best books, and also by faith. And then let education be fostered and
encouraged in our midst. Train your children to be intelligent and
industrious. First teach them the value of healthful bodies, and how
to preserve them in soundness and vigor; teach them to entertain the
highest regard for virtue and chastity, and likewise encourage them to
develop the intellectual faculties with which they are endowed. They
should also be taught regarding the earth on which they live, its
properties, and the laws that govern it; and they ought to be
instructed concerning God, who made the earth, and His designs and
purposes in its creation, and the placing of man upon it. They should
know how to cultivate the soil in the best possible manner; they
should know how to raise the best kind of fruits adapted to the soil
and climate; they should be induced to raise the best kinds of stock,
and to care for them properly when they come into their possession.
And whatever labor they pursue they should be taught to do so
intelligently; and every incentive, at the command of parents to
induce children to labor intelligently and understandingly, should be
held out to them. Again, the subject of architecture should receive
attention from you; and your children should be encouraged to improve
in the building of houses, and not be satisfied to merely copy after
what their fathers did in the days of their poverty. The building rock
at your command is of the very best, and it is easily procured; what
remains for you to do is to put the material together in such a shape
as shall reflect your best judgment and intelligence consistent with
due regard to health and convenience. The building of the Temple here
will no doubt have a tendency to awaken the desire on your part to
improve in this direction. I have noticed that the building of our
Temples affords a great many young men the opportunity of learning
trades which perhaps, otherwise would not be the case; and by the time
such a building is erected they become competent tradesmen, prepared
to work in the various branches of mechanism that they learn on these
buildings. Improvement in all things relating to our spiritual and
temporal welfare should be our aim in life, and we should encourage in
our children this desire to improve, and not feel all the time, "come
day, go day, God send Sunday." It is highly necessary that we should
learn to read and write and speak our own language correctly; and
where people are deficient themselves in education they should strive
all the more to see that the deficiency be not perpetuated in
their offspring. We ought to take more pains than we do in the
training and education of our youth. All that we can possibly do by
way of placing them in a position to become the equals, at least, of
their race, we ought to take pleasure in doing; for in elevating them
we bring honor to our own name, and glory to God the Father. To do
this requires labor and means, and it also requires perseverance and
determination on the part of all concerned. A short time ago a number
of our young men left Salt Lake City to go on missions to the United
States and to Europe. They were mostly young men that had been trained
and educated in the University of Deseret, the Brigham Young Academy
of Provo, and the B. Y. College of Logan, and the High School at
Ogden. They were fine looking young men, and quite intelligent, and a
credit to any community or people. Sometimes the Lord chooses such men
as Brother Woodruff and myself to do His bidding, as He in former
times called fishermen and others, and inspired them with intelligence
sufficient, at least, to cope with and confound the wise. I think
there is a Scripture that says that He chooses the weak things of the
world to bring to naught the things that are, that no flesh might
glory in His presence. That is true, and is well enough in its place;
but we cannot expect the Lord to do this always, it is for us to do
our part, that is to cultivate our intellectual faculties and to
prepare ourselves to be used by Him, having at all times an eye single
to His honor and glory. He has shown us how to build Temples, but He
does not build them; that is our part of the work. I do not think that
Peter or Paul knew much about Temple building, but they knew something
pertaining to the ordinances of the Temple, but more especially of the
Gospel, for God taught it to them. But we are told to seek for
intelligence by study and through faith, and to acquaint ourselves
with the laws and governmental affairs of nations, that all may know
how to take part in the affairs of the world. God has said that
through His people He will teach nations, and "the Gentiles shall come
to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy rising." (Isaiah lx.
3.) He will pour out upon His people knowledge and inspire them with
wisdom, so that they will be able to teach all classes and conditions
of men. That time is yet to come, but we must prepare ourselves to act
in that position, and the way to do it is to commence with our
children. I was pleased to hear that President Canute Peterson and
other leading men of Ephraim had secured a building, which is at
present in an unfinished condition, with the intention of converting
it into an academy. You need such an institution, and by right you
ought to have one in all your larger towns; and your school teachers
should be the best you can get. They should be men of faith in God;
men who believe in and have a knowledge of the Gospel; men capable of
imparting true and correct ideas with regard to God and His works, and
the laws that govern them, as well as being able to impart a regular
scholastic education. I would advise Brother Peterson and those
associated with him in this enterprise, to carry on to completion the
work they have begun; and I would say to you here in Manti, bestir
yourselves in the same direction. Whatever you do, be choice in your
selection of teachers. We do not want infidels to mold the minds of our children. They are a precious charge bestowed upon us by
the Lord, and we cannot be too careful in rearing and training them. I
would rather have my children taught the simple rudiments of a common
education by men of God, and have them under their influence, than
have them taught in the most abstruse sciences by men who have not the
fear of God in their hearts. As God is the fountain of all light, all
truth and all intelligence, and He has organized matter and made what
we term the laws of nature, and in the study of His laws is discovered
the highest and most intellectual development—as "the glory of God is
intelligence," the more we appreciate and comprehend those principles
the nearer we approach to the intelligence developed by the allwise
Creator; the acme of scientific development in the world is predicated
upon a knowledge of the laws of nature in its multifarious forms. We
need to pay more attention to educational matters, and do all we can
to procure the services of competent teachers. Some people say, we
cannot afford to pay them. You cannot afford not to pay them; you
cannot afford not to employ them. We want our children to grow up
intelligent, and to walk abreast with the peoples of any nation. God
expects us to do it; and therefore I call attention to this matter. I
have heard intelligent practical men say, it is quite as cheap to keep
a good horse as a poor one, or to raise good stock as inferior
animals. And is it not quite as cheap to raise good intelligent
children as to rear children in ignorance.
There is another thing I wish to speak of. Sometimes we bear too much
and too long with the workers of iniquity. For instance, I heard of a
certain Bishop whose First Counselor was in the habit of drinking, and
his second Counselor also drank occasionally. The Bishop in excusing
the weakness of his Counselor would say that he had a great many good
traits, that he was a good meaning and kind hearted man, and that he
wanted to save him if he could; and the man was permitted to indulge
his appetite. Time passed on and the man apostatized, which he was
sure to do if he kept on long enough. In sending in his resignation,
he said he had had enough of "Mormonism," which I have no doubt was
really the case; I have no doubt either but that long before that
"Mormonism" had had enough of him. The Bishop had tried to save the
man, but what of the people? How about the Teachers? Could they, or
could the Bishop himself preach against a practice that the Counselors
were guilty of? If he or they were to do so, it would not amount to
much while the evil was being winked at in high places. By means such
as this, evil and a loose morality may be introduced into a settlement
because of a laxity by men in authority, in the performance of their
duty. When I heard of this I inquired why the President of the Stake
did not see that the Bishop did his duty inasmuch as the Bishop
omitted to act in the matter. What right have these men in authority
to overlook such things? I tell you, they have no right at all. And
what is the result? It began gradually to be a question with a great
many of the people in that neighborhood whether this really was the
work of God or not; the spirit of doubt and carelessness found place
among them, and this because the presiding authority declined to purge
out iniquity from their midst. Then if a man repents, some say
they do not know whether it is best to expose such things or not. Yes,
drag them into daylight all the time, and let every man be known for
what he is; for no presiding officer can afford to take the
responsibility upon himself of tolerating the defalcations of those
who are violating their covenants and trampling under foot the laws of
God. In saying this I would not ignore another principle that is
mentioned in the law of the Lord:
"And if he or she do any manner of iniquity, he or she shall be
delivered up unto the law, even that of God. And if thy brother or
sister offend thee, thou shalt take him or her between him or her and
thee alone; and if he or she confess thou shalt be reconciled. And if
he or she confess not thou shall deliver him or her up unto the
church, not to the members, but to the elders. And it shall be done in
a meeting, and that not before the world. And if thy brother or sister
offend many, he or she shall be chastened before many. And if anyone
offend openly, he or she shall be rebuked openly, that he or she may
be ashamed. And if he or she confess not, he or she shall be delivered
up unto the law of God. If any shall offend in secret, he or she shall
be rebuked in secret, that he or she may have opportunity to confess
in secret to him or her whom he or she has offended, and to God, that
the Church may not speak reproachfully of him or her."
Further, I wish to say something in regard to adultery. We are told in
the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, (sec. xiii, ver. 24, 25, 26.)
"Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that committeth adultery, and
repenteth not, shall be cast out. But he that has committed adultery
and repents with all his heart, and forsaketh it, and doeth it no
more, thou shalt forgive; But if he doeth it again, he shall not be
forgiven, but shall be cast out."
This was in the early ages of the Church, in February, 1831. But who
is here referred to? Is it a man who has entered into the new and
everlasting covenant, and has been sealed by the Holy Spirit of
promise, and by that covenant has been united to his wife for time and
all eternity, and his wife to him? No, it refers to those who have not
entered into this covenant, who have not taken upon themselves
obligations of that nature in a Temple or Endowment House; to the
latter class who shall be found guilty of this sin, the word of the
Lord comes unqualifiedly, they shall be destroyed. The Lord does
expect us to be a pure people, a virtuous people, a people whose
bodies and spirits are pure before Him. If wrong doing be practiced in
our midst, the Lord expects His Priesthood to ferret it out, or He
will hold them responsible. We cannot commit sin with impunity. We
cannot violate the laws of God and enjoy His Spirit; nor can we permit
the laws of God to be trampled upon and still receive His approbation.
Quite recently a certain Bishop wrote me, stating that one of his
Counselors dabbled in astrology; that he had been known to consult it
in reference to the sick. He wanted to know what I thought of it. I
told him to drop that Counselor, that he was not fit to be a Bishop's
Counselor, nor to hold the holy Priesthood. We must not permit such
practices to exist among us; and if that Bishop declines to do his
duty, I shall be in favor of removing him, for not carrying out the
law of God. Again, we hear of fraudulent acts sometimes, and
we permit them to be passed over. What are laws for? What are
Bishops' Courts and High Councils for? That when men transgress the
laws of God, they shall be tried according to the laws of the Church,
and if found guilty, and are worthy of such action, they shall be cast
out; that the pure and the righteous may be sustained, and the wicked
and corrupt, the ungodly and impure, be dealt with according to the
laws of God. This is necessary in order to maintain purity throughout
the Church, and to cast off iniquity therefrom. For the Spirit of God
will not dwell in unholy temples. You fathers, look after your sons;
you mothers, look after your daughters; see that they grow up in
purity and righteousness.
There was a very painful circumstance occurred in my office a day or
two ago. A certain man had apostatized—indeed, he had been an apostate
a number of years; he had two wives, both of whom applied to me to be
divorced from their husband. I asked them why they desired to be
divorced, and they answered that their husband had apostatized from
the Church, and to all appearance would remain in that condition. The
husband expressed his sorrow at having to part with his wives, and
said he could not help his faith. I told him I did not wish to
interfere with his faith, nor the religious views of any man; but that
I would much rather see him a believer than a disbeliever. But I
explained to him the position that his wives occupied. Said I, when
you married them you were a member of the Church, in full fellowship;
you believed in God and the order of His holy house. Yes, he said,
that is so. I then said, Let me tell you another thing, I have heard
Joseph Smith say, and I presume you have—he was an old member of the
Church—that in this world we may pass along comparatively unknown, but
when we appear behind the veil, we shall have to pass by the angels
and the Gods, and this can only be done by the righteous and the pure.
He stated that he had heard the same thing. I said further, you are
the head of this family, and as such you ought to take the lead; but
can you lead your wives past the angels and the Gods? No, (I said) you
cannot do it, for unless you change your course you will not be there;
you have trifled with the things of God, until, as you now see, a
serious crisis is commencing to overtake you. The result was, he and
they parted by signing the divorce. He said in a feeling way, "I
cannot forget my wives, they are dear to me;" and again excused
himself on the ground that he could not help his faith. But he might
have helped it if he had kept the commandments; but having trifled
with the things of God, the Holy Spirit gradually withdrew, at last
leaving him to himself. I really felt sorry for the man, and he too
felt the position keenly. In parting with him I took him by the hand
and said to him, You have put yourself in this position, and I cannot
help it. No, he said, you have treated me right. But (I continued) if
the time ever comes that I can be of use to you in leading you back in
the paths of life, I shall be happy to serve you. He thanked me, and
left.
I mention this that you husbands, may be impressed with a sense of the
responsibility that rests upon you, and that you may be careful of
your acts and walk in life. God expects you to be true to your vows,
to be true to yourselves, and to be true to your wives and
children. If you become covenant breakers, you will be dealt with
according to the laws of God. And the men presiding over you have no
other alternative than to bring the covenant breaker to judgment; if
they fail to do their duty we shall be under the necessity of looking
after them, for righteousness and purity must be maintained in our
midst.
I am pleased to say that I perceive an increasing desire on the part
of the people to recognize and stand by the right; and I attribute our
late deliverance from the hands of our enemies to this fact. When
there was one of the greatest furors ever gotten up against us, He
turned their wrath, and the remainder He restrained. A certain
gentleman well acquainted with railroad matters, referring to our
political situation at that time, summed it up like this: That we,
numbering only a hundred and fifty thousand in the Territory, were
confronted by fifty millions of people; that the conflict appeared to
him like two trains, a large one and a small one, traveling in
opposite directions on the same track and about to come in collision;
and as a matter of course the small train would be demolished. It was
very natural, of course, that he as well as the world generally,
should regard it in that way. But I told him that I thought that God
could and would take care of His people. Happening to have some
communication with this same gentleman some time afterwards, I told
him that the large train had been shunted off on to a side track, and
the Democrats had provided them the switch, while the small train was
still moving on its course uninjured. And if we will continue to do
right, keeping ourselves pure and unspotted from the world, and the
officers of the Church will see that purity is preserved in the
Church, and evil of every kind rooted out, God will direct our course
and deliver us from the evil that wicked men design to bring upon us,
and no power will be able to move us out of our place. Amen.