I am pleased to have the opportunity of meeting with you in this
place, of visiting your homes in these new settlements, and of
striking hands and conversing with many of our old friends with whom
we have been associated quite a distance from here, and some a very
long distance indeed.
As Latter-day Saints we have gathered to these valleys of the
mountains. We are assembled together for certain purposes associated
with our own individual interests; in other respects for purposes
connected with the welfare of our families, of our wives, our
children, our husbands, etc. And then, further, we have gathered
together as we have done in these mountains to comply with certain
requisitions made by the Almighty upon His people in these latter
days. We have come here in accordance with a message that he has
communicated from the heavens to the inhabitants of the earth. These
ideas and feelings are at the foundation of all our movements, of all
our acts. We occupy a very peculiar position in the midst of these
United States, and also in the world. We differ from others in a great
many respects, in our ideas of God, in our religious sentiments, in
our social views, and in our relationship with each other, and in many
respects in all the leading characteristics of human life and
existence pertaining either to this world or to the world that is to
come. We assemble here as Latter-day Saints—for it is to these that I
am speaking—and I understand the term Latter-day Saint is used in
contradistinction to former-day Saints. The Church of Christ existed
some 1,800 years ago, when Christ himself was its teacher. He came down
from the heavens to teach and instruct the people in the ways of life.
Those who believed in Him were baptized in His name for the remission
of sins, and they had hands laid upon them for the reception
of the Holy Ghost. They were born of the water and of the Spirit, and
were made new creatures in Christ Jesus. They were instructed in the
principles of the Gospel, and they had placed among them Prophets,
Apostles, Pastors, Teachers, Evangelists. We are told that these men
were authorized by Jesus to preach the Gospel to all the nations of
the earth. We are told that they were to tarry at Jerusalem, until
they had received power from on high, notwithstanding all the
teachings they had had from the Savior. What was that power? It was
the gift of the Holy Ghost. Had they not received it? Not in the sense
here implied. What, not those that had been with Jesus? No, I repeat,
not in the sense here implied. Jesus emphatically told them that it
was necessary He should go away; for if He went not away the Comforter
would not come. He instructed His Apostles to teach certain principles
that should exist and that ought to prevail among all the human
family. But the people have departed from these things. The Gospel put
them in possession of the Holy Ghost, which brought things past to
their remembrance, led them into all truth, and showed them of things
to come. The Savior explained the office of the Holy Ghost. It would
enable those who received it to comprehend the past, the present and
the future. It would draw aside the curtain of the invisible world,
and they would be enabled to gaze through the dark vista of future
ages and comprehend the purposes of God, as they rolled forth in all
their majesty, glory and power. And then in the church, as I have
said, there were placed Prophets, Apostles, Pastors, Teachers, etc., for
the perfecting of the Saints, and for the work of the ministry; that
men properly qualified and endowed of God, by His Holy Spirit, and
ordained and set apart by Him, might go forth as messengers of life
and salvation to the nations of the earth. Hence they had their
Twelve, their Seventies, their Bishops, and the various officers of
the Church. This organization to which I now refer, existed 1,800
years ago, on the continent of Asia, and according to accounts given
in the Book of Mormon, a similar organization existed on this
continent. Here they had their Twelve, and these Twelve were
commissioned to preach the Gospel as the others were on the continent
of Asia. Jesus visited them here as He visited the others in Asia, and
they were placed under His guidance and direction.
Now, what condition was the world in before the Gospel we now preach
was introduced? Many of you older men here—there are not so many old
men here as we find in some places—lived when the Gospel was not upon
the earth. I did and many others did. Where could we find anything
resembling that which was taught by Jesus? Nowhere on the face of the
wide earth. Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, etc., were nowhere
to be found. Do I know this? I do know it, for I lived in the world at
that time. I knew what was going on. I was mixed up with their
teachers, and was well acquainted with the different societies and
organizations. Did they have the Gospel as laid down in the
Scriptures? No. I remember reading with very great interest the
remarks of one of the Wesleys—I do not remember now whether it was
Charles or John—in some poetry of his:
"From chosen Abraham's seed the new Apostles choose
O'er isles and continents to spread the soul reviving news."
He knew very well that they did not have Apostles, nor those
officers that used to exist in the Church, and he felt it keenly, as
did many others. I, myself, mixed up with a society of gentlemen
before I heard the fullness of the Gospel, who were searching the
Scriptures to find out the true way; for we did not find any men who
professed to be inspired. We were told that all inspiration had
ceased, and yet there were men professing to be called of God to
preach the Gospel. Now, that is a very singular thing. How can a man
be called of God, if God has ceased to speak? If a man is called of
God, he must be called either by the voice or Spirit of God, or by
somebody who is authorized of God, and knows something about His ways.
If he does not receive his calling in this way, how is he going to get
it? There is one other way—that is, if God has had a regular
Priesthood upon the earth, unbroken, uncorrupted and uncontaminated,
then it might come down from one to another through the different
ages. The Church of Rome professes to trace its authority down from
the days of the Apostles until the present. But unfortunately there is
a Scripture that rather interferes with them and with others, namely:
"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ,
hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both
the Father and the Son." I will tell you what Joseph Smith told me
personally. Said he: "You are going out to preach the Gospel, and if
you can find a people anywhere as you wander through the world" —which
I have done a great deal, traveled thousands, and I do not know but
hundreds of thousands of miles, and mingled with all classes and
creeds and con ditions of men, religious and irreligious, professors
and non-professors, Christians and Jews, Gentiles and all classes of
people—"if you can find," said he, "a people anywhere having the
doctrines of Christ, you need not baptize them." But I never found
anywhere, wherever I went, any persons holding the doctrines of Christ
as taught by Him, with Apostles and Prophets and inspired men under
the influence of the Holy Ghost, and with an organization similar to
that which was introduced by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Therefore I had to call upon all men everywhere to repent, for I could
not find the kind of people Joseph said I need not baptize. Wesley and
Whitfield, and going back still further, Luther, Melancthon, Knox,
Zwingli, and many other reformers, started what are termed
reformations. But what did they do in those reformations? Did they
bring back the pure Gospel of Christ? No, they did not, and they did
not profess to do it. It is left for some of their admirers to do that
for them which they in their day never professed to do. What did they
do? They tried to reform abuses that were in the church. Well, what
was done by these people? What influence were they under? They were
under the influence, more or less, of the Spirit of the living God.
But they didn't have the Gospel, you say? No; but they were not
deprived of a portion of the Spirit of the living God on that account.
It is a very great error for us to suppose that men throughout the
whole world have not been under an influence of that kind more or
less. We are told in the Scriptures that God has given unto all men a
portion of His Spirit to profit withal, and many men who have followed
that Spirit according to the light they have had, have done a
great deal of good among men, among whom were Luther, Calvin,
Melancthon, Wesley, Fletcher, and others in the various churches.
Fletcher, I think, was a Church of England minister; so was John
Wesley, and many others; then there were others among the
Presbyterians, Methodists, Catholics, etc. They were good men. They
sought to do good, and did do good; for he that doeth righteousness is
righteous. They followed the leadings of that portion of the Spirit of
God which is given to all men to profit withal. They operated in the
interests of humanity; introduced many charitable institutions; made
provision for the poor and outcast, the lame, and the blind; acted in
a very liberal, kind and generous manner. I have known, in my travels,
many ladies and gentlemen possessing large fortunes, who spent their
time and their means in trying to promote the welfare of humanity. But
was that the fullness of the Gospel of the Son of God? No, it was not.
Was it right for them to do these things? Yes; for it is always right
for all men to do good to their fellow men; to be moral, virtuous,
honorable and upright; and notwithstanding the wickedness and crime
that exist in these United States, yet there are thousands and
millions of good honorable men who desire to do right; but they do not
know the truth, and are led astray by men who know not what they say
nor what they affirm. If these men had the Gospel with which is
associated the gift of the Holy Ghost, it would lead them into all
truth as it did in former days. And what is said of circumstances and
events that shall transpire in the last days? We are told that it
shall come to pass, when the Lord shall bring again Zion, that her
watchmen shall see eye to eye. This will be the case when all the
people of Zion live their religion, and comply with the requirements
of the Lord.
Speaking of good men, I had several gentlemen call upon me just before
I left the city. They were Jews. They came from London, or somewhere
in that neighborhood. One of them professed to be a lineal descendant
of the tribe of Levi, and of the house of Aaron, and I was told by
part of the company that he held the legitimate right to the Aaronic
Priesthood, and his name agreed with the records we have pertaining to
these things. Well, these men were engaged in a very charitable
enterprise. They had heard that we had some sympathies with the Jews,
and desired to see me and have a talk with me on the subject. They
told me about the terrible scenes that had transpired in Russia
lately, and the heavy persecutions that their people had endured in
that country. They and their friends had subscribed some 80,000 pounds
(about $400,000) to assist their persecuted brethren in Russia, and
had formed a number of colonies in the United States, and thus
delivered a great many from their oppressors. They have purchased
large tracts of land, and established their brethren upon them. I told
them they had rather missed the place—that they should have taken up
Palestine. That, they said, would be all right in its time; they could
easily go from this country to Palestine when the time came. I talked
with them about a good many principles. I talked about our temples,
and said that they would have to build one at Jerusalem, and I told
them that I had spoken to Baron Rothschild on this same subject some
few years ago, and that he would assist in gathering the people. They
said that he had given them some help in connection with the
enterprise they now had in hand, and they supposed he would assist in
the future.
I speak of these things to show the good feelings that exist among men
in many instances. That was certainly a very charitable act for these
men to be engaged in. They were Jews and not Christians, neither were
they Latter-day Saints. Why, it would be a good work for an infidel
to be engaged in—to do good to his fellow men and relieve the
oppressed. That is what we believe in—to do good to all men,
especially to the household of faith.
It is well for us to remember that we are not the only people God has
on the earth. We are told that He is the God and Father of the spirits
of all flesh. He is therefore interested in the whole of the human
family. The Savior commanded His Apostles to preach the Gospel to
every creature. Why? Because the whole of the human family are the
sons and daughters of God, and it was proper that they should have the
principles of life and salvation presented to them. He has told us to
do the same thing—to carry the Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue
and people—and our Elders go forth, as they did in former times,
without purse or scrip, trusting in God. And some of them get killed.
We have heard of two being slain quite recently in these United
States, where we boast so much of freedom, human rights, liberty of
conscience, etc. Right in the State of Tennessee, this atrocious deed
has taken place, and it is not long since one of our brethren was
murdered in Georgia. We feel sorry for these things; but, then, we
cannot help it. We cannot relinquish our labors in relation to these
matters. It is enjoined upon us to preach the Gos pel to every
creature, and we propose to carry out these things as the Apostles did
in former times. Lives may be sacrificed for the truth's sake; but it
makes no difference where we are if we are only engaged in the work of
God. Jesus said: "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able
to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell." I fear God, and know no other fear, and do not
want to; and when men talk sometimes about what they will do and what
they are going to do with the Mormons—"Wondrous works in the land of
Ham, and terrible things by the Red Sea" —it does not make our knees
shake nor our heart palsy. We feel that we are here to do the will of
God, and in the name of Israel's God we will do it; we will, God being
our helper. These are my feelings, these are the feelings of my
brethren around me, and these are the feelings of all good Latter-day
Saints who comprehend themselves and intelligently know the principles
by which they are governed.
We have embraced the Gospel of the Son of God, and God has taught us
how to organize His Church. Had He not taught us we should not have
known anything about its organization. Joseph Smith knew nothing about
it; Brigham Young knew nothing about it; I could not have known
anything about it, nor any of the Twelve, nor any man living on the
earth, until God introduced it and taught us in all these things. In
addition to establishing His Church, He has told us to build up a Zion
to His name, and we are gathering the materials together for that
purpose. We have got our Stakes organized, and we have come here to
help organize your Stake. Yesterday the High Council was organized.
This is a body of men that exists in the Church and Kingdom of
God. All Stakes must have such a Council that they may have a perfect
organization among themselves. Then you have Bishops, Teachers, etc.,
whose duties you are familiar with, the same being laid down in the
Book of Doctrine and Covenants. Brother Ricks here is your President,
and with one or two exceptions, Bishops have been appointed in all the
Wards, that everybody in the various settlements may be placed under
proper government, and under the guidance and direction of the
Almighty, according to the laws that He has introduced in His Church.
For this purpose you have been taught to gather together in your towns
and villages, and certain instructions have been given in regard to
these matters. Before these instructions were given, Brother Preston
and Brother Ricks were directed to come out and examine this land, and
they found it was suitable for the settlements of the Saints. They
were then requested by me to furnish a plan of the country, and also
select places for cities and have them surveyed, to provide lots for
meetinghouses, schoolhouses, Relief Societies and Mutual Improvement
Associations. All of which they promptly attended to.
The Stake of Bannock was afterwards organized, as also a Presidency
for the Stake. Town sites were selected and surveyed, and then the
instructions which you have heard read were given by the First
Presidency. We find you have a very good country, and are pleased to
see you as comfortably situated as you are. It is hard struggling
always to start new settlements. I am pleased, however, to find so
many of our young men embarking in this enterprise; and by and by you
will have a number of most beautiful cities in this portion of
country. The land is quite productive, as was evidenced by the samples
of oats, wheat, corn, turnips, etc., exhibited here yesterday. These
things show you have got into a tolerably good country; and you have
almost more water than you know what to do with; but when the time
comes when all the land is taken up between these mountains, these
streams will not be quite so big as they are now; you will be able to
manage them a little better, for the earth will drink up a good deal
of water. It seems to me your lines have fallen in pleasant places.
Don't be discouraged about anything. Everything is moving along all
right. The great thing is to conform yourselves to the circumstances
in which you are placed. There is one thing I have been very much
pleased to learn. I requested Brother Preston, in talking about these
things, to see that in the neighborhood of every town there should be
a piece of ground set apart for the benefit of missionaries' families;
because we shall be calling upon the Elders here to go forth and
preach the Gospel, the same as we are doing in other parts of the land
of Zion. I asked Brother Preston to set a pattern here in this respect
to the balance of the land of Zion, and then report to me, and I would
call upon all other peoples in the land of Zion to do the same, that
the families of the missionaries may have bread and other supplies,
and thus be sustained and looked after, and not feel in any kind of
bondage. Most of the missionaries, perhaps, would not be in needy
circumstances, but if they should there will be something for their
families and they will have no excuse to back out under these
circumstances. And then we call upon the older men among the Seventies and High Priests and upon lots of the young men to attend to
these matters, and thus promote the welfare of all.
And now we want to see you as Latter-day Saints, as quickly as
circumstances will permit, get on to your city lots, and don't be
scattered abroad like so many stray calves. We want you to locate on
your city lots, and in the mean time be preparing to build on them;
for we must have beautiful cities and splendid habitations in the land
of Zion. Many people begin to admire Salt Lake City; but we have done
nothing there to what we intend doing. I have talked with Brother
Ricks on the subject of building nice homes, and have suggested that
you get some architect to furnish the plans of some pleasant cottages,
and some more pretentious, according to the means and circumstances of
the people. You may be able to purchase architectural books that will
answer the purpose; but let us build beautiful homes. It is nearly as
cheap to put up a good looking house, and one properly constructed, as
it is one of those ill-favored affairs. Build your temporary homes
well back in the lot, so that when you build again these will answer
for kitchens, or it may be some of your boys or girls, till they can
do better. But we want to see beautiful cities, beautiful houses and
pleasant homes, and everything around you calculated to promote your
happiness and well being.
And then we want to see you operate as one in all things. You fathers
of families and you mothers, see to it that you dedicate yourselves
and your habitation and everything you have to God, and that you live
pure, virtuous, and holy and upright lives. See to it that you are men
and women of God—children of the Most High God, and your offspring
with you. And I tell you that the time is rolling on when Zion will
become the praise and the glory of the whole earth. The time is coming
and hastening on when, as one of the prophets predicts, people will
say such and such a man was born in Zion—that is, the people of Zion
will be so honorable, so upright, so virtuous, and so blessed of God,
under the auspices of the Almighty, and the government which He will
introduce, that they will think it an honor to have been born in Zion.
We will fear God, and work righteousness on earth, and when we get
through here be transplanted to the heavens until this earth shall be
redeemed; for we shall again possess the earth when it shall be
celestialized. God bless you all, in the name of Jesus. Amen.