While I attempt to speak to you, my brethren and sisters, this
afternoon, I desire an interest in your faith and prayers, that I may
speak that which the Lord would have me say, that we may be edified,
strengthened and encouraged to go forward in the discharge of our
duties as Saints of the living God. And as I speak during the passing
of the sacrament, I would not take your minds from this sacred
ordinance, as I realize the blessings to be received by us in
partaking thereof. We should remember that it is not pleasing in the
sight of the Lord to partake of this ordinance or sacrament in a
thoughtless manner, but that we should come here for the purpose of
renewing our covenants and of pledging ourselves once more to remember
the Savior, to take upon us His name, and to keep His
commandments—that is, to keep all of them that have been
revealed to us, to live lives of purity, and to be devoted and
obedient to the principles He has revealed for the salvation of man.
It is said, and truly, that without faith it is impossible to please
God. It may be as truthfully said that without obedience it is
impossible to please God; that without virtue, without truthfulness,
it is impossible to please God. It is not possible for us to perform
the labors that are required of us as Latter-day Saints—to preach the
Gospel among the nations, to gather together the people, to build
temples, and to perform in those temples the labors that are necessary
for the salvation of the living and the dead—except we are aided by
the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. It is not possible for men who stand at
the head of this Church to direct, or to give counsel in regard to the
building up of the Kingdom of God, in regard to the location of new
settlements, in regard to organizing branches, wards, and stakes, and
the opening of missions, except they enjoy the Holy Ghost. It is not
possible for us as Apostles, as Presidents of stakes, as Bishops of
wards, as Presidents of quorums, as Presidents of associations, to
preside with dignity and in a manner pleasing to God, unless we enjoy
the Holy Ghost. It is not possible for us as parents, to preside in
our families, to set good examples before them, to set and keep our
houses in order—as it is necessary they should be kept, that we may
have salvation—unless we enjoy the Holy Ghost. It is not possible for
us as individuals to be Saints, unless we enjoy the Holy Ghost. It was
conferred upon every one of us when we were baptized, when we first
embraced the Gospel, and the Lord has given us ample instructions as
to how we should live, as to the labors we should perform, and as to
the lives we should lead in order that we may enjoy the Holy Ghost.
Among other things the sacrament was established by the Savior, when
He was here in person. He established it again when He visited this
continent and set up His Church among the Nephites. He has again
established it in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and
it seems to be very important that this sacred ordinance of the Gospel
should be attended to frequently, that by partaking of it we may
witness to the Lord that we are willing to take upon us His name, that
we have not forgotten Him, that we do keep His commandments, and are
still willing to keep them, and to walk according to His counsel.
Hence it is important that all Saints, not only presiding officers,
but all Saints who have named the name of Jesus Christ and entered
into covenant with God, should meet together often and partake of the
sacrament and renew their covenants, in order that they may have the
Spirit of the Lord. It is not pleasing in the sight of the Lord, for
us to partake of the sacrament if there be hard feelings in our
hearts, if there be jealousness, if there be enmity or strife, if we
are not in fellowship with one another, if we are not in fellowship
with the Church, if we are not keeping the commandments of the Lord,
if we are not living in peace, if we are not obedient to the counsels
of heaven; I say that it is not pleasing in the sight of the Lord to
partake of the sacrament under such circumstances. This is an
ordinance that should be partaken of properly, understandingly,
thoughtfully, and with faith that we will receive an increased portion
of the Holy Spirit. If we were not in a world of sin; if we were
not in a world of trial and temptation; if evil was not in the world
as well as good; if there were not evil influences; if the spirit and
power of darkness was chained and there was nothing in this life but
good; if there was no evil inspiration, no evil insinuations—if none
of these things existed, then we might possibly manage to go through
this world without committing sin. But we find that as good is in the
world so there is evil. As there is light in the world, so there is
darkness. We are subject to the influences of evil—to the powers of
darkness. We are liable to temptation. God has given us our agency;
and it is found necessary that we should have very particular
instructions, very complete organization and perfect care thrown
around us, as the Saints of God, under those circumstances, in order
that we may obtain salvation. It is not enough that we be baptized for
the remission of sins. We need organization. We need the Priesthood.
We need authority. We need power. We need the blessing and help of God
from the beginning. When the Elders go out into the world, and baptize
for the remission of sins, they do not there leave the people. They
are taught the necessity of other ordinances, the necessity of
gathering together, the principle of tithing, the words of wisdom, the
necessity of prayer; all these doctrines are laid before them. Then
organization is given them, not in perfection, but in a primitive
form. They have branches, and presiding authorities, Elders, Priests,
Teachers, Deacons, etc., to teach and care for them while they are in
the world, and when they gather to Zion they have a more complete
organization of stakes, wards, quorums, associations and the like; so
that every man and every woman has a place and a position. They act as
helpers, exhorters, encouragers, and all these are necessary for the
salvation of the people; for we find, as we become attached to the
Gospel of Christ, the evils of the world come in upon us, and they
come with greater strength and power to overcome and destroy us.
There is a warfare in the earth between God and the power of evil. The
Lord has established this Church. The Father Himself in person,
accompanied by His Son Jesus Christ, came and laid the foundation of
this work. They commenced it. They established it. They have sustained
and supported it. It has not been sustained and supported by the power
of man. Those who have stood faithful to this day—whether they be many
or few—among the Latter-day Saints, have stood by the blessing and
power of God. No one that was living in the days of Nauvoo, or in the
days of Kirtland, or that joined the Church during the lifetime of
President Young, and has faithfully endured to the present time, can
arrogate to himself that he has so endured in his own strength. God
has sustained him. The Lord has given him a testimony, and established
in his heart a knowledge of the truth. And the reason that this Church
is so much more stable and solid—cannot be overthrown, cannot be
broken in upon by those from the outside—is that in each individual
heart is established a knowledge that comes by the gift of God—the
Holy Ghost. The religious world, so far as they have endeavored to
convert the Latter-day Saints—to reform them and turn them from their
faith—have failed. They know not the reason of their failure. They
cannot understand why it is that the Latter-day Saints are not
easily converted. You cannot convert a Latter-day Saint. You cannot
change a Latter-day Saint into a Methodist, a Presbyterian, or a Roman
Catholic, or cause him to join any other denomination upon the face of
the earth. There is not wisdom nor power enough in the world to turn
one Latter-day Saint from the truth; for every man, woman and child
that is a Latter-day Saint has established in his or her heart a
knowledge of the truth. They have a testimony of the truth from God.
The father does not have this testimony for the son, or the mother for
the daughter, or the priest for the people; but every individual
member of the Church has a knowledge of the truth for himself. An
honest man cannot turn from that which he knows to be true. An honest,
virtuous, good man is willing to lay down his life for the truth.
Indeed, men devoted to error are found willing to lay down their lives
(and have so done in many instances), for it. How much more, then,
will men be willing to lay down their lives for that which they know
to be truth—for the Gospel of Christ. Have we a knowledge of the
principles of truth? Yes. Do the Apostles depend upon President
Taylor, who was so closely associated with the Prophet Joseph in his
lifetime and at the time of his death, for a testimony of the truth?
No. Is there any man dependent upon President Taylor for a knowledge
of the truth. No. There is not a member of the Church dependent upon
any man for a knowledge of the truth of this work. The early members
of the Church never depended upon Joseph Smith for their testimony in
regard to these things. It was not in the power of the Prophet to give
that knowledge. Jesus Himself—if I read the Scriptures correctly—had
not the power to establish in the hearts of His own Apostles a
knowledge of the truth, or even a knowledge of his own character. For
when He enquired of Peter and the disciples as to who the world said
He was, they answered Him that some said that He was Elias, some that
He was John the Baptist arisen from the dead, etc. "But," said He,
"whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered and said, "Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God." Whereupon the Savior informed him
that flesh and blood had not revealed that unto him, but His Father
which is in heaven. Now, if there was a man at that time who could
possibly obtain, in any other way, a knowledge as to who Jesus was and
as to the truth of the work He established, that man was Peter. Such
men as President Taylor, and the first Apostles of the Church, would
have, if it were possible, obtained that knowledge from the Prophet
Joseph. But none of these men obtained their knowledge in regard to
these things in that way. And you may ask the Saints by the tens of
thousands in the land of Zion today, as to how they learned Joseph
Smith was a Prophet of God—although a great many of them never saw
him, and yet there are many of them who knew him personally—and they
will tell you that their knowledge of his character, mission and
power, was given to them of the Lord. We have had this knowledge
established in our hearts and we cannot fly it. We cannot close our
eyes upon it. When we know what the truth is, we cannot fail to tell
it; and there are people in the world today, that look upon us,
perhaps, with no degree of allowance and consider us a very wicked
people, that, if they had the same testimony that we have,
would be as valiant in defense of the truth as we are. There are many
such people in the world today—good, honest people. Are they
Methodists? I presume so. Are they Presbyterians and Catholics and
people belonging to many other denominations? Yes; and there are
honest men, perhaps, who do not profess Christ at all—who claim to be
infidels and close their eyes to the mission of Christ—that if they
had the knowledge we have, they would be just as valiant as we are
today. They could not help it; for that testimony would make them
valiant, and they would be as difficult to turn from the truth as the
Latter-day Saints. The world have discovered that the Latter-day
Saints cannot be turned from their purpose, cannot be converted, and
having failed to attain their object in that way, many advocate strong
measures being enacted against us. Some go so far as to think we
should be exterminated; others that we should be placed under
political disabilities, or hampered in some way, in order that our
religious faith may be crippled. Will they accomplish their object by
these means? No. Such treatment did not accomplish anything with the
Son of God, nor with His Apostles, and it did not accomplish anything
with Daniel, or with his brethren, who were cast into the fiery
furnace. It did not change their sentiments and their faith, and it
will not change ours. We cannot deny the truth. We may have troubles
in this life; many of us may see sorrow in this life; but none of us
will ever see what the Savior saw in that regard. None of us will
suffer as He suffered, although His mission was but a short one. Our
mission may be long, and our suffering may possibly, in some
instances, be con tinuous; but we will not be called to suffer as much
as He suffered. Yet, we may look for persecution. But the Lord will
overrule all things for our good. He will sustain this Kingdom, and
He will build it up in spite of all other kingdoms in the earth; for
it is His right to do so. The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness
thereof, and the peoples, the nations, and the kingdoms that are upon
the earth, all belong to the Lord. We are His children, and He has the
right to control and dictate in all the affairs of men. He has the
right to overrule the conduct of men to serve his purposes; to
overrule the wars between the nations of the earth. He has the right
to break down nations, to change the form of government, to cause
revolutions, and in all things to do that which seemeth Him good. He
has the right to do all this—just as He broke off the colonies from
the mother country, and established religious liberty, thus making it
possible for His Kingdom to be established upon this land.
Now, as we discover the world opposed to us—feeling, no doubt, in a
great many instances that they are doing God's service in bringing
everything to bear against what they consider a very wicked
people—what is the proper thing for the Saints to do for their
protection? This is an important matter. When surrounded by enemies, a
wise man would take the precaution to protect himself from
destruction. What, then, shall we do that we may not be trodden down,
broken to pieces and scattered or destroyed; that we may remain in
this land; that we may not be removed as we were from Missouri, from
Illinois, and from Ohio? What shall we do that we may not be brought
into bondage, but may remain a free people?— that is, free to
do the will of God, and to build up His Kingdom upon the earth, the
mission we are called upon to perform. The most important matter that
I know of is, not to prepare our arms, not to prepare for war, but to
prepare for peace; to keep the commandments of the Lord; to discharge
with fidelity to God every obligation we are under to Him; to keep
sacredly His laws, and to be found in the discharge of our duty;
preaching the Gospel; gathering the poor; building temples;
establishing home industries; becoming a self-sustaining people;
providing for our necessities; providing employment that none may
need; providing for the poor; nursing the sick; caring for those who
need comfort; seeking to do the will of God in all things; abstaining
from intemperance, from profanity, from corruptions of every name and
nature; seeking to be, not as the world, but to be indeed the Saints
of God; striving to be united; listening to counsel; seeking to live
so that the Spirit of the Lord may inspire our hearts and prepare us
for the responsibilities that are upon us, let our positions be what
they may—home missionaries, foreign missionaries, men presiding in the
Church, in the Stakes, in the Quorums, in the Associations, in the
institutions of learning, each and all standing in their proper place,
doing the will of God. For we have no battles to fight if we be the
Saints of our God. He will fight our battles if battles are to be
fought. The wicked will slay the wicked and the righteous will be left
free. The Lord has been very good to us in giving us this land, and in
enabling us to maintain peace therein, up to the present time. It is a
land that is admirably adapted to the necessities of this growing
kingdom. The water supplies are not very great, and as we have
multiplied the water sources have been almost all utilized. Yet the
fountains of water have increased in many parts of the country, and
where but a few families, a few years ago, could be accommodated on a
stream—say a half a dozen families or the like—today we have fifty to
a hundred families on that same stream, with a constant and abundant
supply of water. And the Lord has changed the seasons. Fruits are
hardier, and some that are not so hardy are doing and thriving well in
our land. The blessing of the Lord has been over the land, and peace
has reigned in it, and it will continue to reign if we but do the will
of the Lord. He will overrule and control all those agencies that may
be brought against us from the outside, if we will but listen to the
voice of counsel here at home. That voice of counsel is within the
reach of every family in every neighborhood. He has given to this
people the Priesthood. He has placed it upon almost every man in
Zion. Almost every man bears a portion of the Holy Priesthood, Aaronic
or Melchizedek. We are almost a nation of Priests—of High Priests,
Seventies, Elders—men bearing the Priesthood and authority of God. We
have each of us the right to approach the throne of grace, to hear
from the Father, to receive counsel, to receive inspiration in regard
to the duties which devolve upon us, that we may not go astray. Every
man who is called to preside as a Bishop in a ward is entitled to the
Holy Spirit to guide him in his labors; so is every man who presides
over a family, or in a quorum, or who is placed in a position to lead
and instruct the people. That is the reason that the Lord has given us
such a host of ministers; for every man who holds the
Priesthood is a minister of righteousness and is expected to
administer in his calling in the midst of the people in the world,
wherever he is located, at home or abroad. We have thousands of such
men. Our settlements are full of them. They are the men who build the
houses and decorate them, and they do the business that is done in
Zion among our people. They are ministers of righteousness; and if the
people will keep the commandments of God, His hand will be stretched
out in their behalf, to save and protect them from harm.
Now, when I assert that the Latter-day Saints cannot be converted or
turned from the truth, I do not mean to say that there are none who
turn away from the Gospel. There are many who lose their faith, many
who go into sin, many who apostatize. But are they Saints of God? No.
Do those that apostatize live the lives of Saints? No. If they were
Saints, enjoying the Spirit of the Lord, it would be impossible for
them to apostatize. A man cannot deny the truth which the Spirit of
God is burning in His bosom; but by transgressing the laws of God, by
neglect and sin, men lose their testimony and are taken up by the
"Josephites," or by some other class of people, and perhaps
"improved." I trust they are. But when it comes to converting a
Latter-day Saint, a man who keeps the commandments of God, and lives
according to the principles of the Gospel, as laid down by the Prophet
Joseph Smith, it cannot be done. They may labor here as missionaries
from now to doomsday, they never can get one Latter-day Saint to join
any of their religious denominations. Strenuous efforts are being made
to capture our children as though there were not chil dren enough in
the world requiring their attention. They might leave us to manage our
own children. But they think they stand a better show to convert
children than grown people. If the truth were not grounded in our
hearts, we would be liable to conversion. But inasmuch as we keep the
commandments of the Lord, and enjoy the Holy Ghost, we cannot be
turned.
We have no fears in regard to the work of the Lord; because it is just
as plain to us as the sun at noonday, that the Kingdom of God will
endure and will not be given to another people. If the Saints will be
faithful, the Church and Kingdom of God will be safe; God will be
honored, and His purposes accomplished in the earth; and a pure people
will grow up here such as the Lord will delight to come and dwell
among.
The organization of the Church of God is perfect. We find at the head
of every Quorum of Deacons three are appointed to preside; the same
with the Teachers, Priests and Elders; the Seventies have seven men to
preside over each Quorum; and all these various Quorums are expected
to hold meetings and classes, so that they may be instructed in their
various duties, that men may be prepared to preach the Gospel in the
nations of the earth. Then, we have organizations of the young
people—the Mutual Improvement Associations—which are intended to
embrace all the young people of Zion. But we find in our visits
through the country, that complaints are made that the young people
are not all enrolled. Many have not been brought to see the importance
of joining these associations. Well, now, if it were left to the
children entirely, how many of them would go to school at the age of
eight, ten or twelve years? Not many. But there is a proper
influence brought to bear upon children by their parents.
Schoolhouses and teachers are provided, and then the children are sent to
school. After a while, as the children grow older, they begin to see
the importance of knowledge, and then it does not take very much
exertion on the part of parents to get the children to attend school.
In the same way, those who have identified themselves with these
associations begin to see the importance of their connection
therewith. But those who are on the outside need to be instructed in
regard to the importance of these things, and an influence should be
brought to bear upon them in that direction. They should be taken
early in life. Many of them have been left alone until it is too late,
or later than it ought to have been. At the age of twelve or fourteen
years they should be introduced into the lesser Priesthood, and thus
learn something of the authority of the Lord. They should be educated
in the principles of the Gospel, and have faith established in their
hearts. This should be done by experienced people. But they have been
more or less neglected until we have hundreds today that are twenty
years of age, that bear no Priesthood at all. When they get to that
age they become more or less set in their ways; they desire to be
free; they don't care to be hampered with religion or anything of that
kind. Now, my brethren and sisters, parents in Zion, Bishops, leading
men in the Wards and Stakes, see to it that the young people receive
proper instruction; see to it that they are not neglected as those of
whom I have been speaking have been neglected in the past. Let fathers
and mothers be anxious in regard to their sons and daughters. Let
those who are yet young be brought into the Mutual Improvement
Associations and classes, that they may have the advantage of a
religious training in the Church. There is nothing on earth of greater
value to your children than a knowledge of the truth. I know of no
gift that could be given to my children from among men that would
compensate for their being deprived of the knowledge that God has
established His Church and Kingdom upon the earth; that Joseph Smith
was a Prophet of God; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and that
God lives. To deprive them of this knowledge, nothing could compensate
for its loss. Then, if we so consider these things; if we are so
firmly established in the truth and value it so much, let us see to it
that our children are not neglected. At eight years of age they should
be baptized for remission of their sins, and become members of the
Church. And as they get older, see that they are brought into the
schools, associations and classes. See, too, that they are taught at
home in regard to prayer, family worship, etc. Let them not be
neglected; for if they are neglected and go astray, your hearts will
be barren and sorrowful. You may be very firm and solid yourselves;
but in the loss of a son or daughter, through neglect, your hearts
will be made sorrowful. The Catholics are very careful in regard to
their children, and I respect them for it. They are very careful to
educate their children in regard to the Catholic faith. Not that I
would have my children become Catholics; but I would have the same
care that they display in this matter displayed in the care of the
children of the Latter-day Saints. Early life is the time when they
should be trained. Then indelible impressions can be made in their
minds How difficult it is when men have grown up in the world
with ideas that are prevalent in the world in regard to God, the
Savior, religion, etc.—how difficult it is to bring them into the
Church, and get those ideas eradicated from their minds. I have heard
elderly brethren who were brought up as Methodists say, that it was
almost impossible for them to rid themselves of Methodism. One of the
earliest revelations given to the Church charges all parents having
children in Zion to teach them faith in God, faith in Jesus Christ,
and that when they arrive at the age of eight years they should be
baptized for remission of their sins. This is a law that has been
before us since 1831, many years before I was born. Now, I wonder if
this law has not been neglected by the Latter-day Saints—generally
forgotten or overlooked. Have we not been careless in this regard? Let
every father and every mother question their own hearts on this
matter, and if they have been negligent, let them reform and see that
they be more careful in the future than they have been in the past.
Indeed, let me exhort you, my brethren and sisters, you who stand at
the heads of families, Wards, and quorums, to be of a truth educators
of the people, teaching them not only in theory, but in practice, in
your lives; walking so that you may be the light of a sun instead of a
moon; and that great improvement may be found all around.
And that God may sustain us, inspire our hearts and help us to
discharge with fidelity every duty; that the testimony God has given
us may grow and increase in our hearts, is my prayer in the name of
Jesus. Amen.
- Francis M. Lyman