[Being the portion omitted in last volume.]
The whole tenor of God's dealings and instructions to His people have
been enriched and adorned with affectionate remembrance, instruction
and illustration of the youth of His people. They are the redeemed of
Christ from before the foundation of the world. Jesus said their
angels or spirits do always behold the face of my Father which is in
heaven. He has promised that they shall come forth in the first
resurrection, that they "shall grow up until they become old," and
when he would demonstrate who should be greatest in the kingdom of
heaven—He took a little child and placed him in their midst, saying,
"Except ye repent and become as this little child, ye can in no wise
enter therein; but whosoever shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven; and whosoever
shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me."
In relation to all these matters, there is a great deal of importance
attached to them, not only in the matter of our children—which seems
to be of primary importance to us—but in the preaching of the Gospel.
We that have ministered in the Gospel have learned of the truth of
that Gospel, and are able to compre hend by the Spirit in some degree
the revelations and commandments which have been given for the
guidance of the Church. It is by virtue of repentance and baptism for
the remission of sins that men's sins are remitted. It is by attending
to certain ordinances that the blessings of eternity are sealed upon
us, and by which in the plain language of the Scriptures, our calling
and election are made sure. But we must obey those ordinances in faith
or their efficacy will not avail. Our Elders go abroad and preach to
the world, and their hearts are filled with charity and loving
kindness towards their fellow creatures. They administer to the sick
among the Saints, and they are often called upon to administer to
those who do not belong to the Church, to whom they administer
according to their faith, and thus the power of faith through the
ordinance of God is made manifest among the children of men.
But there is one ordinance that the Elders may have perhaps neglected
and I do not know but I have myself—and that is, that if we enter a
house and the people thereof receive us, there our peace should abide.
This was the instruction of the Savior in His day; and if we enter a house and the people receive us not, then we should go away
and return not again to that house, and wash our feet with pure water,
as a testimony against them in the day of judgment, and thus bear
witness unto the Lord that we have offered them salvation, that we
have sought to preach to them the principles of everlasting life, that
we have offered to them the Gospel of peace and desired to administer
unto them a blessing. The same is applicable to a town, village or
city that rejects you. In this way you do your duty and leave them in
the hands of the Lord. You are not called upon to contend with
anybody in public congregations, or to do anything that would stir up
wrath and indignation. The Savior simply told his disciples to wash
their feet as a testimony against such people. But the generous,
charitable feeling of our Elders prompts them not to do a thing
against anybody; they would rather pour out a blessing upon the whole
people. Consequently, it is a very rare thing that this ordinance is
attended to by the Elders of this last dispensation—speaking from my
own experience, and conversation had with the brethren. But when it
comes to this, that we are persecuted and our lives taken, it would
seem as if this was a duty depending upon those Elders who are thrust
out, and warned away from their fields of labor. These things have
happened of late, and it seems a duty devolving upon the Elders to do
that which the law requires and leave the responsibility of its
reception or rejection with the people and their God. We have no
quarrel with anybody. We simply preach the Gospel to the inhabitants
of the earth. If they receive it, well and good; if they will not,
then it is a matter between them and their God; but the Lord requires
this duty at the hands of his servants.
Again, we go abroad and gather in many people to this place, and they
desire to find work. One of the brethren has referred to this matter
and likened it unto a man going into a field and working diligently to
plow the field, sow the grain, harrow it in, harvest it, and then
leave it to waste. It is too much so in bringing home our brethren and
our sisters to this country and not furnishing them labor. It is a
very pleasing thought that occasionally companies of 400 or 500
people, or even 1,000, are delivered here from abroad. Why is it
pleasing? Because it shows the work of God is progressing; it shows
that God is gathering home His Saints, and soon after their arrival,
the newcomers are taken home by their friends and relatives, and
provided for, made comfortable until another spring, or until they
look around and find or make a home. And it is a blessed thought that,
notwithstanding hundreds and thousands of people are brought here
yearly and cared for, so great a proportion of them live in their own
homes, raise their own cows, pigs, chickens, etc.
Frequently when we go to the Seventies and ask some of them if they
are willing to go on a mission to preach the Gospel, one replies: "I
am no preacher at all; I could not preach a sermon if I were to try:"
and wind up by saying: "If I can't go out myself and preach, I am
willing to help support the families of missionaries while they are
gone." Many have said this, and many more of them have thought it.
The Seventies are a numerous concourse of men who are called in
connection with the Twelve to see that the Gospel is carried to
the nations of the earth. Many of them are aged—some having been in
the Church almost from the days of its first organization in Ohio, and
many since the days of Nauvoo—too aged to be called to go upon
missions—yet they could help their brethren coming in to find
employment, and as do the Twelve after having labored in the vineyard
to help gather the harvest, labor together in the threshing floor to
help garner the wheat, clean it, and assist to make it fit for the
Master's use. The younger men, after having secured homes for their
families, feel free to go on missions, knowing that their interests at
home are not being neglected.
If the aged Seventies and all men of experience would interest
themselves in the different parts of the Territory, and find or make
work for the newcomers, they might do a vast deal of good. They might
help their brethren who come in from the old country so obtain a
living. When we first came here every man had to be a farmer, had to
cultivate the land in order to obtain a living. Today many of the
brethren who come from the old country have no idea of farming, and
have never, perhaps raised a chicken, a pig or a cow. The brethren
should take hold, therefore, and assist each other in these things.
Let us help to build each other up more earnestly and more extensively
than we have done. Let us not cultivate feelings of covetousness to
the crowding out of those ennobling and generous sentiments which
should fill the bosom of every Latter-day Saint.
My brethren, you are Elders in Israel, and the blessing and power of
the Priesthood are upon you. Therefore we should do all the good we
can, that those of our brethren who are constantly coming in here may
obtain work, that they may not be led away, through idleness, into
sin, and their hearts be turned away from the Gospel which they have
embraced.
- Franklin D. Richards