By Elder Kimball's request, I will occupy a short time.
I have meditated considerably upon the spirit manifested through our
President last Sabbath and today, and also upon that manifested by
brother Kimball, his first Counselor.
I do not know what effect their views and sayings have had upon your
minds, but I am under the impression that there is more blindness and
stupidity, more fog and darkness in Israel than I had anticipated,
previous to their remarks.
I am aware that persons, not members of our society, listening to the
teachings from this stand, might infer that we certainly were in a
very bad state. But when they take into consideration that we do not
allow any evil, or any kind of wickedness, to grow and flourish in the
midst of this community, without revealing and opposing it, they can
then understand the subject more clearly.
In the United States, generally, and perhaps in most of Europe, it
would not be safe to speak so plainly from the pulpit concerning the
wickedness existing in those regions, or to expose it so freely and
fully as we expose, from this stand, the evils striving to creep into
our midst, for the spirit which reigns abroad upon the face of the
earth is different from the spirit that reigns here. If we know a
wicked man we feel free to present him before the public, and
frequently call him by name, and expose him publicly.
This course would not always be safe, in that portion of the southern States where I have traveled; you would be apt to be involved
in a duel, or in a fight of some kind.
When the Latter-day Saints know of wickedness, they are determined to
expose it and bring it to the light, and that which should be made
public, they proclaim publicly, even though it may have been learned
secretly. I am satisfied of the blindness that exists in many of those
whom we call upon to officiate, in different capacities in the Church.
The High Council have been referred to today as among the number who
are in the fog. The reason why I verily believe that they are in the
fog, is because the light of the Holy Ghost which is in our President
tells us the fact, and faith comes by hearing the word of God.
The reason why I especially and particularly believe that our Bishops
are in the dark, is from the fact that the manifestations of the
Almighty through the President of the Church reveals that fact to the
people, and he gives us that revelation without making any special
reserve therein, hence my faith.
If I had no other evidence, his testimony would be sufficient for me
to predicate my faith upon.
The President's remarks gave a very special rebuke to certain
councils, and, more or less, to those who speak from this stand. He is
not fond of the smoothness that some are delighted with. I am aware
that the Saints come here to listen, and that many of them are fond of
smooth sayings and nicely turned periods, being pleased therewith as
with a beautiful song; their ears are tickled and their fancies
excited, but they go away without being vitally benefited.
We have to deal with the people of God, and we care but little about
the ebbing and flowing of nations, when their ebbings and flowings do
not particularly affect the Saints of the Most High. We expect to see
abominations and commotions abroad on the earth, but I do hope that
the time has actually come when filth will be cleansed from the midst
of Israel.
As a people, we are right in principle, in doctrine, and in precepts.
But are we all perfectly right in practice? This is a question which
we should well examine and understand.
Do all the people practice righteousness? Do they all live their
religion, and the principles that they have received? In other words,
do all the people act according to what they understand? Do they do
the best they know how? If they were all doing the best they know how,
there would be no fault found with them; but I am satisfied that they
are not, for if they were, the President would not stand up here and
rebuke you. You are rebuked because you suffer yourselves to be led by
the enemy into the fog, because the Spirit of God and the light of the
Holy Ghost are not at all times upon you.
Last Sunday, the President chastised some of the Apostles and Bishops
who were on the grand jury. Did he fully succeed in clearing away the
fog which surrounded them, and in removing blindness from their eyes?
No, for they could go to their room and again disagree, though, to
their credit, it must be admitted that a brief explanation made them
unanimous in their action.
Not long ago I heard that, in a certain case, the traverse jury were
eleven against one, and what is more singular, the one alone was right
in his views of the case.
Several had got into the fog to suck and eat the filth of a Gentile
law court, ostensibly a court of Utah, though I call it a Gentile
court. Why? Because it does not magnify the laws of Utah, as provided
for in the "Organic Act," by which "Act" and laws it alone exists
as a court.
A brief examination will soon convince a person, of only ordinary
observation, that the laws of Utah are not administered in our courts,
and that the judges must know that fact, and that they have been
seeking from the first, with but few exceptions, to overrule them.
Whether that course is prompted from the City of Washington, I know
not. Our laws have been set at naught and walked under foot, and in
lieu thereof a constant effort has been made to rule in common law,
English law, and law after law totally inapplicable.
Do you suppose I respect persons who so conduct themselves? No, I do
not. We have some Gentiles here whom I respect. We had a Shaver whom I
respected; he was a man, and a true Virginian, well represented the
chivalric spirit of the South, and sought the good of his country.
But when we have a set of politicians here, who can blow hot or cold
to suit their own convenience, they can officiate as constables,
jurors, marshals, judges, and legislators; they can turn the law,
create the law, and execute the law to suite themselves. Do I respect
them? No, and I am in hopes that some of their friends present will
tell them so. (Voice, I do not know that they have any.)
They act as though they took it for granted that we were a set of
ignoramuses, unacquainted with the usages of courts, and unaware that
they were setting aside our laws. They have sought to overthrow our
laws, when there is not a law in force in Utah that will sanction
their rulings, and you cannot bring an upright lawyer, one who
actually understands his profession, but what will say that I am
right. Every man who is conversant with the laws of the United States
and of Utah, will say so.
We do not find fault with the laws of our country, they are good, but
we deprecate the acts of men who strive to trample upon them; men who
are filled with the Gentile leaven, and we dislike that leaven and the
fog which accompanies it.
We have a few whoremasters here. Do you wish to know who they are? I
can tell the first letters of their name, and I can tell where they
have been practicing their abominations in this City. And even some
who profess to be "Mormons" are guilty of enticing and leading girls to
prostitution, saying, "If you want a new dress you can get it very
easily."
I have a gun and dirks in good order, and powder and lead, and am
ready and able to make holes through such miserable, corrupting
rascals. These characters take "Mormon" girls and debauch them,
telling them that the United States will send their troops here, and
that this people will be broken up and driven.
We are a part of the United States ourselves; most of us were raised
in America, and we are all cradled in liberty, and if the United
States desires to drench the earth with our blood, we are on hand.
Who is afraid to die? None but the wicked. If they want to send troops
here let them come to those who have imported filth and whores, though
we can attend to that class without so much expense to the General
Government; we can wipe them out cheaply and quickly, for they are
only a few in number.
They will threaten us with the U.S. troops! Why your impudence and
ignorance would bring a blush to the cheeks of the veriest camp
follower among them. We ask no odds of you, you rotten carcasses, and
I am not going to bow one hair's breadth to your influence. I would
rather be cut into inch pieces than succumb one particle to such
filthiness.
I want the Gentiles to understand that we know all about their
whore doms and other abominations here. If we have not
invariably killed such corrupt scoundrels, those who will seek to
corrupt and pollute our community, I swear to you that we mean to, and
to accomplish more in a few hours, towards clearing the atmosphere,
than all your grand and traverse juries can in a year.
There are a few professed "Mormons" who, for a few dimes, wink at
their iniquities, and keep the poor, mean, lazy scamps in their
houses, saying, "O, they are honorable men." I admit that there are a
few honorable men here who are not in the Church, some of whom I
respect much.
This eternal threatening of us with the armies of the United States! I
wonder what men think we are made of, when they threaten us! As if
they expected that we were going to succumb to whoredom! If we were to
establish a whorehouse on every corner of our streets, as in nearly
all other cities outside of Utah, either by law or otherwise, we
should doubtless then be considered good fellows.
If we were to allow gambling, drunkenness, and every species of
wickedness, the "Mormons" would then be all right, they would not then
threaten us with the armies of the United States. O no.
What is it that maddens the devils? Simply that we are determined to
do right, and to set at defiance wickedness and wicked men, and to
send them to hell across lots, as quick as we can.
I do not ask any odds of them myself, I never have. If they behave
themselves as white men ought to behave, we will treat them as such.
The armies of our nation will have plenty to do without attending to
us; they will need us to help them. Yes, instead of bringing their
armies to fight the people in Utah, they will need Utah's armies to
help them. They are threatening war in Kansas on the slavery question,
and the General Government has already been called upon to send troops
there. Well, all I have to say on that matter is, "Success to both
parties."
And in relation to the election of a Speaker in the House of
Representatives at Washington, the North and South, the East and West
have each other by the ears; "Success to all parties," say I.
To send men here as spies to watch us! Curse the spies and those who
send them, and all who sustain the system of whorehouses and the
debauchery of the innocent and unsuspecting, and all who threaten that
the United States are going to drive and kill the "Mormons."
Did you ever hear such a man as Judge Shaver threaten us with the
United States? Did you ever hear Judge Reed do such a thing? No. Or
Millard Fillmore, or Andrew Jackson? No, such men would scorn to
threaten an innocent people with the armies of the nation.
Have we been disloyal to our country? Have we, in one instance,
violated her laws? No. Have we rejected her institutions? No. We are
lawful and loyal citizens of the government of the United States, and
a few poor, miserable, pusillanimous, rotten, stinking rebels, come
here and threaten us with the armies of the United States. We wish all
such characters to understand that, if the generals and armies and
those who wish to send them, are as corrupt as those who threaten us,
and as vile as most of those heretofore sent here, we defy them, and
the sooner we come in contact with them, the better. These are my
feelings every time, on that point.
As for you miserable, sleepy "Mormons," who say to those wretches,
"Give us your dimes, and you shall have our wheat, and our daughters,
only give us your dimes and you shall have this, that, and the
other," I not only wish but pray, in the name of Israel's
God, that the time was come in which to unsheathe the sword, like
Moroni of old, and to cleanse the inside of the platter, and we would
not wait for the decision of grand or traverse juries, but we would
walk into you and completely use up every curse who will not do right.
We are speaking against none who are good, they have our protection;
but against those who are evil. We have many good friends who are not
members of our Church, but when men come and threaten us with the
armies of the United States, and under that color seek to practice
every kind of debauchery, telling a young girl that "we are going to
be destroyed, and for that reason she had better forsake the Mormon
Church and make merchandise of her body," to serve their vile
purposes, poor, miserable devils, what ought you to expect?
I wish the Saints to see and under stand men and things as they are, if
they have any judgment and eyesight. I could give you a list of the
practices I have been speaking of, and of the names of the men engaged
in them. If we love salvation and liberty, and must fight for them,
let us fight, and they will find that the "Mormons" are on hand to
die, those who are right, and what would be the use of living, if we
cannot have our rights? If we are to be driven, as we have hitherto
been, the sooner we die the better; and the sooner we kill a poor set
of miserable devils the better for those who remain.
I wish all the Saints to do right, and as for those who do not, my
prayer is, "That they may all go hellwards, the way Ward's ducks
went."
May God bless those who do right, and enable them to break in pieces
wickedness and put it down, that we may be saved; I ask it in the name
of Jesus Christ. Amen.
- Jedediah M. Grant