My health is not very good, though I am in most excellent spirits. I
have a good spirit on me, and my spirit is to do good; I have no other
desire in my heart. And when I do good to my brethren and my sisters,
it is the greatest happiness I have in this life to see them
appreciate it; and the next thing is for me to appreciate everything
I receive from God through my brethren.
Is there anything in this life that I hold more dear to me than I do
this Gospel and this kingdom? If there is, I know it not. If there
ever should an object get between me and that, I should most humbly
desire that object might be taken from me.
I am a weak man, and I am in a fallen world—in a world of devils and
evil and corrupt spirits. Will they seek to afflict me in my body?
They seek to afflict brother Brigham in his body; and it is just about
as much as he can do to live and dwell here. And if it was not for the
Spirit of God that inspires him, he would not want to live here; he
would want to leave, and so would I.
I just know that there are more devils in this valley and in the world
who are opposed to him and his two counselors, than there are opposed
to all the Elders of Israel; but they do not know it. And then their
opposition is made manifest against those who stand next to us in
authority, and so on down. But we shall live and prosper. And this
people—every man, woman, and child that will follow brother Brigham
and his brethren, will go into the celestial world also, as you have
heard me say—every one of brother Brigham's posterity and mine. And
every man, woman, and accountable child that will live their religion,
obey counsel, honor the Priesthood and our God, shall live.
A great many ask, "Why do you put those ifs into this promise? Because
all promises and blessings are conditional: they are conjunctions; and
where there is a conjunction there is a condition, if I understand the
English language; and I believe that I understand it about as well as
anybody. I can make grammar faster than you can swallow it; and my
grammar is just as good as anybody's, if theirs is not better than
mine.
I feel to say, God bless you.
I have been pleased to hear brother Lamb today. He began his
discourse at a period long before the possession of the garden of Eden
by Adam, and came down to this time; and when he got down to where he
himself was acting, he began to bear testimony of this work and of the
servants of God living in his day, and the Holy Ghost fell upon him;
and it did not until then. God bless him, that he may be blessed, and
live long, and increase, that there may many lambs spring from him;
and may the same blessing rest upon all of you who wish to increase.
And those that do not wish to increase, may God help them to dry up
quickly, that they may pucker up and come to an end. And let
them that will increase, increase, and increase, and multiply, and
fill the earth with the knowledge, and power of God. Why? Because this
work is true.
Joseph was a true prophet of God, and Brigham is his successor, and I
am his brother, and Daniel is my brother; and we will live and prosper
until the devils are all shut up in hell, where they belong. They will
cease troubling this earth: for they will all dry up like an old
herring, as will every one that sympathizes for them or with them.
Now, sympathize with the Devil, if you want to crimp up. Just as quick
as you begin that, the juice will run out of your eyes; and when the
juice is drawn out of a tree it will dry up and die.
God bless you. Amen.
- Heber C. Kimball