I can say one thing in regard to preaching before this congregation.
It is a great deal harder to speak to the people in the afternoon than
it is in the forenoon, because they generally come together after
partaking of a hearty dinner; and that, in connection with the word
they receive in the forenoon, fills them up, and they are somewhat
like a barn that is nearly full of hay; for you know it is a great
deal harder to put in the last load of hay than it is the first. I
speak of these things because the circumstances that surround us call
them forth.
In relation to the things we have heard today from brother Brigham,
and brother Feramorz, and others, I will say that I appreciate them,
and I not only believe them, but I know them to be true. This is the
work of God, and all the world cannot stay its progress. They have
given me the character in the world of calling things by their right
names. It is a good deal with them as it was with the old Dutchman,
who said, "It is not the thing itself, but it is the name of the
damned thing!" That is it exactly. They can talk and hint about
everything, but never call them by their names. I call that hypocrisy; and
there never was a nation that lived upon the earth that was fuller of
it than this nation.
As to what they call "Mormonism" —properly speaking, the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I say it is true; and Joseph Smith
the Prophet, who was killed in Illinois, in Carthage Jail, is the
author of it; or, in other words, he was the instrument in the hands
of God of bringing it forth. Peter, James, and John, three of the
ancient Apostles, came and ordained him and set him apart for the work
of the ministry of this last dispensation.
I am bearing testimony of those things that are true—things that I
know and understand. And I also testify that Hyrum Smith was a
Patriarch of God, and just as much so as Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob ever
were. Joseph Smith the Prophet ordained his father a Patriarch, and he
ordained Hyrum. The same Gospel which was preached by Jesus and by His
Apostles has been delivered unto us through Joseph Smith, the Prophet
of the living God; and the keys and powers pertaining to that Gospel
and priesthood are now resting upon brother Brigham Young; for he is
Joseph's legal successor. All the prophets from the days of Adam and
from the creation of the world have conferred their priesthood and
keys of this dispensation, and brother Brigham holds them in
connection with the old Prophets and Apostles, and in connection with
our Father and God pertaining to this earth.
I am telling you the truth, and testifying to that which God has made
manifest unto me. Well, the world want that we should lay aside that
which God has revealed, and not speak of Joseph Smith, or of the
revelations which he gave.
When I was abroad preaching, some said to me, we would be popular if
we would say nothing about the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, baptism
for the remission of sins, or the laying on of hands for the gift of
the Holy Ghost; they said if we would let these things alone we would
be popular. Good heavens! We are now more popular than any other
religious community upon the earth. We extend, as some would call it,
from Dan to Beersheba; we extend to every nation, continent, and
country, and almost to every island of the sea. The Gospel has been
carried to almost every people. We have offered them the principles of
life and salvation, and we shall continue to do so while there is any
hope for them.
I expect, like us, the inhabitants of the earth will have their ups
and downs, their troubles and afflictions. There has been a great
chill among them: they had one when we had one; and now the fever has
begun to increase with us it has begun to increase upon them; and
by-and-by there will be another chill; and it will keep doubling and
redoubling till the whole world is in motion. Will it overthrow this
work? No, never.
I want the gentlemen that are here today, and who are going East, to
tell the people of the United States that they need not trouble
themselves; for "Mormonism" will increase and triumph until every king
will be cast down from his throne, and the President of the United
States, unless he and the people repent; and what they call
"Mormonism" will continue to increase henceforth and forever.
When they killed Joseph Smith, and Hyrum, David Patten, and many
others, they supposed that that was the end of "Mormonism" —that it was
annihilated. Bless your souls, instead of its being annihilated, it
has increased a hundredfold; and we have now more Elders preaching the
Gospel—yes, about ten times more than there are people in this vast
congregation this afternoon; and I presume there are some seven or
eight thousand here today.
You may think this rather extravagant, but there are more Elders in
England than there are people here today; and England is not as big
as the State of New York, where I lived. They will spread and increase
from this time on, and this work is bound to increase and spread
abroad, and all hell cannot pull it down.
Suppose the Gentiles were to try to put it down, and to kill brother
Brigham, and me, and brother Daniel, and the Twelve Apostles, still
there are some fifty or sixty Quorums of Seventies that are capable of
spreading abroad this kingdom. Why, bless you, it is like the mustard
seed: you know it is most troublesome to get out of the garden. You
get vexed with it and go and kick it about, and by that means you make
ten thousand more little mustard trees.
Well, you know they drove us far away into these mountains; and now
see the multitude of little mustard trees that are growing up!
(Laughter.)
We want you to tell this, gentlemen, when you get down to the States;
for we don't have a mail very often, and therefore we drop a word here
and there, and we want everybody to carry the tidings. It is not only
me, but the Prophet Brigham talks just so. I suppose you will think,
"What a monstrous fellow he is!"
I have been afflicted with colds ever since I came from the north; but
I, all the time, grow fat. I do not drink ale, whiskey, rum, or any
kind of spirituous liquor, but I seek to drink largely of the
peaceable Spirit of God, that I may be strengthening to my
brethren and sisters. For the world and the United States, and their
opposition, which they call outside pressure, we care very, very
little. We have some big mountains between us and them, and they
cannot remove them because they have not faith.
Such a row as there is in the States at the present time I never
before heard of. It is "Mormonism!" Down with "Mormonism!!"
Mr.
President, send up the troops and set those "Mormons" in order.
Gentlemen [to the strangers], did you ever see anybody out of order
here? Have you seen anybody drunk? You have not, unless it was
yourselves. I have not seen anybody drunk—no, not on the fourth of
July. I have not seen a drunken man in the streets, much less a woman.
One reason is, perhaps, that we have not got any liquor; and God grant
that we may not have much.
You do not see many people about our streets idling away their time.
Tomorrow morning you may see a few persons who have come from the
country to get a little counsel; but after that you won't see a man in
the street, excepting those who are going to or coming from their
work; for they are all hard at work, hoeing their corn, watering their
wheat, and getting their wood from the canyons.
God Almighty bless this people, I say, and increase their faith and
their strength, that they may increase and multiply. And may God
increase the "mustard seed," and cause it soon to fill the earth. May
the Lord our God bless the bees in the hive of Deseret, and root out
the drones; for they only eat out the honey, while the bees go out and
gather it in.
Well, gentlemen, we are calculating that we have got the best crops
that we have ever had, and the best that are in the world; and the
Lord our God has blest the land for our sake. We had a famine last
year, but we lived through it; and we are now going to work to lay up
our grain, and we are building storehouses to store it away in; and we
shall not only store away grain but other things that will keep; and
the day will come that you (strangers) will have to come to us for
bread to eat; and we will be your saviors here upon Mount Zion. You
don't believe it now; but wait a little while, and you will see that
it will come to pass.
Many of the people of the United States exulted over us when we were
brought to a morsel of bread, and had to deal out one to another in
order to subsist. I put my family on short rations, in order to have
some to deal out to others, and so did brother Brigham and many
others; and at the same time our enemies and the priests in their
pulpits were praising God that we had hard times, with trouble and
perplexity. We never were more happy in our lives than we were at that
time, and we did not have the bellyache through eating too much; but
we were lively and diligent in serving God; and that is the reason we
are becoming so corpulent this year. Last year we had not enough, but
this year we have plenty, and we are going to lay it up in store—wheat
and everything that will keep. I am telling these gentlemen what we
are going to do, so that they can carry the news to the States.
Ladies, we do not want you to tease your husbands for silks, and
satins, and fine bonnets, but go to work and manufacture your own
clothing; and if you will do that, you will do the best thing that you
ever did in your lives. This is as true as that the Lord ever spoke by
His prophets. The time has come for us to lay up our stores.
Will the world follow our example? No, they will not; and if we do our
duty, who cares whether they do or not. They will come with their bonnets, their fine clothing, and their jewelry, and be glad
to work for us to get their bread. You tell that in the States,
gentlemen, won't you? Whether you do or not, they will learn of it.
They publish nearly everything that we say, and this will be
published.
We are a people, here in the valleys of the mountains, who are hated
and have been broken up and driven for our religion till we have got
used to it. Brother Brigham told you he had been driven five times,
and so have I; and I have had everything taken from me that I had; but
yet I have got enough to eat and drink, and enough of everything, and
so have you; and my prayer is, all the while, God bless you.
Lay up your stores, and take your silks and fine things, and exchange
them for grain and such things as you need, and the time will come
when we will be obliged to depend upon our own resources; for the time
is not far distant when the curtain will be dropped between us and the
United States. When that time comes, brethren and sisters, you will
wish you had commenced sooner to make your own clothing. I tell you,
God requires us to go into home manufacture; and, prolong it as much
as you like, you have got to do it.
You will also see the day that you will wish you had laid up your
grain, if you do not do it now; for you will see the day, if you do
not take care of the blessings God has given to you, that you will
become servants, the same as the world will.
We have told you this before. You have been exhorted, year after year,
to prepare for hard times: you have been told of this often enough. We
have told you that when hard times come again you won't have the
privilege that you had last time of having food dealt out to you
gratuitously, but you will have to pay for all you get. This will come
to pass. I suppose there are many who don't believe it. To such it is
like a tune that strikes upon the drum of the ear, passes off, and is
forgotten.
I will prove to you that I will put my faith with my works and lay up
stores for my family and for my friends that are in the United States,
and I will be to them as Joseph was to the people in the land of
Egypt. Every man and woman will be a savior if they will do as I say.
You may write this down and send it to the States; for it will be
published.
Let repentance take place amongst you where it is necessary, and let
confidence, diligence in the performance of duty, and humility be
manifest in your lives; keep the commandments of God; be subject to
God's authority, and save yourselves all the time; and the Lord our
God will have pleasure in making you like Joseph of old. Now, if
persons were coming from the old country, from far distant lands,
would you not feel comfortable if you had plenty to feed them with
when they come?
These things bear heavily upon my mind, and they have done so for some
time. There are very few who have got any surplus grain on hand. There
is considerable in the Tithing Store, and there are a few individuals
who have some on hand; but there is not a great deal in the country,
excepting our present crop. It behooves us to be saving and to prepare
for the time to come. The day will come when the people of the United
States will come lugging their bundles under their arms, coming to us
for bread to eat. Every Prophet has spoken of this from the early
ages of the world. Already we begin to see sickness, trouble, death,
famine, and pestilence; and more yet awaits the nations of the wicked.
Jesus said, When you hear of these things in foreign
nations—destruction and desolation, you may then look forth for
my coming, and know that it is nigh at hand. In relation to the world,
our enemies, their soldiery, and their governors, I do not fear them,
and I never did.
If you will do right—keep the commandments of God, I can say with all
the propriety that any man, prophet, or apostle ever did, you shall
never want for food, or raiment, or houses, or lands; and no power on
the earth can injure you. There is no power that shall prevent our
prosperity; for we shall increase, while every other power upon the
earth that is opposed to this work and our God will go down. I just
know it. Amen.
- Heber C. Kimball