We are glad to see the brethren return home from their long missions
or short ones. We are glad to greet them, to hear them talk, to see
their faces, and to hear their testimony that the Lord has been with
them. These things are a pleasure to us who remain here in Zion. There
are a multiplicity of evidences that God is with this people, and that
the Lord has been with his Elders, wherever they have been, from the
beginning of this work.
There has been something peculiar connected with the Elders of this
Church from the beginning. You may take the rest of the world,
politically, temporally, spiritually, or any other way; and there
never has been such an example in the eyes of heaven, earth, or hell
as has been in the Elders of this Church, in preaching this Gospel to
the nations of the earth. The hand of God has been in the work from
the beginning, and it is in it yet; and the hand of the Lord has been
with them to succor them all the time. The revelations given from
heaven, through Joseph, concerning the Elders, have been fulfilled to
the very letter.
There are many things that are consoling; and one is, to know that the
Lord is with us—that he does reveal his mind and will in the
ordinances of the house of God, and through the administration of
blessings, whether by Patriarchs, or by the Twelve Apostles, or in the
endow ments. We find those blessings are fulfilled to the very letter.
The brethren today have spoken in reference to the blessings that are
given to our brethren when they go out on their missions to the
various nations of the earth. I remember the day very well when we
blessed those missionaries that went to India and to Europe; and I
must say that I never had such a variety of feelings as I had at that
time.
In blessing brother Luddington, I recollect that I was mouth, and I
well remember that I could see nothing but seas, waves, and storms.
The seas appeared to be heaped up, and I knew that he was going to see
storms and be exposed to troubles and dangers. But there was one thing
that we did bless those brethren with that I rejoice in, and that is
that they should return home again.
Well, our words have all been fulfilled to the very letter, and this
gives us consolation. If we go forth, and have the Priesthood and
Apostleship upon us, the Holy Spirit of God, though it may not be
visible, does dictate to us; and it is so in ordaining: it is so in
going to battle against the nations of the earth, who have given their
consent to the shedding of the blood of the Prophets.
Brother Brigham feels calm and serene as a summer's morning; and in
his desire to save Israel he wishes to save also the lives of our
enemies, if possible. Why is he so calm and steady? It is
because God is with him; and though armies are approaching and ready,
apparently, to swallow up this people, yet he and his brethren feel
calm, and the Lord reveals unto them, by the Holy Spirit, how to
govern and control this people. They have had a long experience in
proving the Almighty God, who holds the destiny of the Saints and the
sinner. And has he ever failed us? No, never.
Some of our brethren have told their trials here today, and they have
said that they have not done much; but the greatest work they have
done has been in saving themselves. But this is not all they have
done. They have done something else; they have accomplished the
purposes of God in India—as much so as though they had baptized every
king and queen in those islands: they have literally fulfilled the
revelations of Jesus Christ in carrying the Gospel unto them, because
those nations could not have been left without excuse and the earth
prepared for the judgments of God, if those Elders had not gone and
preached to the people of those nations. No matter if they had not
have baptized one, they are as much justified as we who first went to
Herefordshire, England, and baptized twenty or thirty priests in a
day. They have fulfilled the commandments in carrying the Gospel to
the nations.
It is no testimony to me that a man is not faithful, because he has
not baptized numbers of princes, lords, governors, and kings; not at
all. The Lord has sent them there: he has tried them and put them in
strait places; but has he left them? No, he has not. Has he not
brought them forth? We have had the testimony of brother Musser, who
is here; and we see that it is the hand of God that has been over
them, and we are glad of it; and we do not expect that the Lord will
send the Elders out there again until they have other missionaries and
messengers that they cannot stone, tar, or feather, but messengers
that will come with their sharp sickles: then they will find that they
have messengers that they cannot conquer nor overcome.
I feel to rejoice in these things and to know that the Lord is at work
with this people. We are living in a fast age—an age fraught with
great events, and every day is bringing to pass more of the
predictions; and more revelation is being fulfilled in one year, now,
than has been fulfilled in centuries before. We are living in a day
when that flood of revelation is coming to a focus; and that focus we
stand in, and we are seeing it fulfilled day by day.
The wicked rage and the heathen imagine a vain thing; and they say,
"Let us go and take a prey and a spoil; let our eye be upon Zion, and
let her be defiled." But they know not the thoughts of the Lord,
neither understand they his counsel. God will work for us and defend
us, if we do our duty, and Zion will soon be free. We will not suffer
the oppressions of our enemies as we have done.
You need not fear: all we have to do is to be passive in the hands of
the Lord, and follow the counsel of our leaders, and not be
particularly anxious that the Lord should reveal to you or to me his
mind and will and intentions concerning our present difficulties; but
pray earnestly that the Spirit of the Lord may be upon those men who
stand at the head. All we have to do is to live our religion; and when
the Presidency say, "Come here," , or "Go there," let us be on hand
to obey, and all will be right.
Let the people be quiet and pray that God may reveal his mind and will
to those at the head. We may have our ideas of what we should do in
this or that case; but there is no man so well qualified to
lead, govern, and direct for the salvation of the people as that man
whom God has appointed. We have as good leaders as we need. There
never was a better leader given to Israel, nor one more capable of
leading this people to salvation, than Brigham Young: he is filled
with the Spirit of God day by day. If the United States make war upon
this people, the Lord will hold them responsible for it, and the
measure they mete will be measured unto them again; and if they are
ripe and the cup of their iniquity full, they will be shattered to
pieces—their union broken up and destroyed. They will be visited with
thunder and lightning and hail and the judgments of God; and every man
that will not draw his sword against his neighbor will be obliged to
flee to Zion. They are sending their armies here to destroy us; but I
ask none to weep for Utah or spend their sympathy for us—not even my
relatives or the priests, the doctors, lawyers, or editors; no, not
even one soul—from the President of the United States down through the
whole nation, who have given consent to our death; for they will have
plenty to bear themselves, and they may save their weeping for
themselves and their children. The Lord will teach them that their
proud looks and haughty feelings will be laid low. It is right to pray
and it is right to keep our powder dry. Pray for the Presidency of
this Church—pray for them to have the Spirit of revelation. We have
never seen a day when "Mormonism" was taking such a stride as it is at
the present time. They may come over the Plains singing their songs
about what they will do when they get to Utah; but many of them will
find a place in hell before they get here.
There have been many truths taught here today. Many who have been
here for years do not know or realize the great blessings we are
enjoying in these valleys of mountains. Our granaries are filled with
bread and we enjoy peace and the comforts of life. We come to the
Tabernacle of God and associate with holy men, and we should be holy
ourselves: if we are not, it is our own fault.
You have all the blessings which the celestial kingdom and laws of God
impart unto men on the earth, while the Gentile nations have suffered
ruin, wickedness, and abominations of every kind to increase in their
midst until they are ripe for destruction. Do they not thirst for the
blood of the Saints and every man who is righteous? Do they not
delight in wickedness? They are full of wrath and anger, and they are
ripe for the damnation of hell. Yes, the nations of the earth are ripe
today.
Then we should be faithful and diligent in all things committed to our
charge. Even though the Lord has suffered some of the brethren to go
through strait places, in days which are past and gone, and he may
still call us to go through strait places, yet he will sustain us when
we trust in him.
The Lord has suffered some of our Prophets and Apostles to be
martyred; and what for? That the cup of the iniquity of the nations
might be full and that his servants might be crowned heirs of God and
joint heirs with Jesus Christ to a martyr's crown.
Through the persecutions of the enemies of truth, many of the Saints
have been worn out; but, as a body, the kingdom and people have been
led off as victorious conquerors. We stand now and hold the keys of
the American continent; we stand in the strong chambers of the
mountains; and can the Lord God give us the victory? He can and he
will, and he has been preparing us for this by pouring out upon us his
Holy Spirit, uniting the people who have been willing to repent and forsake their sins; and I hope we shall continue faithful to
the end.
I am glad, and my soul rejoices in these things, and I believe that
the people are ready to shoulder their guns and walk into these
canyons and line them from here to Fort Bridger in defense of the
Constitution of the United States and the rights which both the laws
of God and man guarantee to us.
We have had to stoop to our enemies heretofore and bear many things
from them worse than death; but if there is anything that gives us joy
and consolation—at least, I can speak for myself—it was when I heard
the brethren say, "You are free, brethren—you are free; and you may
prove yourselves before God and men that you are willing to defend
yourselves against tyrants and oppressors."
When I heard this, I was full of joy; and who would not be? Who would
not rather die than bow down to the yoke of the enemy? It would
sweeten death to a man to know that he should lay down his life in
defense of freedom and the kingdom of God rather than to longer bow to
the cruelty of mobs, even if the mob have the name of being legalized
by the nation.
I thank God and I rejoice that this people are determined to be free
from mobocracy and oppression, and that they are determined to have
peace, if they have to fight for it; and if the yoke is ever put on
again, it will be by ourselves: and I say, God bless this people and
the missionaries that have gone to the nations—no matter whether they
have baptized one or a thousand, if they have done the will of God.
Notwithstanding the lightnings may flash, thunders roll, and
earthquakes bellow, the Lord will extend his hand over his servants
and protect them as he has done those that have returned unto us. And
the Lord will remember our brethren that are on the Plains; and let
us remember them in our prayers, that the Lord may be on our side; and
let us be on hand and be ready at any and every call, and the kingdom
will spread abroad, and it will smite the image not only on the toes
but on the head; which may God grant for our sake. Amen.