Quite a goodly number have assembled to our Conference to transact
business in a Church capacity. We shall first present and attend to
the business, and then to such instructions, teachings, exhortations,
&c., as may come before the Conference.
I think there are quite a number of brethren present who have lately
returned from their fields of labor. We would like to have them come
to the stand, and we will give them the privilege of occupying a
portion of the time. I think brother Jacob Hoffheins has not been on
the stand since his return; and I see several others who have not.
We shall first present the autho rities of the Church to the
Conference this morning, though such has not been our general
practice. I believe the brethren are pretty much in readiness, and
have all got their guns ready for shooting. We will first attend to
the business, so that if it is necessary to repair to the canyons we
can do so.
I do not know how long we shall hold this Conference, and therefore no
one needs to ask me. There is a time for all things; and I never saw a
better time than now to secure potatoes and other crops, and thus do
our preaching in the season thereof and digging potatoes in the season
thereof. And I could almost wish that our Conference would be
dismissed this morning, and all hands go and secure the potatoes,
squashes, corn, &c.
We have heretofore spent a great deal of time in Conferences
unmolested, and we shall again have a great deal of time to spend in
this capacity undisturbed. We must have what is good for us—that which
puts us in mind and brings to us principles that are free. Should we
live in peace, year after year, how long would it be before we were
glued to the world? Our affections would be so fastened to the things
of the world that it would be hard for us to spend a little time in
Conference; it would be hard to go on missions; it would be contrary
to our feelings to attend to anything but our own individual concerns
to make ourselves rich.
It seems to be necessary for the Lord to bring this people into
circumstances to show them that the things of this world are mere
nothingness in their present state—are but a shadow. They are today,
and tomorrow they are not. This shows to us that all things pertaining
to this world are subject to change, and such changes as we cannot
control. We find that kings are raised up and emperors placed in
power, and then they are hurled down. We see men who are popular,
wealthy, and rich become poor. History and our own experience prove
all this, and that riches take the wings of the morning and fly away.
Today we are rich—tomorrow we are poor. Next week we may be rich,
and the week after poor again. It is the Lord that gives and the Lord
that takes away; and it is a blessing that we have the privilege of
this experience in our present condition.
Look at ourselves—run over our own experience, and we shall discover
that ourselves, our neighbors, our friends, our acquaintances, and
all people do not always know when they are happy. In other words, if
you could crowd an individual or a community into heaven without
experience, it would be no enjoyment to them. They must know the
opposite: they must know how to contrast, in order to prize and
appreciate the comfort and happiness, the joy and the bliss they are
actually in possession of. Can you realize this? How many there are
who will exclaim, "If I had but known it, I was happy in such a
situation! How happy I might have been, if I had only known that I was
happy."
You will see individuals who are easy and comfortable, that would like
to change their situations; and when they change, they find that they
have changed for the worse. They then turn round and say, "How happy I
could have been, if I had known how to appreciate my own happiness! I
had nothing to annoy me; I was in comfortable circumstances; I enjoyed
good health, and had all that I could ask for to make life desirable;
but I did not know at the time that I enjoyed one of the comforts of
life."
Is that the experience of any of you? I know that it is of a great
many of you. Then learn to be happy when you have the privilege. For
many years we have had the privilege of living in peace and
making ourselves comfortable in these valleys of the mountains; and do
you recollect that but a short time ago it seemed as though almost
everyone had wandered his own way? The people had almost forgotten
and lost sight of the principles of truth and righteousness, of the
religion that we have embraced; and the whole plan of salvation. They
had almost lost sight of the redemption of the nations of the earth,
and each one had turned to his own way. Can you recollect that
situation of the people?
We have reason to be thankful that we have forsaken backslidings and
returned to the Lord in a great measure; but we are still far from
being as we should be, taking every individual, though the great
majority of the people are doing the best, or about as well as they
know how. This I believe with all my heart; and they feel very anxious
to live so that they can enjoy more and more of the knowledge of God:
they are very anxious to know how to obtain more of the revelations of
Jesus Christ; and some are fearful that the people are not doing
right, and that they do not live up to their privileges.
Some of the brethren were conversing in my office the other day, and I
discovered that a part of them had a great anxiety for us to know more
of godliness, and had a feeling that this people must do better—must
more strictly refrain from evil and walk more humbly before their God.
I said to them, "Brethren, I will take you for an example, with
myself; and I tell you, for one, that I do not know how to do any
better than I do; and if the Lord wants me to do any better, he must
let me know it; for I cannot do any better of myself. Can you say the
same?" They said they could. So it is with the people: the most of
them are doing the best they know how. There are a few who sin, and a
few who will do wrong—do things that they ought to be ashamed of. They
are scarce: but there is once in a while one of that class in this
community; and we expect that there will be, just so long as the wheat
and the tares grow together. There is once in a while one that we
would like to be rid of—would love to have leave us and this
community.
It is astonishing that any should prefer to act wickedly, and yet
there is a reason for all this. We expect it—at least I do: I look
for it. I do not look for anything else but that there will be tares in
the field until the time of burning. I will just say, for your
consolation and mine, that I think the field is now pretty well weeded
out, though the roots are here, and they will spring up occasionally,
and once in a while things are done that are disgraceful. Some will do
things that the Devil would be ashamed of and would not think of
doing. But I am thankful that there are but few of that class here;
and I pray that the evils may be lessened and that the people may be
purified before the Lord.
It is truth—it is God's truth—it is eternal truth, if people did but
know it, that it is much better to be honest, to live here uprightly,
and forsake and shun evil, than it is to be dishonest. It is the
easiest path in the world to be honest—to be upright before God; and
when people learn this, they will practice it. If they could only
believe this, it does appear to me that they will forsake every evil
practice, every evil thought, and banish them from their minds, and
try to practice virtue and truth, and to live in that way that they
will overcome every evil disposition, and live so that they can
control their reflections, and that their reflections will tend to
virtue, truth, and holiness; for this is our privilege, until we
become pure in our hearts, and find that the prin ciples of
righteousness dwell within us. Then, as it was said by the Savior to
his disciples, He will be in us a fountain of living water, springing
up into everlasting life.
That is the principle—the fountain that Jesus our elder brother dwells
in; and we can have the same privilege of overcoming sin in ourselves
until we have no desire to do anything but right—no desire only to
build up His kingdom upon the earth, and have the Spirit of the Lord
Jesus to be in us a fountain of living water. Let us do so, and
thereby be prepared for every emergency that shall come upon us.
Let us secure our crops. I feel to exhort the brethren to secure their
crops so as to be ready, if our enemies come upon us, to defend
ourselves. Let us obey our officers, not loving the world nor the
things of the world above our duties. The Lord will prepare the way
and provide all things necessary for us; and if we suffer a little, it
is good for us. If we suffer for food, for raiment, it gives us an
experience that we will know how to appreciate the comforts of life
when we have them in our possession.
We will attend to the business of the Conference first, and then
dismiss until afternoon.
[After putting the motion for himself to be sustained as "Prophet,
Seer, and Revelator," the President remarked—]
I will say that I never dictated the latter part of that sentence. I
make this remark, because those words in that connection always made
me feel as though I am called more than I am deserving of. I am
Brigham Young, an Apostle of Joseph Smith, and also of Jesus Christ.
If I have been profitable to this people, I am glad of it. The
brethren call me so; and if it be so, I am glad.