It is a matter of gratification to me, my brethren and sisters, to be
here with you, because the religion that we have embraced is true.
Views are sometimes expressed by those who address the assembly as to
whether what they might say will be edifying and pleasing to the
people who may hear. I have no reason for believing that what I may
say will be unpleasing to those who hear. Why? Because, if it pleases
myself, it will edify those who hear, from the simple fact that what I
would delight to talk about the most is that that has edified me the
most, and continually edifies me when I am edified, whether from what
I learn from my own study or from what I hear from those around me who
speak.
I feel myself as though that I was a Saint. If the Saints are called
"Mormons," then I am a "Mormon;" and I do not feel that I live
any
life or have any existence but that of a Saint. Not that I suppose
that I know everything or act perfectly; but these are the feelings
that I cultivate; and the reason that I rejoice continually is, that
"Mormonism" is true—that the doctrine I have embraced and the
religion that cheers me is not a phantom.
My religion has become convenient to me, from the fact that I
have found it adapted to everyday use. The happiness that it
imparts—I do not care what part of man's existence or being you may
talk about, or apply it to—the happiness it imparts it can impart
every day. The bliss that can happify one hour of a man's being as a
Saint, from a knowledge of the truth, and from the influence that
truth will exert over him, will, upon the same principle, happify
every hour of his life. That light of truth that will enable him at
one time to testify of the truth of the work of God, of the
manifestation of His hand and His power in the establishment of His
kingdom, and the revelation of the Gospel to man in the last days,
will shine upon his path unceasingly, if he is constantly and
unceasingly faithful.
This leads me to be happy continually; for it does away with a great
many of the probabilities of a man's doing wrong, or being decoyed
from the path of rectitude and virtue, and after having preached
salvation to others, himself becoming a castaway, because the light
that would save them once will save them all the time. They have only
to be diligent, faithful, true, and obedient to the requisitions of
the truth, to secure its presence with them continually.
This has led me to entertain vastly different notions and ideas of
salvation from those I once entertained, whether of my own or that of
the Saints universally. It has resolved itself in my mind into very
simple truth, and yet a very extended and important one. I find that
all the notions I used to entertain, years ago, about salvation and
its greatness are comprised in knowing the right and then doing
it—not in matters that are foreign from ourselves and from what we
have to do, but in the everyday occurrences that fill up the history
of our lives here.
There is no way that I know of or have ever heard of, believed, or
entertained any conception of, that will enable you any better to love
God than to love man who is made in the image and likeness of God. Do
you want to honor Him? Then honor man that is made in the likeness
of God. "But," says one, "some men are not good," then honor
those
that are good, who are his ministers, in whom he is represented on the
earth. We cannot go away to his far off dwelling place to pay our
respects and obeisance to him there—to present our offerings before
Him, or to tell how much we love Him. What can we do? We can find
here, in close proximity with ourselves, the individual in whom we can
learn His will, receive the declaration of His truth, the order of His
institutions and requirements. They are in our midst. This led one in
ancient times to say, "This is the love of God, that we keep His
commandments; and He has commanded us that we should love one
another."
This makes our religion wholly a practical matter. Let people who can
live by theorizing, theorize away until doomsday; and, if we will be
saved, we want practical virtue—practical truth exemplified in our
actions, in our words, and thoughts; we want to live together as a
holy people—as a people who fear and honor God. How? By getting down
on our knees and saying our prayers, by singing graciously and putting
on a long face, by going to meeting on the Sabbath, or by wearing an
amiable smile, that when contemplating it you would not think we ever
frowned in the world? Is this the way we are to honor God and live
right? No; it is something else besides this. To pray is good, to
smile is good, to be pleasant is good; but to be holy and acceptable
in the sight of God is to be good all the time, in all places,
under all circumstances, and with all people.
We want to learn to get along comfortably with the little duties of
life that we meet with every day—that make up the labor of every day.
We want to learn to do those things right. You want to learn to be as
holy at home by your firesides as you are when you go to church. You
want to feel well, to enjoy the Spirit of God in every condition and
relation of life.
To love the truth supremely, above everything else is salvation. Do
not sacrifice it, therefore, or throw it away, for the sake of
indulging in a little petty quarrel at home or abroad.
How shall we honor God? We cannot administer to His wants directly,
if He has any; but His children are here, and we can feed the hungry
and clothe the naked. We can do that here. Whether there are any up
yonder to be found in those destitute circumstances, or not, I do not
know. I have not been there to see. I can see them here without going
there; and one thing which makes me think that "Mormonism" is true,
and that this view of it is true, is, because it is what I have
experienced.
Now, if it is not the truth, then I am frank to say I do not know
anything about it; but this is what I have learned. If I should find
myself in a time or place that the Spirit of truth is not in me, and
where I could not feel its sacred impulse to give shape and form to my
actions, and regulate them according to the revealed will of heaven
made known to me, I should be fearful and should have torment; for
fear hath torment; I should be afraid I was going to apostatize—that
some dark cloud was hanging around me, fatal to my happiness. But I
have confidence in the truth, because it is that which abides with me
all the time. In the darkest spot I ever have been called to labor or
travel in, or have had an existence in, since I embraced the truth, I
have always had it present, and enjoyed its light.
If I knew there was any part or portion of myself that was not under
the influence of "Mormonism," or the Spirit of truth, I would want to
get out that piece and parcel, and have it repent and be baptized for
the remission of that sin, that the whole body might finally become
perfectly holy and completely imbued with the influence of the Holy
Ghost, the Spirit of truth, and the love of truth, which would
preserve me today, tomorrow, and in all time from falling away.
Is it necessary we should all feel so? I suppose it is just as
necessary for you as for me. I do not suppose because I, through the
favor or mercy of God and the kind dispensations of His will and
providence, have been called to minister as one of the Twelve Apostles
to bear off the Gospel to the nations of the earth, that it is any
less needful for me, so far as my own soul is concerned, to enjoy the
Spirit of God always than it is that you should. I shall be nothing
more than saved when I have got all the way through, or as far along
as it may be my lot to progress.
"But," says one, "Won't it be good for us if we do as we are
told?"
Yes. What will be the result? You will not always be under the
necessity of being so miserably poor that you have to go out in the
night to your neighbors to borrow a candle. Do people live this way?
Yes. I have lived on borrowed light. How long? Until I got a candle of
my own. Until the principles of truth became established in me, I
lived on the strength of the instructions and light of heaven that
dwelt in others, reflected by them on my path—I followed
along by the light of a borrowed candle. How long? Until the Savior's
words were fulfilled, and the promise verified in myself, and the
light of inspiration was planted in my own soul; then the blessings of
light and truth came rolling upon me like a river.
Would to God that all the Saints enjoyed this light. What would be the
result? There would be more practical purity, more righteous actions,
and less evil in the community—more of the Spirit of God, as a
natural consequence, because every Saint would be possessed of a
living fountain of light and truth—that inspiration which inspires the
Apostle, enlightens the mind of the Prophet, tears away the veil from
the future, and enables man to look upon and contemplate the
excellencies of our Father's kingdom.
It was in view of this that on a certain time, when report was made to
one of the ministers of truth that some of the congregation of Israel
were prophesying, the reply was, "Would to God that all the people
were prophets." Why? Then they would all have the light of truth in
them, and the knowledge of truth that would save them.
If this was the case, what would be among the results? Sinners in Zion
would be afraid, and fearfulness would surprise the hypocrite. Why?
Because they would feel uneasy, for this simple reason—they would know
they are not honest, and they would be afraid lest they should be
overtaken in their guilt.
This, my brethren and sisters, is the "Mormonism" I feel; it is the
"Mormonism" I preach—that I have when I pray—that I have about
me
every day. It is the "Mormonism" I have when I wake up at night, and
that I keep with me all night, if I do not go to sleep. Is it good to
me? It is. Is it salvation to me? It is. Why? Because it frees me
from evil and enables me to live without committing the amount of sin
that I would commit if it were not for its presence.
The best reason that I can give you for its being good is that it has
been good to me; it has done me good. I might tell you that the Gospel
is true, because the ministers of truth say so, have testified so,
lived for it, and died for it, in ages gone by; but I do not know so
well how they have felt; I do not understand so perfectly; I cannot
comprehend with the same clearness how it was that they felt, as I can
understand how I have felt myself.
When people tell me they have felt as I have, or, in describing their
feelings, I find they have experienced what I have, though I know what
I have experienced better than I know what anybody else has
experienced: yet, if they have the truth, I also have the truth; and
if they are saved by it, then I may hope to be saved by it. This is
what I would like to see the Saints enjoy—a knowledge of the truth,
and that knowledge to have such an influence over them that they would
cease to do any wrong whatever.
When there is no wrong done, how much sin would there be committed in
the length and breadth of the land of Zion among the Saints? If there
was no individual to do a wrong, I am under the impression it would
take a good or a bad mathematician to calculate the amount of sin that
would be committed.
Says one, "We expect to see that day." You do? When there will be no
sin? When? "Why, it is that better day that is coming by and by." What
is going to bring it about? Upon what principle do you ever expect to
see the time when there will be no sinners in the land? Will it be
when the grace of God is manifested in some strange or different way
from what it has been to you? "We suppose so, as a matter of
course, because we see sins committed now every day." Do you know of
any good that has been done? "Yes, a good deal." What does it consist
of? "Good has been done in the condition of the people as the result
of reformation. They have spoken more truth and less falsehood than
they did; there is less hypocrisy, less tattling and evil speaking;
the people do not think of quite so many evil things to do, and
consequently, they do not do much evil: that is the way this change
has been brought about."
And did you ever think for a moment that this was the principle, and
the only one upon which sin would be driven away and its power
effectually broken upon the face of all the earth? Says one, "The
Devil has got to be bound." And do you know what kind of a chain he
will be bound with? What will deprive him of power? When there is no
person upon the face of the earth that will listen to his insinuations
or yield to the impulses of his influence to perpetrate evil, how much
power will the Devil have on earth?
I want you to look at this; I want you to remember that whenever there
is a diminution of evil in the community, it is because the people do
less wrong than they did; they are more faithful, more truthful, more
righteous, more holy, and are making greater progression and
advancement towards the consummation of the work of God. It is by the
development in them of the principles of righteousness and the
establishment of these principles in them to the exclusion of every
other principle and feeling. When this is effected, our salvation and
redemption are secure. When we do right exclusively, and no wrong, we
have nothing to fear. When this becomes the case with the people, will
the kingdom of God be built up? Yes, in the hearts of the Saints.
Says one, "Won't it be built up externally too?" Yes; but it is a
simple matter to build up the kingdom so far as houses, palaces, and
thrones are concerned, only get the principles of the kingdom of God
built up and established within yourselves. Then you will simply have
arrived at the point that you will live your religion; that is, the
light that is in you will be the spirit of your religion operating
upon you, and in you, and through you, and over you, and round about
you, that your whole being and everything pertaining to your existence
will be under its sacred and hallowed influences. Do not settle down
and think you are living your religion because you have done a few
good things, because you are a little more faithful than you were
last year, and because the Lord is blessing us this year with plenty.
Remember, and keep it constantly in view, that there is much
improvement to make, much to gain, and much to learn.
You want to have your religion established within you—a living
fountain from which the principles of eternal life and truth will flow
out and pervade your active being, regulating your actions and conduct
in such a way that everything connected with your life shall be in
perfect harmony with the truth; then you will live your religion, then
you won't need to be waked up in the night, and somebody come along
with borrowed light to place it in your habitation; you would have one
there all the time, so far as the light of truth and of your religion
is concerned: it would be in you all the time, always trimmed, always
burning.
If an evil spirit comes to us to tempt us to do evil—if we resist that
spirit, what will be the result? The Devil will go away. When he
comes again, and only meets with the same treatment, with the
same success, and finds that he cannot get us to say an evil thing or
do an evil deed, how long will he tempt us? He would soon come to the
rational conclusion not to go there again; he would find it a
speculation that would be of no profit to him, while his defeat is our
victory.
Whenever evil things, evil thoughts have possession of our bosoms, and
we have not spoken a word—not given the thought shape, form, and
signification to those around us, who knows of it? Nobody. Who is
injured? Nobody. There is no harm done, no stealing, no murder
committed, no slander perpetrated, no falsehood told. What has been
done? The spirit that would instigate evil has been subdued within us,
and we have died a death unto sin, and have individually become alive
unto righteousness. One of the best things I ever heard in my life was
a simple thing that President Young taught here sometime past, which
was, that it is not always right to speak the things we think. It is
just as necessary that you should be able to think and not speak as to
think and speak; the one is just as necessary as the other to your
salvation. "But," says one, "is it not just as bad to think it as to
speak it?" Why, thinking never killed anybody. Suppose a man had a
thought in his mind that he would kill me, if he did not do it, you
know, as far as I am concerned, I would live. But suppose, acting on
the old adage, that it is no worse to do it than to think it, and he
had laid wait for me by the roadside and taken away my life, what
would have been the consequence? Then the sin of murder would have
been on his soul.
It is the same with every wrong thought and evil suggestion that may
occur to your minds. What will be done if you act on this principle?
The father at home, if he thinks a wrong thing, won't say it. The wife
and mother will do the same; and what will be the result? Harmony in
the domestic circle will never be destroyed by evil speaking. What
then? If harmony be there, the Spirit of God will be there. Why?
Because it delights to dwell in a quiet place; it does not love
contention; it is no friend to strife; it is not fond of bickering or
saying hard things. The Spirit of God will come and take his abode
with us, if we prepare our minds for its reception, and make it
welcome, and study to cultivate a feeling that is congenial with its
own nature.
It is with the Holy Spirit as it is with us. When we seek to gratify
ourselves in the associations around us, for whom do we seek in such a
time? We seek individuals whose tastes and feelings are congenial to
our own, whose "Mormonism" is like ours, whose regard for truth is
like our own. Then what do we enjoy? A free, frank, unrestrained
feeling, and sentiment: we pour out the feelings of our souls; there
is a principle of reciprocity existing between the parties.
So it is with the Holy Spirit of truth. Where it finds a mind so
regulated that there is an affinity and congeniality between that mind
and itself, there is the place where it will dwell; and when that mind
becomes so trained in the truth as to be completely and perfectly
subject to its influence, it will remain there constantly and
unceasingly; it will not pay a casual visit, but take up its constant
abode with that individual, and then its light is there, revelation is
there, inspiration is there; it is there to increase in intensity,
extent, and in power; it is there to continually pour out upon that
soul the unceasing, unbroken tide of life. Then the fountain of life
becomes established in the soul; that fountain is flowing
continually and unceasingly. Even as the blood passes through the
heart to the extremities of our physical system at every pulsation, so
also the Spirit of truth pervades our being.
Do I believe "Mormonism" to be true? Do I know it to be true? Yes, I
do. Why? Because it has saved me. It has saved me in the first place
from ignorance, and then it has saved me from its consequences—that
is, to the extent to which it has imparted to me knowledge; and it has
imparted to me knowledge according to my faith and devotion to the
truth, and the extent to which I have labored to subject myself to
the influence of its sacred principles.
People suppose, perhaps, that myself and those similarly situated in
this work have a great deal to do for others; but my work is for
myself. It is for myself that I preach, that I go abroad, that I come
home again; it is for myself that I do all I do.
You may say I am selfish. Why? Because I promised my Father, when I
went into the waters of baptism, that I would obey His commandments as
they were made known to me. I made Him that brief promise, and it has
cost me all that "Mormonism" has cost me. It has cost me all the toil
and labor that has been crowded into my history during the past
twenty-five years of my life, to keep that little covenant.
My Father promised me, if I would keep His commandments, I should be
saved. Then whom am I working for? For brother Amasa. My interest, my
life, money, if I have any, my honor, my salvation, my all is in the
kingdom of God. I have not anything anywhere else; and, as I said,
before, if I knew there was a shred of my whole being that was not
baptized into the spirit of "Mormonism," and into this universal love
and devotion to it, I would want to hunt it out before I slept, and
have it baptized with the same feeling.
I imagine to myself I have the spirit of a Saint—the spirit of
"Mormonism." Why? Because I have labored to be obedient, faithful,
and true, to maintain my integrity; and the result is manifested in
the spirit I have felt and still feel. If this is not "Mormonism," I
am in a good place to be told wherein it falls short; and when I learn
what "Mormonism" is, if I have not learned it, I shall begin to learn
it: I have made up my mind for that.
I feel the Spirit of God just as pure a source of comfort to me when I
am away as when I am here. "Do you feel as well when you are away?"
No; for I lack the comfort and the genial influence that hovers here
like a deathless flame over the congregations of the Saints.
This is my testimony of "Mormonism," as I have felt it, realized it,
experienced it, and lived in it—not as I lived in it last year, but
today. Today is the best day I ever saw; today is the most blessed
of any day I ever passed since I lived on the earth, because today
shows me the greatest increase of those things that constitute the
greatness, glory, happiness, and blessedness of the Saints; and
tomorrow will be the same, in respect to these matters, and more
abundantly.
That this may be the case with us is my humble prayer, in the name of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
- Amasa M. Lyman