It is a great privilege to know the way of life and salvation, and to
know how to walk therein; yet we are still, more or less, under the
traditions of our fathers: they are woven around us as a garment in
which we are clothed.
It would be a great blessing for a people to be brought to actually
realize that all they can comprehend—all they can see with their
eyes, hear with their ears, or understand with their hearts, is the
creation of God, from the mighty globes that roll in the immensity of
space to the smallest mote that helps to compose this world. It would
also be a great blessing for a people to really understand that the
eye of the Lord is upon all his works—that nothing escapes his notice,
and that all is composed, organized, and brought forth for the glory,
benefit, and use of intelligent beings. There is no true enjoyment in
life—nothing that can be a blessing to an individual or to a
community, but what is ordained of God to bless his people. If we
could at all times strictly realize this, do you not think that God
would be continually in all our thoughts? Could we but behold and
realize the handiwork of the Lord in all his doings, and that he has
created and ordained everything for the benefit of his creatures,
would not that bring us to sense, realize, and understand the hand of
the Lord in all things? In consequence of the darkness and traditions
that have been over us, many look upon things, acts, and blessings,
not knowing whether they flow from the Lord or proceed from some other
power.
Who would be deprived of the blessing of sight or of hearing? What
amount of money would hire an individual to part with those senses?
The light of the sun to cheer the face of nature—to light up the path
that we may walk safely therein without stumbling, who would be
deprived of? Who gave it to us? Who gave us affection? Who has
ordained the passions of the mind and the body, which constitute the
soul? Who should control them? To whom should they be devoted? If the
veil of the covering that is over us and the nations of the earth were
so removed that we could behold the glory, the excellency, the beauty
of the attributes that are dispensed by the children of men—for they
are appointed by the Lord who has ordained all these things—would not
God be in all our thoughts?
We are now blessed with the privilege of coming to that understanding
of being taught and of teaching ourselves to come into subjection to
the celestial law of Christ, so that every passion, every sensation,
and faculty that God has bestowed upon us may be devoted to his glory,
to our advancement in knowledge, to our perfection in this probation,
and to a preparation for perfection in his celestial kingdom. This is
a blessing indeed! In the course of life there are many of our
thoughts, words, and acts that appear to be of minor consequence—so
much so, that we would hardly consider that the Lord would notice
them, and are apt to forget that he watches every movement of his
creatures, to know whether they appreciate their gifts and blessings
which flow from him, or whether they treat them as a thing of naught.
We have the privilege, while the majority of the inhabitants of the
earth are deprived of it, of learning the ways of God. He is in the
acts, and directs and guides all the affairs of this world, and we
have the privilege of understanding his ways in so doing. We have the
privilege of learning the principles that pertain to God and
godliness. We have the privilege of learning the weakness, ignorance,
blindness, and all the evils that sin has brought upon the children of
men—of so understanding correct principles that we can discern the
things that are of God and the things that are not of him, and of
learning the great wisdom displayed by the Almighty in causing
intelligent beings to dwell in a sinful world.
Brother Woodruff, in his remarks, alluded to the priests of the
so-called Christian world. Were you to summon the priests of the day,
not only those that consider themselves full of wisdom, but also those
from the heathen nations (and there are hundreds of thousands, and,
probably, millions that are performing the labor of officiating as
messengers from a superior or supreme Being to enlighten the minds of
the children of men and instruct them in things pertaining to
eternity, to lead their minds, as they say, from sin and the power of
darkness), you would at once learn that there is not knowledge enough
among them all to give you the correct reason why God suffered sin and
blindness to enter into this world. That knowledge has not been upon
the earth for centuries, until the Lord revealed it through the
Prophet Joseph Smith—at least not to our knowledge, and we have a
pretty good understanding of this world and its inhabitants. There are
but very few places in the north, south, east, or west, on the islands
or on the continents, that are inhabited by intelligent beings, but
what have been penetrated. Missionaries have visited them and men of
learning and scientific research; and they have not only learned the
geography, but have actually sounded the intelligence of the
inhabitants of the whole globe, so far as we yet know, going from west
to east, and in the south and north as far as man can penetrate; and
among them all, aside from the revelations in our day, there is not
knowledge enough to tell you why God suffered sin to come into the
world. You have been told the reason why—that all intelligence must
prove facts by their opposite.
No organized beings are prepared to become associated with or crowned
heirs in the celestial kingdom, until they have passed through these
ordeals and have drank of the bitter cup to the dregs, so that they
know and understand good from evil. There was not knowledge enough in
the whole world to tell us even that, until it was again revealed
through Joseph the Prophet. The very best of them would marvel why God
suffered Lucifer or the serpent to tempt mother Eve. That always has
been a great mystery to the world, and is to this day, with the
exception of the knowledge that has gone forth from the Lord through
his Prophet Joseph, and then through the Elders of Israel, who have
plainly taught many doctrines that were previously a perfect mystery
to the people, though they have now adopted many of them into their faith; but they will not give us credit for them.
Before the Gospel revealed the introduction of sin to this planet, it
was a great marvel even to the most learned, and they would ask, "Why
was it so? Is it not strange?" and would rest with the expression, "It
was suffered to be so." While reasoning or familiarly conversing with
one another, let the question be asked, "Why was Eve suffered to
partake of the forbidden fruit?" and the invariable reply was, "I
cannot answer that question: it seems that it was so, and it appears
to be a great pity." That is all the knowledge there is in the world
on that point. The starting point they have not learned, that no
intelligent being could be exalted with the Gods without being
subjected to the temptation of sin, that he might know and understand
the power of the adversary, the opposite to goodness; for it is
written that, "There must needs be an opposition in all things." The
world have not yet learned that simple truth.
I remember hearing a debate between brother Alfred Cordon, one of our
Elders, and a sectarian priest, when I was in England; and I presume
there were a score or two of priests ready to put questions and
answers into the mouth of their speaker. They expected to be able to
use up the Book of Mormon upon the point of Adam's partaking of the
forbidden fruit from the hand of Eve; but the answer that the woman
was found in the transgression, and not the man, came so quickly that
it hushed them up at once, so that they could not argue further.
Brother Orson Pratt whispered to brother Cordon the answer. Many of
even these my sisters who are before me today have seen the wisdom
that is in the Christian world, while they have been conversing with
their former priests, and have answered some little question that was
a perfect mystery to a priest—a little question which they understood,
and the priest did not, and have seen the priests thrown completely
off their guard, become dizzy in their heads, and unable to continue
the conversation. It is written in this Bible that the woman was found
in the transgression, and not the man; and that plain doctrine has
baffled all the learning of the priests.
We have the privilege of coming to understanding—of knowing that
everything in heaven, on earth, and in hell is ordained for the
benefit, advantage, and exaltation of intelligent beings; therefore
there is nothing that is out of the pale of our faith. There is
nothing, I may say, good or bad, light or darkness, truth or error,
but what is to be controlled by intelligent beings; and we should
learn how to take into our possession every blessing and every
privilege that God has put within our reach, and know how to use our
time, our talents, and all our acts for the advancement of his kingdom
upon the earth. These principles are hid from all other people in the
world; but we have the privilege of learning them. We should apply our
hearts to wisdom and learn the things of God.
The Lord asks a question, through the Prophet Amos, "Shall there be
evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?" Is there anything that
passes with the children of men that the Lord does not control to his
glory? That is what the Lord wants every man and woman to understand.
If there is good, the Lord is there to dictate it. If there is power,
has he not power over all the power there is upon the face of the
earth? If there is evil, if there is sorrow, if there is trouble, if
there are trials for his people, is he not there to dictate those
sorrows and troubles? All that passes upon the earth is under his eye; he dictates in the affairs of nations. If a mighty king
and kingdom are raised up upon any portion of the earth, the Lord has
done it. And when a mighty nation crumbles in its power, the Lord has
touched their pride and strength. He raises and casts down; he
dictates in the light and in the darkness, at his pleasure; he makes
the thick darkness his chariot and rides upon the clouds; and he is
also the brightness of the sun. We have the privilege of learning that
God dictates, controls, and manages all to his own glory.
With many, even in this Church, the question arises, "If God dictates
all these affairs, to whom shall sin be attributed? Am I to blame, if
God always dictates and controls?" You should keep before you, as
Latter-day Saints, other principles besides those you may be able to
hear or read at any one time. No man can tell you everything in one
short discourse. You understand that you have organizations endowed
with a certain portion of divine intelligence, which is supreme,
absolute, and independent in its sphere. You are organized expressly
for the purpose of being exalted, of preserving your identity before
the Lord, and being prepared to enter into celestial glory, to be
crowned, to receive kingdoms, thrones, and dominions—to design and
act as do the Gods. These principles you are well acquainted with, and
they should be continually before you. All intelligent beings are also
endowed with certain inalienable rights, privileges, and powers
inherent in them. When God organized intelligent beings, he organized
them as independent beings to a certain extent, as he is himself. And
whether we see an evil act or a good one performed by an intelligent
being, that being has performed the act by his will, by his own
independent organization, which is capable of doing good or evil, of
choosing light or darkness, of performing that which will promote
life, or that which will promote death, or a dissolution of his
organization. Then, without the evils being placed before us, we
should not be capable of refusing it; without darkness had come into
the earth, we should never have learned how to appreciate the light.
Then all the family of Adam and Eve would have been mere machines, as
a portion of the inhabitants of the earth profess to believe that God
has foreordained all the acts of the children of men from all
eternity, and that they are obliged to act as they do. But we have
learned that in our organization we are as independent as the angels
are in theirs, or as any heavenly being that dwells in eternity.
If a nation transgresses wholesome laws and oppresses any of its
citizens or another nation, until the cup of its iniquity is full,
through acts that are perfectly under its own control, God will hurl
those who are in authority from their power, and they will be
forgotten; and he will take another people, though poor and despised,
a hiss and a by-word among the popular nations, and instil into them
power and wisdom; and they will increase and prosper, until they in
turn become a great nation on the earth. God does that; and all within
our power, that we have any understanding of, is ordained for the use,
benefit, and control of his intelligent creatures.
You remember that a year ago this people were in the height of what
they called a reformation. You also well recollect my teachings and my
feelings upon the subject, and that to my mind the necessity for a
reformation among Latter-day Saints was a disgrace, and beneath our
calling; for it belongs to sinners and the ungodly, and not to Saints,
to be getting up a reformation, though continually improving belongs
to the calling of every Saint. Suffice it to say, there has been a great improvement in the midst of this people. A great many
have confessed their sins; but much fewer have forsaken them. I would
that all had forsaken their sins, their transgressions, their
wickedness in every particular, and followed their iniquitous ways no
longer; but such is not the fact: there has been more confessing than
forsaking. This winter brings a new scene before us. Many of the
brethren have been deprived of the privilege of laboring at home
during the past fall: they have been in the cold and storms, and have
but lately returned. For about two weeks past it has been, "Brother
Brigham, may we have a dance in our Ward? Brother Brigham, may I get
up a party for my Quorum?" Bishop Hunter will come and say, "Several
Bishops have written to me to ask you whether their Wards may have a
dance, or a few parties?" But I do not believe that there is a single
Bishop, or President of a Stake, or President of any of the Seventies
or of the High Priests, or any officer of this Church and kingdom, who
has, during that time, asked me whether they could have the privilege
of serving God with all their hearts.
In a word, here is the difficulty: Many of my brethren and sisters who
are now before me believe, to this day, if they were to go into a room
prepared for music and dancing, they have stepped aside from serving
God, and are serving somebody else. I have answered all Bishops and
all Presidents and all this people, with regard to their dancing, that
I am willing that those who live their religion every day, hour, and
minute of their lives to the glory of God shall dance all they wish
to; but I have not yet given my consent for any other class to do so,
and I want you all to understand it. If your minds have been wrought
up by too much anxiety—if you have had wakeful hours when you ought to
have been asleep, in consequence of the threatened danger and
troubles—if you have been afflicted in spirit, and your minds are
worn down, which they can be, so long as they are connected with the
body, which is apt to wear out, reasonable recreation may be
beneficial. The mind, being inseparably connected with this body,
becomes tired: I acknowledge that mine does. I sometimes feel that I
have not a pound of strength left, just from sitting and thinking. You
may judge whether there has been a labor upon me, when you reflect
that I realize that God holds me responsible for the salvation and
safety of this people. You hold me responsible, every one of you, as
standing between you and God, to guide you safely—to dictate and
direct the affairs of this Church and kingdom; and then you may judge
whether my mind labors or not. My mind becomes tired, and so do your
minds, if you are Saints.
The mind of a man who is wholly devoted to the Church and kingdom of
God on the earth is powerfully exercised, and he feels all that I can,
in proportion to his standing and calling. The minds of such men are
exercised from morning until morning again, and they labor more
unhealthily than a person does at mowing or chopping wood, and their
minds become weary. What do they need? A little relaxation. If you
want to dance and rest your minds, dance. But a man or woman that
intends, when they go into a room prepared for music and dancing, to
serve the Devil a little while, I would to God that they would go to
California, where they may serve the Devil all they desire to.
I would rather have a hundred righteous men with whom to face all
hell, and the world at its back, than to have all this great
community, unless they serve the Lord.
Those who cannot serve God with a pure heart in the dance
should not dance; though dancing is not an ordinance, except we say it
is an ordinance of folly and weakness. I have not the privilege of
going to the canyon to chop and load wood and logs. I do not go to the
joiner's bench, as I used to, and toil until my body is nearly wearied
to death. But my mind is from eternity to eternity—from the beginning
of the creation to the end thereof: it is not confined to the length
of a twelve-foot board.
My mind becomes tired, and perhaps some of yours do. If so, go and
exercise your bodies, and thank God, and say that it is a blessing and
a privilege that he has given you for his name's glory and for your
benefit and the advancement of the righteous, the holy, the godly,
those who have kept their covenants with their God and with one
another.
If you wish to dance, dance; and you are just as much prepared for a
prayer meeting after dancing as ever you were, if you are Saints. If
you desire to ask God for anything, you are as well prepared to do so
in the dance as in any other place, if you are Saints. Are your eyes
open to know that everything in the earth, in hell, or in heaven, is
ordained for the use of intelligent beings?
It is like words in the wind to talk about the sweetness of the
honeycomb to those who have not tasted the opposite. You may talk
about the glory and comfort of the light to those who never knew
darkness, and what do they know about it? Nothing. You might as well
preach to those lamps. If we can realize that everything in all the
eternities that ever were and ever will be is ordained of God for the
benefit and glory of intelligent beings, we can understand why he said
to Joseph, "Against none is my anger kindled, only those who do not
acknow ledge my hand in all things." Do I acknowledge his hand? Yes. I
told you in your afflictions, drivings, persecutions, and all that has
been grievous to be borne, that the hand of God was in that as much as
it was in bringing forth his revelations and the Priesthood through
Joseph. I will acknowledge the hand of God, not only when our
Government is arrayed against this little handful of people, but also
when the whole world take the same stand. I am going to acknowledge
the hand of God every time.
The wicked kick at "Mormonism," but they will find it somewhat like
the old man's stone wall that he built five feet high and six feet
thick, to prevent the boys from stealing his apples; and when the boys
in their anger tipped it over, behold it was higher than it was
before. So with "Mormonism:" every time they give it a kick, it rises
in the scale of power and influence in the world. I am also going to
acknowledge the hand of the Lord when I see the day, and I pray that I
may, when I can say, Let our Elders pass and repass peaceably, or I
will attend to you: let them preach the Gospel, as you do others; and
if you can put them down by the Scriptures—by good, sound philosophy
and argument, then give no heed to their teachings; but do not mob
them, or I will attend to your injustice. I want to see that day.
[Many voices, Amen!] And I will acknowledge the hand of God the same
as I do in the way he has handled the crowd that has lately come into
our Territory.
We here enjoy a goodly share of the common blessings of life; and you
see a body of men and women filled with intelligence, and yet you see
and hear of some persons who cannot control themselves. God has so
ordained that you may learn to control yourselves and work
righteousness. It is ordained that you may prove yourselves
worthy of every principle and power that are in the Gods to control in
eternity.
The principle of pure affection is the gift of God, and it is for us
to learn to control it and exercise proper dominion over it; and if we
are faithful, we shall see the time when we can say, as our Father in
heaven says, I am angry with the wicked; I hate their works, and my
anger is kindled against them. Is there any malice or wrath there? No;
for it is written that the Lord is angry, but sins not. And one of his
servants, learning something about this principle, writes to his
brethren, "Be ye angry and sin not;" but it would be a sin to take a
course to destroy that which is calculated for good. If you sin not,
it is in destroying the evil works, and saving that portion that is
ordained for exaltation: that is being angry and sinning not.
We ought to control our passions. God has given us judgment and
discretion. Every qualification of man is ordained of God, as well as
good and evil. Light and darkness are here; the power of God and the
power of the enemy are here. It is for us to bring into right
subjection every act of our lives and all around us. It is for us to
see the hand of God and acknowledge it in all things.
If you want to dance, run a footrace, pitch quoits, or play at ball,
do it, and exercise your bodies, and let your minds rest.
The blessings of food, sleep, and social enjoyment are ordained of God
for his glory and our benefit, and it is for us to learn to use them
and not abuse them, that his kingdom may advance on the earth, and we
advance in it. That is our errand in the world, and we have no
business but to build up the kingdom of God, and preserve it and
ourselves in it. Whether it is ploughing, sowing, harvesting,
building, going into the canyons, or whatever it is we do, it is all
within the pale of the kingdom of God, to forward his cause on the
earth, to redeem and build up his Zion, and prepare ourselves, that
when the Lord shall usher in the morning of rest we may enter into our
labors to officiate for our dead friends back to Adam.
All that have lived or will live on this earth will have the privilege
of receiving the Gospel. They will have Apostles, Prophets, and
ministers there, as we have here, to guide them in the ways of truth
and righteousness, and lead them back to God. All will have a chance
for salvation and eternal life. What do you think of that Gospel? No
one will be denied the privilege of having it. Where is there a
sectarian that can tell you anything about the power of the Gospel?
Brethren and sisters, if you have understood my mind with regard to
your recreations, I am happy. But understand that there is not a man
or woman professing to be in this Church and kingdom that has any
liberty to drink to excess, to lie, deceive, cheat, steal, or do
anything that is wrong; and those who do such things have not my
sanction to join the others in the dance. There are some who practice
stealing to this day—who are dishonest, and will lie; and such persons
have not my consent to participate in dancing.
Those that have kept their covenants and served their God, if they
wish to exercise themselves in any way, to rest their minds and tire
their bodies, go and enjoy yourselves in the dance, and let God be in
all your thoughts in this as in all other things, and he will bless
you; and I bless you all, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.