I wish to say a few words before the close of the meeting.
You have heard me say, a great many times, and it is the experience of
all men who understand wisdom, that the greatest difficulty we have to
meet is what may be termed ignorance, or want of understanding in the
people. If people would readily understand and practice what they are
taught, they would do very well without so much teaching as now seems
to be necessary; but when they have not that intelligence which leads
and guides to victory in the acts of life, they should be taught to
know how to overcome every difficulty and enemy they have to meet. And
if people could understand things as they are, there never would be
any apostasy—none would fall through lack of faith and good works. In
regard to this people's sustaining the First Presidency, they believe
that they do; but still there is something beyond which many do not as
yet understand: there are instances in which they do not fully sustain
the Presidency. It may be asked, "Have not this people voted to
sustain the Presidency?" Yes; but do they sustain them in every
particular? The great majority sustain them, as far as they
understand. The main difficulty is that many do not know how the
Presidency should be sustained, through lack of intelligence to
rightly discern and classify their acts and reflections. They will
sustain, with their prayers, every department of the Priesthood as
being teachers of the plan of salvation, but do not understand that
there is not an act in the lives of intelligences but what has a
tendency to either sustain or oppose—a tendency either for good or
evil.
The Government of the United States is Republican in form, and should
be in its administration, and requires a man for President who is
capable of communicating to the understanding of the people, according
to their capacity, information upon all points pertaining to the just
administration of the Government. He should understand what
administrative policy would be most beneficial to the nation. He
should also have the knowledge and disposition to wisely exercise the
appointing power, so far as it is constitutionally within his control,
and select only good and capable men for office. He should not only
carry out the legal and just wishes of his constituents, but should be
able to enlighten their understanding and correct their judgment. And
all good officers in a truly Republican administration will constantly
labor for the security of the rights of all, irrespective of sect or
party.
This people would do many things that would tend to death, if they did
not listen to correct instructions; for, as yet, they have not wisdom
enough to guide them under all circumstances. And although you
think that you sustain your Presidency, yet many conduct themselves in
some things precisely as do the people in the world. They take a
course to destroy themselves politically and religiously, and they
will destroy themselves; and so would many of you, if you were
destitute of counselors dictated by the Spirit of the Lord to direct
in all things, whether relating to religious or political government.
We stand upon this platform; still we are in a measure yet like the
world. There are some contentions and discords, and some are taking a
course which will bring evil upon us. Do they know it? No, they do
not: but their ignorance will not prevent the effects. They do not
know the consequences of unwise acts; but they will produce evil,
whether they understand them or not.
There are those who, it would seem, can never come to understanding:
they are apparently stereotyped, never to improve any more, while
others have their minds open and constantly learning and increasing in
wisdom and understanding. When the people learn to partake of the
Spirit which governs this kingdom, and become fully imbued with that
Spirit, they will understand the objects, examples, and designs of
those who are placed to counsel and direct them. Do you understand
that, brethren and sisters? You must enjoy that Spirit, or you cannot
walk in the same path with those who are appointed to be your
counselors and teachers. But if you possess that Spirit, instead of
taking various by-paths, you will be able to walk in the path that
leadeth to life. Who are your leaders? The First Presidency. Who was
the master spirit? Joseph. Who were his leaders? These who
immediately presided over him. If we will live upon the principles
which our Government professes to be built upon, we shall follow him,
and not make devious paths.
All the acts we perform should be governed by the guidance of the
Priesthood. Were that done, you would see blessings result from all
the acts of a nation, just as we wish to see in our Republic, and as
we would see, if the people of our nation would learn and practice the
principles of the Priesthood. The Priesthood does not wait for
ignorance: it instructs those who have not wisdom, and are desirous of
learning correct principles. But our Government is controlled by
ignorance; and thousands who are ignorant of the true principles of
correct government are placed in important positions, and every
department is more or less governed by ignorance, folly, and
weakness. More imbecility has been manifested in the management of
public affairs, of late, than ought to be manifested by any
government.
Let those called Latter-day Saints so learn wisdom as to carry out the
true principles of government, that they may be able to wisely govern
and control all things. Do any suppose that we shall ever war against
the principles or form of our National Government? We shall not; for
we love and cherish them, and always have and ever expect to, because
they are good and just. It is published from east to west, and from
north to south, that the "Mormons" are opposed to the Government of
the United States. That is not true, and never was. But many of the
officers and people of the United States are too much opposed to their
own institutions, and are taking a course to destroy the best form of
government instituted by man. They lay the axe at the root of the
tree, and it will fall and be as though it had not been. They do not
understand the principles which will build them up. Each one strikes
out and follows his own way. Do the members thereof know how to
sustain their own party? No: they sap the foundation of their own
party.
Such is measurably the case with a portion of this people. They wish
to be saved—they desire to gain celestial glory; but their own acts
sap the foundation of all their desires. This people desire to do
right, and the reason why all of them do not is because all do not
strive to know how. True principles will abide, while all false
principles will fall with those who choose and cleave to them.
The government of this Church is based upon true principles, and the
reason people fall out by the way is because of their
ignorance—because they do not thoroughly canvass their acts, and
wisely ponder the probable results.
Brother Wells has been speaking about many of the brethren's being
careless about going north to look after their property. I have
reflected upon that, and I conclude that the brethren feel to say, "We
have left our property, because the Lord in his wisdom is leading us
in a way that requires us to leave our buildings and other
improvements; we have cheerfully left them in the line of duty, and we
do not particularly desire to go back and guard them. They have passed
from our affections, and shall we turn round and cling to them? We do
not feel to care how soon the Lord sees fit, in his wisdom, to require
us to lay them utterly waste." That feeling proves to me that the
affections of this people are not placed upon earthly things; still
there is a lack of understanding with some in regard to using them
aright. If we have made the sacrifice complete in our feelings, we
have been driven far enough; and I can tell the world that all earth
and hell will never gain power to drive us out of these mountains,
unless it is the will of the Lord, though we may be required to move
from place to place. We have to learn that all the elements are
eternal, though their varied earthly forms are organized to be
dissolved. We must not place our affections upon these things until
they are organized for eternity. If we will take that course, we shall
be laying up treasures in heaven. Earthly things will be decomposed,
and their reorganization will be by the power of the resurrection:
then we shall begin to understand the proper use of element.
I hear some say, "Why should we wish to go to Box Elder to guard our
property there?" The Lord gave us the ability to obtain what we have;
and if our affections are so chastened that we can measurably realize
that he gave us the power to accumulate our possessions—that he
organized the elements and gave us bodies and life upon the earth—that
all blessings are the gift of the Lord, then we have profited by the
experience now offered; and now it is our duty to preserve that which
the Lord has blessed us with, so far as circumstances will permit, and
patiently await the development of future events and requirements.
Some do not understand duties which do not coincide with their natural
feelings and affections. Do you comprehend that statement? I have
tried to tell you; but I am sometimes at a loss to convey a correct
understanding with words. I should have the language of angels to
enable me to exactly convey my ideas, and that would require an
audience who understand that language. There are duties which are
above affection. Our enemies have driven this people from their homes
until their affections are no longer placed upon the things of this
world, which is more than all other communities can say in truth. No
other people can truthfully say that they can handle the things of this world without having their affections placed upon them,
even though many of them will endure more or less affliction for their
religion. Some will throw themselves under the massive wheels of the
car of Juggernaut, and be crushed to pieces, and others will endure
all that is possible for their religion, no matter whether it is true
or false. There is not so much difficulty in leading persons to death
for the religion we profess, as there is in inducing them to live to
its pure principles. There is but little trouble in inducing people to
sacrifice and suffer for their religion: but who lives for it? If this
people do not, no people upon this earth do. And I am happy in being
able to say that they have proved that they place less value upon
their farms, houses, and other comforts of life than they do upon
their religion, and that so many of them try to live their religion
day by day.
If you have superior wisdom in your midst for your guidance, why do
you not learn that fact, and permit yourselves to be guided by that
wisdom in your business transactions as well as in doctrine?—for there
is no dividing between matters spiritual and temporal. There is no act
of a Latter-day Saint—no duty required—no time given, exclusive and
independent of the Priesthood. Everything is subject to it, whether
preaching, business, or any other act pertaining to the proper conduct
of this life. It takes the whole man to make a Saint: there are no
exceptions in "Mormonism." Learn so to think and direct your acts in
every transaction of life, that we may overcome the evil that is sown
within us. Overcome the inward enemy; then we can overcome the Devil's
kingdom. And while others choose evil principles and build upon a
foundation which leads to destruction, let us build upon the
principles of eternal salvation, as we have striven to do all the day
long.
We are a mystery and a stumblingblock to this generation. One man
will say, "What a numbhead that Brigham Young is!" and another that
"this people are dupes and fanatics;" and yet no man can controvert,
with sound argument, the principles we advance. No society, political
or religious, can cope with us in correct principles. In the opinion
of some we are the most foolish people in the world, and in that of
others we are the wisest. If this people live to the principles they
have embraced, they will be capable of counseling the nations; for we
build upon a just foundation, and our principles are truth,
righteousness, and holiness. Let us stand by those principles until
they crush out folly from these valleys, and we become teachers of
wisdom to the nations. It would not require a great stretch of mind to
teach them now, did duty require it. A man who has wisdom to control
one wife and five children can control ten wives and one hundred
children; then he can control a town, a city, a state, a nation, a
kingdom, or the whole world.
Understand and practice those holy and just principles that reach to
the comprehending of all wisdom, until the nations of the earth look
to Zion for wise counsel. Whether it be in these mountains or
elsewhere, and whether it be within ten years, or fifty years, or in
one day, I will do all I can to prepare for the glory of Zion. I would
build a good house here, had I the opportunity, though I knew I should
not enjoy it five minutes. We intend to build a Temple in these
mountains, and not act upon the principle of some who have been here
ten years without a comfortable dwelling. I want the Elders of Israel
to know how to lay the foundation of Zion.
I will now say a few words on business affairs. A road up Provo Canyon
is much needed, and we want ten or twenty companies of laborers to go
to work upon it forthwith, in order to finish it in about fifteen
days, so that you can go into the valleys of the Weber, where there is
plenty of timber.
I understand that a company has been chartered by the Legislative
Assembly to make that road; and if those men will come forward, we
will take the responsibility of making it. We shall need about five
hundred laborers. I also want a millrace dug some
three-quarters-of-a-mile in length, and an excavation made for the
foundation of a grist mill. When that is done, we will plan something
else; for we want everyone to have the privilege of being actively
engaged in some useful occupation. We want men to labor in every
mechanical pursuit that they can; for I believe that the time will
come when we shall have to depend upon our own resources; and I pray
the Lord to so hedge up the way and shut down the gate, that we may be
compelled to depend upon our own manufacturing for the comforts of
life.
Last spring I wanted to detect some spirits that I could not make
manifest to the people, only in the course I then took. There are
those who, when they know that they have liberty to act in a certain
manner, do not care about moving in that direction; but if you say
that they cannot or shall not, they are then very anxious to do so.
That class reminds me of the Frenchman who loaned his money, and upon
learning that the borrower was likely to fail, asked him when he could
pay him. The answer was, "Today, if you wish it." "Why, have you got
it?" "Yes." "Oh, if you have got it, I do not want it; but if you
have
not got it, I want it very bad." With the exception of a short time
during the late difficulties, all persons have always had the
privilege of going away from here when they pleased, and have been
repeatedly invited to do so, if they wished to; and a certain class
did not avail themselves of the privilege: but when I said that they
should not go until I gave them permission, we learned those spirits,
and they have gone.
I want the clay well ground and well worked over. I want the pure in
heart to receive their blessings, and to be free from the oppressions
of the wicked.
God bless you, brethren and sisters! Amen.