Brethren and Sisters—Allow me to congratulate you upon this occasion
of assembling yourselves together for the laudable and praiseworthy
object of engaging in a course of studies in the science of the
English language. I cannot withhold an expression of my feelings of
gratitude to our Father in heaven that we are blest with peace,
tranquility, and health, and also with the staple necessaries and
comforts of life, I humbly hope that we are all exercised with that
gratitude to our Supreme Ruler which his manifold favors extended to
us so richly and fully demand.
In consequence of the troubles which you and your parents have
undergone in years that are past, some, and perhaps I may say, many of
you, have not met with an earlier convenient opportunity to acquire
the kind of knowledge you now seek. Late, however, as the hour is,
there yet remains sufficient time, if well improved, to remove the
embarrassments under which you may have labored, and to embellish
your minds with jewels that will render you distinguished, whether
destined to move in the humble or more elevated walks of life.
A thorough knowledge of our own mother tongue is an important key to
that wide field of usefulness which in this day more especially
invites the energies and enterprise of the rising generation than at
any former period in the history of the world. By some, the
inspiration of God is considered to supersede the necessity of this
and every other science. On this erroneous principle some of you may
act, and require me to impart to you a knowledge of our language
without any mental labor on your part. This I would not do, if I
could; for I do not want this class dishonored with one drone in the
hive. I intend to do my duty, and shall expect you to do yours.
Although I thus speak, I do not believe that anyone of you entertains
any such opinion. Persons of this faith will not come here for the
object that has called you out. It is true that God generally calls
upon the illiterate or unlearned to bear his name and testimony to the
world. In this, the policy of our Heavenly Father differs materially
from that of the world. Under his policy, none can say that the
important truths which the servant of God is required to declare are
the result of his great or superior learning. But the question with me
is, Must the servant of God always remain an unpolished shaft in the
quiver of the Almighty? I answer, No. The Spirit of God directs
improvement in everything that is good and useful. If any doubt this,
consider what our leading men were when called, and then consider what
they now are! The inspiration of God sometimes furnishes the words,
but more generally the thoughts only. Then a flow of correct language
is highly useful to convey those thoughts clearly and
distinctly to others. City Creek is a gracious bounty and gift of
Heaven to this community; yet it requires no small amount of manual
labor to conduct it in suitable portions to every citizen's door. The
candle of the Lord was never lighted up in any man's heart to be put
under a bushel. It will bring him into public notoriety, and he must
of necessity communicate with others. If he understand not his own
language correctly, he is often put to the trouble of applying to
another to correct his sayings, and sometimes under circumstances
that are mortifying and humiliating, or suffer an exposure that might
be still more unpleasant and annoying to his feelings. A few months of
diligent application to the study of grammar will carry you beyond the
reach of all these little perplexities and embarrassments, and place
you upon the summit of this science, from whence you may view at a
glance the wisdom of those who are with you, and the folly of them
beneath you, without a second person to explain the one or point out
the other.
There are persons who profess a knowledge of grammar, and yet they
pretend to say that there are no correct rules of language. Were I to
attempt to pass off upon anyone of you a base or counterfeit dollar,
and, being detected in my dishonesty, should attempt to justify myself
by saying, "All dollars contain more or less alloy, and my bogus
dollar is just as good as any other" —would my apology be satisfactory
to you? No. You would naturally conclude my self-justification to be
an index to a heart not wholly fortified by correct principles.
I am free to admit that, since the original language was confounded at
the Tower of Babel, no perfect system of communications has existed on
earth to my knowledge; and con sequently, a perfect set of rules could
not apply to an imperfect language. But is this a sufficient reason
why we should condemn all the rules of syntax, which are the result of
the combined wisdom and labor of ages, adapted in the best possible
way to the construction and use of speech? Such sweeping declarations
may generally be regarded more as an effort on the part of the
delinquent to hide some radical violations of just laws than the
display of any real wisdom or merit. We might just as well say that
men are of no account or worth, because they are imperfect, and hence
go to heaven and deal with them there as they were before they came to
earth and made flesh their tabernacle. Even then, such rabid opposers
to anything that has the scent of imperfection might find themselves
disappointed and disgusted, even in the presence of the Holy One; for
we read that "He chargeth his angels with folly."
There are some, also, who affect to place more confidence in their own
literary acquirements than many others can conscientiously do. They
often resort to the Greek and Latin languages to justify any
aberrations of theirs from the known and established rules of the
English language. There are just as many imperfections in those
languages as there are in the English—all languages inheriting
similar effects from the great confusion. Hence, if you show the
"cloven foot" in the English language, you cannot hide it under the
folds of the Greek or Latin.
Some of you, my friends, may have a limited knowledge of Hebrew,
Greek, and Latin—some a pretty fair knowledge of German, French, and
Spanish: but permit me here to suggest one important rule or caution
to be observed by all who wish to be thought correctly educated. Never
volunteer the introduction of a foreign language in
conversation with the unlearned. If you do, you may be regarded as
novices, and, in the light of "Holy Writ," as heathens and barbarians.
Moreover, such pedantic or ostentatious claims to superior knowledge
are palpable breaches of good manners. He that is at war with the
rules of the English language cannot fail to give unwelcome evidences
of the fact in his speech and writings.
We are bound, my friends, to deal with men as we find them, perfect or
imperfect; and we are also bound to use their language as we find it
and as they use it, if we put ourselves in communication with them,
with the hope and expectation of doing them good and of guiding their
actions. We are met for the purpose, my brethren and sisters, of
acquiring this very kind of knowledge; and I trust that you are all
sufficiently impressed with the importance of this branch of learning
to stimulate you to that diligence, patience, and perseverance in
applying yourselves to its acquisition that cannot fail to secure to
you the object of your pursuit.
Permit me here to speak to you in much plainness. To become thorough
grammarians requires much mental labor. The lazy and inactive mind
cannot penetrate far into the intricacies of language. You must give
to this branch your undivided attention, if you expect to progress
with the rapidity that you desire. It is worthy of all the attention
you can give it. How often have I heard men say—"I would give a
thousand dollars to understand the rules of language, and their proper
application to practical use." Consider, now, that in the short space
of fifteen weeks (a season of the year in which you can do little else
to profit), you may be led by the hand of your teacher gently forward
in the pursuit of this study; and at the ex piration of the term you
may continue your progress alone without an instructor to take you by
the hand. Suffer no sloth, inactivity, or ordinary business to prevent
your attendance at every lesson. If you will all be diligent between
lessons, and labor for yourselves as faithful as I intend to labor
for you, you will be able, at the close of this school, to march
boldly forward, without further aid, to the most elevated heights of
grammatical science.
I cannot flatter you with the expectation that you will know it all at
the close of this term, lest your disappointment should so far react
upon your minds as to induce you to cease your efforts to learn. There
is no end to the path of science and improvement. Learn all you can in
this world that is good and true, and it will only form the basis or
grammar of that higher order of education that awaits you among the
classified millions that have gone up to celestial institutions
through the rugged and thorny way that has been sanctified and
honored by the footsteps of Him who "taught as one having authority,
and not as the scribes."
I am pleased to see you all apparently cheerful and lighthearted,
buoyant with hope and expectation, indicating feelings good and true,
warm and kindly. Virtue and integrity, with due respect for others
according to station and circumstances, will secure to you a
continuation of that glow of charity and goodwill which now animates
your breasts. And when you shall bid adieu to earth, may your garments
be clean and white, thoroughly washed in the blood of the Lamb, and
meet with a kindly welcome in your Father's house! I will try to be
with you there. Heaven bless the pure in heart, henceforth and for
ever!