We have assembled this morning in the capacity of a Conference; and as
it is also our fast day, we will conduct the forenoon services as we
generally do in our fast day meetings, when the Saints meet to express
their feelings and to strengthen each other in their faith of the holy
Gospel. We will, so far as the time will permit, give all the Saints
who may wish the privilege to freely express their views and
reflections to this congregation; and I hope we shall be enabled to
appreciate the privilege we enjoy. I am aware that the Saints like to
speak often one to another, if the candle of the Lord is lit up within
them; and it is their delight to walk in the light thereof, and
diffuse that delight to others, that they also may enjoy its
blessings.
You are well aware, by your own experience, that mankind in their
feelings and spirits are more or less subject to be operated upon by
surrounding influences. You, no doubt, discover that you are very much
inclined to mingle with and participate in the feelings and exercises
of the society in which you are. Mankind are naturally inclined to
associate one with another. Deprive an individual of the society of
his fellow beings, and life becomes wearisome and a burden to him; his
hours and days become monotonous and tedious.
This people, as a religious people, are more blessed with the spirit
of association than are the generality of those called Christians. A
gathering and social spirit seems to be the order of heaven—of the
spirit that is in the Gospel we have embraced. Though it may be
esteemed as a fault—as an unwarrantable act to separate ourselves from
those who do not believe as we believe, yet such is the nature of a
portion of our religion pertaining to the performance of outward
duties. If the Latter-day Saints can associate together, free from the
contaminating influences that are in the world, it is a blessing and a
great privilege. What would induce a child to grow up in the
wickedness of the wicked world, if it never saw or heard any of it?
Would you see the fruit you now see produced? You would not. If
children never heard language unbecoming intelligent beings, in their
most heated passions, they would not know what to say; they would have
no words to express their wicked feelings, until reflection would take
the place of anger, and they would refrain from it.
It is very true that, through the fall, we are all prone to evil. It
is also true that the spirit in man is also pure and holy upon its
entrance into a tabernacle, and perfectly prepared to be influenced
and receive instruction. Being united with the body, which was brought
under condemnation through the fall, they are inseparably connected in
a probation. And while they remain together, the spirit of
evil, through the fall, has great power with the body; and the body,
through its intimate connection, has great power with the spirit; and
for this reason both are prone to evil. Still it would be difficult to
find a person upon the earth so vile—so wicked—so overcome by the
grossness of earth, that the holy principles and acts in the lives of
the righteous are not more beautiful to them than are the wickedness
and corruption in the lives of the froward and disobedient. The human
family naturally admire a life of virtue and truth, and abhor
falsehood and every kind of wickedness. The spirits that the Almighty
has put into their tabernacles will more or less admire goodness,
inwardly if not outwardly, though they are often overcome by the evil
propensities that pertain to the flesh.
Since we are permitted by our Father and our God to do good, let us
never suffer ourselves to be tempted, to be drawn aside, to be
overcome, or thwarted in the pure and holy purpose that the pure
spirit of intelligence (the spirit that is in us) reveals to the
understanding. Not but that it is necessary in the very nature of
things, in the economy of heaven, that we should be tried and tempted
in all things, in order to prove ourselves and prepare ourselves to
enjoy that eternal life that is prepared for the just. The time will
be when people will not be tempted as they now are—when there will be
no Tempter upon the earth. The knowledge and intelligence that will be
diffused among the people will enable them to live a time and a season
without the Tempter. But we live in a day when the power and rule of
that evil principle is more excessive upon the earth than it ever has
been. As the Prophet said, "For every one, from the least even unto
the greatest, is given to covetousness; from the prophet even unto the
priest every one dealeth falsely." Mankind, in the present day, are
further from the intelligence, the light, the glory, and the power of
the Invisible than ever they were before, from the days of Adam until
now. There never was a day of such heathen darkness and unbelief as
now prevails. We have had the privilege of receiving those holy
principles calculated to give us power to secure to ourselves eternal
life and happiness, if we follow out those principles. It is a
constant warfare. As the apostle expresses it, "The flesh lusteth
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are
contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would." The spirit that is put into man is pure and holy; but through
the power of evil with the flesh, it is more or less contaminated,
influenced, seduced, and brought into bondage by the evil that exists
upon the earth. Let the spirit overcome and come off conqueror.
While we have the privilege of speaking to each other, let us speak
words of comfort and consolation. When you are influenced by the
Spirit of holiness and purity, let your light shine; but if you are
tried and tempted and buffeted by Satan, keep your thoughts to
yourselves—keep your mouths closed; for speaking produces fruit,
either of a good or evil character.
If persons think they have greater sorrow and affliction than any
others, when they reveal that sorrow and affliction, it produces
fruit. You frequently hear brethren and sisters say that they feel so
tried and tempted, and have so many cares, and are so buffeted, that
they must give vent to their feelings; and they yield to the
temptation, and deal out their unpleasant sensations to their families
and neighbors. Make up your minds thoroughly, once for all, that if we have trials, the Lord has suffered them to be brought
upon us, and he will give us grace to bear them; and that they do not
concern our families, friends, and neighbors, we can bear them off
alone. But if we have light or intelligence—that which will do good,
we will impart it; but our bad feelings, our desponding feelings, our
dark hours, and disagreeable sensations we will keep to ourselves. Let
that be the determination of every individual, for spirit begets
spirit—likeness, likeness; feelings beget their likeness; and custom,
custom. You know very well, by your own experience, that you are
naturally inclined to more or less adopt the customs, feelings, and
manners of the people you associate with. If, then, we give vent to
all our bad feelings and disagreeable sensations, how quickly we beget
the same in others, and load each other down with our troubles, and
become sunk in darkness and despair! If you have anything good to say,
speak it and comfort the hearts of the Saints. If you have that which
tends to death, keep it to yourselves: we do not want it, for we
already have plenty of it.
Frame your lives according to the precepts of the Gospel. Let your
deal, walk, and conversation be that upon which an angel can look with
pleasure. And in all your social communications, or whatever your
associations are, let all the dark, discontented, murmuring, unhappy,
miserable feelings—all the evil fruit of the mind, fall from the tree
in silence and unnoticed; and so let it perish, without taking it up
to present to your neighbors. But when you have joy and happiness,
light and intelligence, truth and virtue, offer that fruit abundantly
to your neighbors, and it will do them good, and so strengthen the
hands of your fellow beings, even though you may be looked upon as an
outcast, vile people, not worthy of the society of what are commonly
deemed the intelligent portion of the world. This reminds me of what a
man in Connecticut said when he was preparing to emigrate to Utah. His
aunt was deeply regretting that he was going away off to Utah to live
with that dark and outcast people. "Why, my dear boy, you are going
entirely away from the Christians!" He replied—"Aunt, I have prayed
for years to be delivered from these Christians." I am happy, brethren
and sisters, that we are measurably delivered from the so-called
Christians.
Do you wish to know why I am happy for this deliverance? Because we
have the privilege of associating together and pouring out the
intelligence God has given us and is revealing from time to time, that
we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth, and are not
much trammeled by the fashions, customs, and contaminating influences
of the world. Are there good men and women among them? Yes, a great
many who are just as good, so far as they know, as we are. We have the
benefit of further knowledge and further commands in this generation,
being actually the disciples of the Lord Jesus, understanding our
Master and his business and mission upon the earth. We have the
privilege of diffusing this knowledge to the nations, and calling out
those who wish to join hand and heart in building up the kingdom of
God in the last days—in bringing forth the Zion of God, and bringing
about one universal reign of peace and righteousness upon the earth.
It is our business, and is all the business we have on our hands, to
redeem the nations of the earth, and produce righteousness and the
knowledge of God, until it shall go forth like the light of the
morning sun. And let me say to you Latter-day Saints, Wake out
of your slumber, and prepare yourselves for days that are fast
approaching; for times are approaching of which you are little aware.
Forsake the spirit of the world, bid farewell to your love and
affections for the things of the world, and cleave unto God and unto
those things that are calculated to prepare you to dwell in his
presence. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, and he
deals with the children of men according to their agency—according to
their knowledge and power, to let each and every one have an
opportunity of proving themselves worthy to be crowned with crowns of
glory, immortality, and eternal lives; and if they forfeit them, they
must abide the consequences. But if they live the principles of the
holy religion that Jesus Christ has produced on the earth, they will
be prepared to dwell eternally in his presence.
Brethren and sisters, I will make one request of you. When you speak,
speak so that we can hear and understand you, whether it be much or
little, good or bad. If you have nothing to say, take my counsel, and
keep your seat. If you have anything to say, say it; and when you get
through, stop. Let your feelings be governed and controlled by the
principles of eternal life, as should the children of God, delighting
in truth and righteousness. Let the wicked say what they please, for
their breath is in their nostrils, and all their glory is like the
grass and the flower of the grass that passeth away. They are here but
for a moment, and soon those who know them now will know them no more
forever. They will soon be as though they had not been upon the
earth.
Let not your feelings be afflicted or in anywise troubled by the
sayings and doings of the wicked, for they are in the hands of the
Almighty, and he will dispose of individuals and nations as seemeth
him good. He must give them an opportunity to receive the truth and
prepare themselves to dwell eternally with him, or to reject it and
prepare themselves to be cut down as cumberers of the ground, suffer
the wrath of the Almighty, and perish and be wasted away until they
will be known no more. Seek for that which will endure. Set your
hearts upon those things that will abide not only today, tomorrow,
this year, and throughout your lifetime, but also the coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ and the presence of the Almighty who dwells in
eternal burnings.
May God bless you! Amen.