I am pleased with the privilege of standing before the Saints to bear
my testimony to the truth and to express some of my thoughts
pertaining to eternal life. The knowledge of the truth should be
prized by all Saints. There are no people blessed to the same degree
as those who are blessed with the words of eternal life. Men may be
blessed with the things of this life—may possess all the blessings
this world can furnish—may have the honor and glory of man; but all
this bears no comparison to the blessings that are bestowed upon those
who understand the ways of life and salvation.
One generation passes away, and another succeeds. Mankind are
continually changing. Kingdoms and thrones arise, and are gone like a
vapor that passeth away. The glory of man is but for a moment. Are
the nations that have arisen, flourished, and passed away prepared to
dwell in eternal life in another state of existence? We are blessed
with the words and way of life, through the Gospel, by One who has
deigned to call us brethren—not by adoption, in the strict sense of
the word, but is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone—One who has
redeemed us.
The generality of mankind are ignorant of the real relationship that
exists between them and Heaven. They do not understand that God is our
Father. By adoption? No; but we are his children by a legal
inheritance. He gave his only begotten Son, pertaining to the flesh,
to redeem the whole family of man.
Who can define the divinity of man? Only those who understand the true
principles of eternity—the principles that pertain to life and
salvation. Man, by being exalted, does not lose the power and ability
naturally given to him; but, on the contrary, by taking the road that
leads to life, he gains more power, more influence and ability during
every step he progresses therein. Mankind have power given them to
propagate their species. An exaltation to the celestial kingdom of God
by no means lessens that power. On these points the children of men
are shrouded in mystery and uncertainty.
When we say that we are blessed above many of our fellows, we may also
say that we have the greatest reason to rejoice in and love our
religion, to walk humbly before our God, do good to each other, and
forsake all evil and the appearance of it. Is this too much to say and
do? Does it rob the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us of any of
their rich enjoyments? The greater our privileges and the greater the
blessings bestowed upon us, the more faithfulness and diligence are
required in our callings to save the children of men.
When you approach the throne of grace and petition the Father, in the name of that Savior who has redeemed the world, do you use
that name as the name of a stranger? If you understand your own
religion, you petition that Personage as you would one of your
brethren in the flesh. Is this strange to you? It should bring near to
you things that pertain to eternity, give your reflections and views a
more exalted cast, stamp your daily actions with truth and honesty,
and cause you to be filled with the Spirit and power of God.
I have reflected much upon the subject of religion, the world of
mankind, their relations one to another and to the Author of their
being, and the object of their existence. We are now endowed with that
knowledge, a proper improvement upon which will enable us to secure an
inheritance in the celestial kingdom of our God. Millions of the
inhabitants of this earth have striven to their uttermost—stretched
their minds to the greatest extent to become acquainted with what the
Lord has seen fit to bestow upon us, without any outlay of labor or
energy on our part. He has seen fit to call his servant Joseph Smith,
Jun., and submit to him the keys of the kingdom of heaven—to reveal
to him the mysteries of salvation, and bring to light things that have
been hid for many ages—things that the world have been seeking
for—wrestling with the powers of heaven to obtain, that they might
know how to make their escape from this wicked world, and secure to
themselves a sure abiding place—an inheritance that passeth not away.
Thousands have spent their lives—the best part of their days, to
search out what has been revealed to us without the least exertion of
ours.
When we say that we believe the Gospel and rejoice in it, let us not
forget that it is to us a free gift. How far did you travel to obtain
it? How much money did you pay for it? What penance did you perform to
prove yourselves worthy of it? The blessings we enjoy came to us
without money and without price. Have we not great reason to be
thankful that the Spirit of the Lord has touched the eyes of our
understandings that we may see, and that he has given us his Spirit to
bend our dispositions to his requirements?
We talk about our trials and troubles here in this life: but suppose
that you could see yourselves thousands and millions of years after
you have proved faithful to your religion during the few short years
in this time, and have obtained eternal salvation and a crown of glory
in the presence of God; then look back upon your lives here, and see
the losses, crosses, and disappointments, the sorrows arising from
disobedient children—from wicked parents who have opposed their
children who wished to embrace the truth, the persecutions from city
to city, from state to state, being hunted and driven, you would be
constrained to exclaim, "But what of all that? Those things were but
for a moment, and we are now here. We have been faithful during a few
moments in our mortality, and now we enjoy eternal life and glory,
with power to progress in all the boundless knowledge and through the
countless stages of progression, enjoying the smiles and approbation
of our Father and God, and of Jesus Christ our elder brother."
The child who has his father's razor, or any other article dangerous
for him to handle, and about the use of which he has no knowledge,
when deprived of it, his trials are equal to ours, according to his
capacity. We seldom think of the trials of our little ones when we say
to them, You must not have this or that; you must do so and so to
receive my smiles and approbation; you must not think for a moment
that your judgment, wisdom, experience, and wishes are to be
compared with mine. Does not the Father of all living conduct himself
in this wise towards his children? He has revealed to us that he will
prepare us for glory, for life eternal—will preserve our identity
forever, if we will be guided by him. But we must be obedient to him,
for he understands more than we do. We should destroy ourselves if we
were suffered to take our own way; hence we are taught to suffer the
Father to point out our path to an eternal duration hereafter, where
our present afflictions will appear as flimsy as the shadows of the
morning that flee upon the approach of day. God bless you! Amen.