With regard to the High Council, I wish to make a suggestion which has
just occurred to me. It seems to me best, in voting for the
authorities, to pass over their names for the present. I do not think
there is much fault to be found with the High Councilors now in
office. We are willing to give them credit for all the good they have
done, and we do not wish to know anything against them, although some
of them have injured themselves more than they have others. Solomon
declared, "Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish
king, who will no more be admonished." This is a true saying; and I
wish to apply it, in some respects, in the present instance. In the
remarks I shall now make, some may think that I am quite plainspoken
and frank with my brethren. Grant it: so also I am with myself.
When I was baptized into this Church, it was in its infancy, although
a considerable number had been baptized before me, and many of them
were older when they were baptized than I was. They improved, their
minds expanded, they received truth and intelligence, increased in the
knowledge of the things of God, and bid fair to become full-grown men
in Christ Jesus. But some of them, when they had gained a little
spiritual strength and knowledge, apparently stopped in their growth.
This was in the eastern country, and but a few years passed before the
fruit trees began to cease bearing fruit. The cherry and plum trees
where this work commenced began to fail in fruit bearing, and the
black bunches began to increase on their trunks and branches, caused
by the depredations of insects which destroy the sap and life of the
trees. The apple tree also has nearly ceased bearing in that and the
adjacent regions. One of our old neighbors, whose name is Allen, says
that good apples have for years been very scarce in that country,
where, to my certain knowledge, they used to be excellent and
abundant. And in the few that mature, a worm is generally found at the
core. So it has been with many who embraced the Gospel in that
country: like the fruit trees, they have ceased to grow and increase
and bear the fruits of the Spirit.
It is a common adage, "Old men for counsel, and young men for war."
Until men born in the Priesthood grow old therein in faithfulness, I
would say, with comparatively few exceptions, "Young men for counsel,
and young men for war." For knowledge and understanding, I would
rather, as a general thing, select young men from eighteen years of
age—the sons of men who have been in this Church from the beginning,
than to select their fathers. Their minds have been but little, if
any, trammeled with erroneous traditions and teachings. Let
the yoke of the Gospel be put upon those young men brother Joseph
referred to in his remarks, who have been sowing their wild oats for
years, and they are generally better and more correct in the offices
of the Priesthood than many of the grayhaired fathers. They
understand more about God, about Jesus Christ, and the government of
God on the earth, than do many of the fathers and grandfathers.
It never hurts my feelings to see young exuberant life and animation
manifest themselves; but I do not like to hear swearing: to that I
strongly object. I also strongly object to their getting drunk, to
their pilfering their neighbors' property, and to their doing
anything else that is wrong. I love to see our young men wide awake,
ready for anything in the line of right, having their minds bent in
the channel of truth. They learn the truth from their childhood, and
know but little else, if their parents have done their duty in
properly directing the growth of the young branches. Their wild,
foolish, childish, boyish caprices will occasionally be exhibited; but
when those pass off, you find in them a solid basis of truth and good
principle. Some few of those who give rein to their wild and foolish
notions, and seemingly give themselves up to destruction, will meet
hard times: suffering and trouble will arrest them in their wild
career, and then they will begin to inquire after their friends. They
will seek those whose bosoms are filled with compassion and goodwill
towards them, will cease their follies, and their friends will rejoice
over them in their efforts to become good and wise. Do not be
discouraged about the follies of the young.
I know that parents are often much troubled about their children. I
have heard many relate their troubles and sorrows in this respect,
though they are comparatively trifling, unless your children disregard
all your tender solicitude and wise counsels and examples, and, when
arrived at maturity, forsake you and go headlong to destruction, when
you will think that you never had any trouble until then. The want of
bread for them in their infancy was no sorrow, when compared with such
a trial. Parents—you who continue to live the life of true Christians,
and are filled with faith, virtue, and good works, I promise you, in
the name of Israel's God, that you will have your children, and no
power can rob you of them; for all will be saved, except the sons of
perdition. If they go to hell, you will have the privilege of dragging
them from there, if you are faithful. That is the promise made to
Abraham. You are aware that the children of Israel acted as badly as
the Devil could make them, and the Lord afflicted them in this life,
because of the promise he made to their father Abraham that he would
save his seed.
You may inquire of the intelligent of the world whether they can tell
why the aborigines of this country are dark, loathsome, ignorant, and
sunken into the depths of degradation; and they cannot tell. I can
tell you in a few words: They are the seed of Joseph, and belong to
the household of God; and he will afflict them in this world, and save
every one of them hereafter, even though they previously go into hell.
When the Lord has a people, he makes covenants with them and gives
unto them promises: then, if they transgress his law, change his
ordinances, and break the covenants he has made with them, he will put
a mark upon them, as in the case of the Lamanites and other portions
of the house of Israel; but by-and-by they will become a white and
delightsome people.
Brethren, I wish you to understand things precisely as they are. We
shall dissolve the present High Council of this Stake. Many of them
are far advanced in years, and some of them live at considerable
distances from this city. They have labored according to the best of
their ability; but I would like to see men who never become so old
that they cannot learn. I desire to see everybody on the track of
improvement, gaining all the knowledge, power, and advancement
possible for them to gain and possess. But so it is: many of the first
members in this Church appear as though they never could keep pace
with the times, increasing in the knowledge of the truth and improving
thereupon.
I will tell you how to expand and increase as far as I know. Let your
whole soul—affections, actions, wishes, desires, every effort and
motive, and every hour's labor you perform be with a single eye to
the building up the Zion of God on the earth. If you will pursue this
course, you will learn every day and make advancements every hour. But
when you so love your property as to quarrel and contend about this,
that, or the other trifling affair, as though all your affections were
placed upon the changing, fading things of earth, it is impossible to
increase in the knowledge of truth. The thrones and kingdoms of earth
are frequently changing hands. Adventurers rise up or go forth and
establish new governments, and in a few short years they are cast down
to give place to more successful powers. All earthly things are
changing hands. The gold, the silver, and other property pass from my
hands to yours, and from yours to the hands of others. Shame on a
people that place their affections upon this changing matter! Love God
and the things that change not.
I have a little more counsel that I wish to give during this
Conference, and you may tell it to your Presidents, Bishops, High
Councilors, High Priests, Seventies, &c. My counsel to the Elders of
Israel is to let whiskey, brandy, and other strong drinks alone. I will
tell you how drunkards appear to me. Although I have been a man of the
world, yet I have never seen a moment, since I thought I had a
character or had to establish one, when, with very few exceptions, I
would count them worthy, in regard to moral character, to wipe my
shoes upon, figuratively speaking. I would not abuse them, but I would
give them something to kill the life of the liquor, and, when they
were sufficiently sober, ask them if they did not think they were
extremely foolish. Probably scores, who are not here, are drunk now;
and it is my positive counsel and command that drinking liquor be
stopped. If I had the influence the world gives me credit for, I would
not have a single drunkard, thief, or liar in this society. I do not
profess to have that influence, but I can raise my voice against those
evils.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command the Elders of
Israel—those who have been in the habit of getting drunk—to cease
drinking strong drink from this time henceforth, until you really need
it. But some may think they need it as soon as they go out of this
house. Let me be your physician in this matter. So long as you are
able to walk and attend to your business, it is folly to say that you
need ardent spirits to keep you alive. The constitution that a person
has should be nourished and cherished; and whenever we take anything
into the system to force and stimulate it beyond its natural capacity,
it shortens life. I am physician enough to know that. When you are
tired and think you need a little spirituous liquor, take some
bread-and-butter, or bread-and-milk, and lie down and rest. Do not labor so hard as to deem it requisite to get half-drunk in
order to keep up your spirits. If you will follow this counsel, you
will be full of life and health, and will increase your intelligence,
your joy and comfort.
As I have already requested, I now again request the authorities of
this Church in their various localities to sever from this society
those who will not cease getting drunk. If you know a man to be guilty
of pilfering, or any species of dishonesty, disfellowship that man in
his Quorum, and let his Bishop cut him off from the Church. I have no
fellowship with thieves, liars, murderers, robbers, whoremongers, or
any such characters. I never have had, and I hope I never shall have.
[The congregation exclaimed, "Amen." ] If I had the influence that the
wicked accuse me of, I would straighten up the perverse among this
people, and bring that Zion we see in vision. They would either
repent and do right, or go where society is more congenial to their
evil habits and practices.
Brethren, I desire to so live that I can remain with you until my work
on the earth is finished. But were I as good as you wish me to be, I
could not. Brother Greeley says that Brigham appears to be in no hurry
to get to heaven. No: I wish to stay here and fight the Devil until he
is bound, and all wickedness is cleansed from the earth, and it is
made ready for Christ to come and receive his right. And it is for us
to be ready to abide the day of his coming.
May God bless you! Amen.