I am very thankful for the privilege of meeting with you this
afternoon. There may be many present who never saw me until now, and
many who are acquainted with me, but, probably, have not for years had
an opportunity to speak to me. As I now have the privilege of speaking
to you, please accept of my good feelings towards you, and of my good
desires in your behalf. Peace be to you and to your habitations! And
may God bless you!
I will not occupy much time; for I understand that, through some
mistake in the appointment, many of you have been here a good part of
the day. I am aware that both yourselves and your children are weary,
and I think it would be a relief to the children if the teachers would
supply them with water.
For many years I have been trying to promulgate the principles of
eternal life, and I am thankful that we are in possession of that
religion which gives food to the mind and exercise to the body, I am
thankful for such a religion. It is different from the religions of
the day: it is not only a Sabbath-day religion and a Monday religion,
but it is an everyday religion—a religion that will feast a person all
the time. It draws forth the mind, and expands the
understanding of every intelligent being who will open his mind to
understand and see by vision the creations of God—the worlds that are
and the worlds that have been—who can grasp in the vision of his mind
the truth that there never has been a time when there have not been
worlds like this, and that there never will be a time when there will
not be worlds organized and prepared for intelligent beings to dwell
upon.
Those beings bear the image of Him who is invisible—of our Father and
God. Were your eyes opened to see the heavenly hosts, you would see
beings similar to us. We are in our weakness and imperfection—we are
in darkness; they are in light—they are in glory. We are in mortal
flesh, subject to sickness, disease, pain, deformity, and death. The
heavenly hosts are beings like these my brethren, only in greater
perfection, having passed through the same ordeals we are now passing
through. They have been made subject to vanity, as we now are; they
have had to taste of the bitter cup as we have; they have had the
privilege of the light and of the darkness, of the truth and of the
error, which privilege we now enjoy. Life eternal has been offered to
them, and they have chosen it. It is offered to us who are here
assembled, and we have chosen to follow in the path in which it is to
be obtained. Had we chosen, we might today have been in our native
lands, as are those whom we have there left.
It is to us a matter of joy and rejoicing, a solid satisfaction, to
know that there are a few among all the inhabitants of the earth who
are willing to receive the words of life to prepare themselves to
dwell eternally in the presence of our Father and our God. We enjoy a
great privilege in being gathered out from the wicked. We now have the
privilege of asso ciating together, not only as individuals, families,
neighborhoods, and cities, but God has provided the place where we
can assemble, as it were, in a national capacity. We are now in the
relationship, so to speak, of a limb or branch pertaining to the
Federal Government, which must grow, increase, spread, and prosper
exceedingly.
You have built a commodious Tabernacle, where but a few years ago was
a swamp. But a few years ago, there were no inhabitants here. When we
first visited this place, after the people began to move here, there
was hardly a settlement between here and Great Salt Lake City. There
were a few families at Willow Creek, but none north of that, and only
a few between here and Great Salt Lake City. You may now ride until
you are weary, and pass through settlement after settlement,
neighborhood after neighborhood.
You have manifested a spirit of advancement and improvement, which is
according to the Gospel of life we possess. The intelligence we
possess was given to us for a purpose. We are the children of the
Supreme Being of the universe. The inhabitants of the whole earth are
the offspring of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Intelligence is
given unto us to improve upon. Who will choose life? These my brethren
and sisters. The Valleys in the Mountains are becoming filled with
those who have chosen the way of life, and thousands more are in
Europe and on the islands of the sea. The Gospel we preach has been
proclaimed to most of the nations of the earth. God will gather his
children from all nations, and bring them home to Zion. This is the
land of Zion—this is the continent whereon the Lord has commenced his
work for the last time, and whereon Jesus will make his appearance the
second time, when he comes to gather and save the house of
Israel. It is our duty to prepare for his coming.
Each person possesses an intelligence, each one has an agency, and
each has his own salvation to work out, for the spirit and body to be
crowned with crowns of glory, immortality, and eternal lives. Let not
your hearts sink, nor your faith waver; let not your fervency slacken
in the least, for the kingdom is ours. God has prospered his work on
the earth. Towns and counties have risen up against it, and States
have united and organized to destroy this kingdom and the government
of God from the earth. The kingdoms of the world are opposed to the
kingdom of God. You have seen your neighbors rise up and persecute
you—you have known those who should have been your friends and
assisted you forsake and persecute you, for the Gospel's sake. You
have all, more or less, experienced such treatment. Is it at an end?
No.
You see persons gather here, and assist to gather hundreds and
thousands, and yet some will turn away. Does this discourage you? How
frequently it has been said to me—"A great many are going to
California." My reply is, Let them go; there will be plenty left. This
work is on the increase, and the power of God is becoming more and
more manifest before all flesh. The faith of the Gospel is increasing
among the children of men, and the Saints are increasing. Compare this
place with what it was here ten years ago. Has there been an increase?
Yes, and a very great increase. Ten years ago, how many were there in
the States and in foreign lands who wanted to come here? Not one to
where there are now ten. The spirit of the Gospel is going forth among
the nations, and the people are gathering out. The kingdoms of this
world must become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ. To aid in
accomplishing this work, we must overcome sin and every evil
propensity of the natural man—every selfish and unhallowed desire. Let
no man covet the things of this world, nor lust after the vain and
foolish things that pertain to it.
It is the privilege of the Saints to enjoy every good thing, for the
earth and its fulness belong to the Lord, and he has promised all to
his faithful Saints; but it must be enjoyed without the spirit of
covetousness and selfishness—without the spirit of lust, and in the
spirit of the Gospel: then the sun will shine sweetly upon us; each
day will be filled with delight, and all things will be filled with
beauty, giving joy, pleasure, and rest to the Saints. The vegetable
kingdom is made for man, to gratify the taste and add health to the
body and gratification to every sense. The gold and the silver will be
given to the Saints, the riches of the world will be put in their
possession, and they will be legal heirs. We are now passing through a
day of trial, to determine whether we will prove worthy of all we may
enjoy and possess, for it must be enjoyed and possessed without the
spirit of covetousness. Without the pure Spirit of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we cannot enjoy the good things of life.
The fulness of the heavens and the earth—the mountains, the gold, and
precious things in them—will all be devoted to those who are devoted
to their God and their religion. The wheat, the fine flour, the oil,
and the wine, the cattle upon a thousand hills, and every blessing the
Lord has in store for every creature he has organized and placed upon
this earth, are to fall into the hands of the legal heirs, who are the
Saints. This is an unpleasant idea to unbelievers. Then why do they
not believe? If there are any here who do not believe the Gospel, and
think that the Saints are selfish, all they have to do is to
become Saints; then they will be heirs with the rest of the Saints.
There is no selfishness about it that I know of, for they have the
same privilege that we have, and that any man or woman upon the earth
has.
The kingdom of God is set up, the ordinances of the Gospel are
dispensed to the people, life and salvation are offered to all, and
who would miss entering into the kingdom of our Father and God? All
who believe, have honest hearts, and bring forth fruits of
righteousness, are the elect of God and heirs to all things. All who
refuse to obey the holy commandments of the Lord and the ordinances of
his house will be judged out of their own mouths, will condemn
themselves as they do now, will be accounted unworthy, and will have
no part or lot with the righteous. But the heathen nations that now
exist and that have existed on the earth will all be blessed, will see
the time when they will have the privilege of receiving the blessings
of the covenant established on the earth by the Son of God, and
through it will be brought into glory and rest.
Brethren and sisters, I wish you to continue in your ways of
welldoing; I desire that your minds may be opened more and more to see
and understand things as they are. This earth, in its present
condition and situation, is not a fit habitation for the sanctified;
but it abides the law of its creation, has been baptized with water,
will be baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost, and by-and-by will be
prepared for the faithful to dwell upon.
Shall we not strive to prepare ourselves as much as possible for the
coming of the Son of Man? The Savior will dictate his kingdom,
through his Apostles and Prophets, until all the heathen nations are
virtually redeemed by the ordinances that effect redemption, that they
may inherit the kingdom that is prepared for them. This work must
progress. This earth must become a paradise—must be purged of the sin
that has been upon it for many generations, for all sin and iniquity
must be swept from it, and a people be prepared for the coming of the
Son of Man. He will prepare a people long before the earth is
celestialized and prepared for the presence of God. The Saints will
increase, the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge will increase, and every
grace of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ must increase upon the
earth, until a people and place are so prepared that the Savior can
come and finish the work given him to do, when he will present the
kingdom to the Father.
There is a great work for the Saints to do. Progress, and improve
upon, and make beautiful everything around you. Cultivate the earth
and cultivate your minds. Build cities, adorn your habitations, make
gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant
that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and
that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations. In
the meantime, continually seek to adorn your minds with all the graces
of the Spirit of Christ.
Sin must be overcome and righteousness exalted, until Jesus reigns
King of nations as he reigns King of Saints. This is not unkind to the
wicked, for they have the privilege of embracing the overtures of
mercy, if they choose. No one will be compelled to do so. All may
freely eat, drink, and satisfy themselves, or they may turn away and
feed upon husks. Let everyone who wishes to go to California, go, for
we do not want them here. This country is most excellent for sifting
out those who are not here for the love of their religion. The
mountains, the deserts, the barren plains, hard labor, and
hard fare are all so calculated that those who do not love the truth
will leave for California and elsewhere, and we love to have them go.
Some who are now here ought to leave, unless they will repent and
become good men.
Be faithful, humble, prayerful, and watchful, and be sure to live your
religion. Store up your surplus grain; and when you have done that, do
(to speak ironically) as some have done—take every pound of butter,
every dozen of eggs, every bushel of grain, and every good thing you
can lay hold of to those who would cut our throats, if they had the
power. Had they the power, they would slay every soul that would not
renounce this work. They have not the power, and never will have.
Israel will be gathered, the poor will be gathered, and this land of
Joseph will be freed from oppressors. Their power is broken, and they
will go down to the pit, while Zion will arise, and wicked men and
devils cannot prevent it. God has decreed this, and we are going to
help him to perform it and bring righteousness upon the land; and the
righteous will see the day when they can say their prayers and lie
down in peace, for murderers will not be around them.
Will you let every act of your lives promote the kingdom of God? If
you do, you may be sure that every person who is opposed to
righteousness will be our enemy. But those who are here to steal our
cattle and horses, instead of striving honestly for an honest living,
had better forsake their evil habits, or go where they are more
popular. The Lord Almighty will have a pure people—a people that will
serve him; and we shall yet see the day when we shall be free from
murderers, thieves, robbers, liars, whoremongers, drunkards, and every
other description of persons who pollute the earth.
My constant prayer is that the anger which is in the hearts of the
disobedient will turn upon each other, and the wicked slay the wicked,
until no place can be found on the earth for those who will not
observe good laws, that the righteous may live in peace. The wicked
are doing so; and in the midst of their rage which has been around us,
it is astonishing how the preserving and invisible hand of God has
been over his people. I do not now remember that any in our Territory,
during the time alluded to, who desired to live their religion, fell
by the hands of the wicked, except brother William Cook. They credit
this wonderful preservation to me; but they are mistaken. The Lord
Almighty can control the acts, and bring forth the results far beyond
the wisdom and calculation of man. He has brought to pass these
purposes, and the wicked have been and are helping him. "The wrath of
man shall praise him." May the Lord God of Israel bless you and the
whole house of Israel, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.