In all the days of my life, I never heard more plain preaching than I
have heard today, taking it altogether. It is not such preaching as
you hear all the time. A great many of you probably were professing
Christians before you became "Mormons" and you have been used to what
we call spiritual food. Good heavens, whoever partook of spiritual
food in the flesh, except he first partook of natural food? The spirit
is in the natural food, and no man receives it except he takes the
natural food. It is the religion of Jesus Christ—it is the religion of
the kingdom of God; and as far as I am concerned, I do not know
anything about any religion that does not consist in faith and works.
Faith without works is dead, being alone; so is the body dead without
the spirit. The spirit and body are the soul of man. It is the spirit
of man that prompts to improvement—to putting up good houses and good
barns, planting fine orchards, and improving the country generally.
It appears that it would be impossible for me to live unless I
gratified the feeling of improvement that is within me. When I first
got married, I worked at the potter's business, and not being fully
employed, I would go and look at my hogpen, to see if I could make an
improvement on it. I would tear it down and build it over again upon
an improved principle. I dare venture to say that if you move some of
your houses here, you will have an excellent rich garden spot.
Improvement is the result of labor. Do you suppose this earth was
organized and created without labor? No, no more than a piece of
crockery ware is made without hands. We know that that pitcher was
made by some being like unto us, and so it was with this earth.
After the earth was made, then there was a garden spot selected, and
the Lord commanded some of his associates to go and plant it, and to
cause all kinds of vegetation to grow, and fruits of every
description. Some suppose the Lord commanded all these things to come
out of the earth. Yes, he did, after the seeds were put in the earth;
and he blessed the earth, and the vegetation that was in the earth.
When all these things were done, the garden was beautified, and made
pure, and clean and holy and sanctified; and then the next thing was
to bring forth the animal creation; but the animals were not brought
there until the vegetation was planted and grown. We often sing, "This
earth was once a garden place," where God our Father dwelt, and took
possession and a stand that mankind will take who attain to that
honor.
It is our duty to take the counsel that has been given us today by
brother Brigham. It is as good doctrine as I ever heard in my life. It
is choice—yea, more choice to us than all the jewels and gold and
silver that you ever saw. This is a pretty place naturally; but now
your roads and streets are occupied with your firewood, wagons,
ploughs, harrows, stables, dunghills, and outhouses, and, in fact,
everything else that ought not to be there. The religion of
Jesus Christ, of angels, of Brigham, and of all good men is to take a
care of and improve and adorn the earth as Adam did. When he planted
the garden, he planted it with seeds he brought with him; and he also
brought the animals from the earth he lived upon, where his Father
dwelt.
We are not living our religion, and angels will not dwell with us
until we take a different course. These mountains and valleys are the
places for us, and all hell cannot get us out of them: if we do right,
we shall not leave them until the Lord says, Go. It is the place for
us to improve, and make mills, and beautify cities and gardens. How
would you like it today, if you had a few pails of fine large
strawberries to treat us with? I had strawberries to eat before I left
home out of my own garden.
May God bless you in all your endeavors to beautify your city, in
fertilizing your farms and gardens, and in adorning your lives with
righteousness. Amen.
- Heber C. Kimball