There is scarcely a subject in regard to myself or this people that is
of any importance but I have thought of it, for I reflect much. I wish
to speak by the dictation of the Holy Ghost, and I know that will be
in proportion to the faith that dwells in you. It is a pretty hard
case for a man to speak to this congregation, except he makes up his
mind to speak according to the light that is in the people.
Many of the people have ears to hear, but they hear not, neither do
they conceive the things of the kingdom of God. For instance, when the
people come together on a Sunday morning and hear a discourse, go home
to dinner and come together in the afternoon, and they can scarcely
remember a word that has been said in the forenoon; therefore you
perceive the necessity of our being instructed from day to day, and of
our having our ears cultivated to hear the things of the kingdom. Then
we shall have hearts to understand, and minds to comprehend the
principles of eternal life. And if the word of life be in us, it will
be like a well of water springing up into everlasting life, and we
shall have our minds stored with that knowledge which is promised to
the faithful. It is necessary, and it is the imperative duty of the
Elders in Israel to strive to increase in knowledge, in wisdom, in
virtue, and in good works; for if we have good works we are bound to
have good faith: then again good faith produces good works.
Ever since I embraced the Gospel twenty-nine years ago, I have felt
determined to draw near unto the Lord our God, knowing that he had
promised on that condition to draw near unto his children. In doing
this I have been blessed and comforted in all my labors. It is our
duty to learn to be men of truth in all our acts, our works, our
thoughts, and to cultivate the spirit of truth.
I have frequently thought of the saying that some men are so clever
that they can turn the truth into a lie, and vice versa. Now, I would
like to know how it is possible to turn a lie into truth. I contend
that there is no such thing; but men may so mystify the truth as to
make it appear an error or a falsehood; but the truth still remains
firm and unshaken, for it is of that character that the Scriptures
speak of: it is like a two-edged sword; yes, it will cut both ways. We
should always be filled with the truth, and not only filled with
truth, but ever be ready to administer it, whether we are moving
backward or forward. We should ever be ready to administer the words
of life and salvation, and let the error alone. Let us listen to the
counsel that we have heard today from brother Wells and the
other brethren. I did not hear brother Wells, but I heard Brother
George A. and President Young. What they said was truth, and I also
know that what brother Wells said was truth, for he cannot speak
anything else. There are men of whom I could not say that; but brother
Wells' mind is stored with knowledge and wisdom, and it would be hard
for a man like him to talk anything else than the truth. We often say
that we wish to speak the truth to the people, which is right and
good; but is it any more necessary that I should be a man of truth
here than I am in my garden or with my family? No. It is necessary
that I should be a man of truth wherever I am, whatever my employment
may be. It is not wisdom for us to be as the old Quaker, who, when he
was insulted, pulled off his coat and said, "Lay there, religion, till
I flog this man!" Now my doctrine is, that if I cannot flog a man and
be just as religious as I am in this pulpit, I had better let him
alone. But, unlike the old Quaker, I never had an occasion to put my
religion to the test in this way; in fact, I never had much difficulty
with any man in my life. I have had more difficulty with myself than
with anybody else. I will not do as some have done, whip a man because
I have the power and the strength. Let men act unjustly with me, and I
will endure it until that spirit which I enjoy says, You have borne
enough; and then if I have to administer chastisement unto that man,
I will do it by the power of God. Then such a man had better be out of
my way and out of my hands.
Do not, brethren, follow in the track of those who came against Jesus.
He had no friends, but he had the power of God with him, and his
enemies were struck dumb before him. This is the position we should be
in; and then what are the nations of the wicked, or the armies of the
United States, or of all the world? If we attend to our business and
let other things alone, the Lord will sustain us in all circumstances
of life. Supposing I had a dozen men employed—men who were devoted to
the truth and to my interest, I would say, Boys, attend to your
business; do what I have told you, and I will attend to our enemies; I
will see to these chaps and flog them to it; I will teach them to
attend to their duties, or stand aside. This is the character of our
Father: he will defend his own, he will defend his people, he will
defend our wives and children, these mountains, and all that cleave
unto righteousness. This is the way I view the subject, and I presume
that all Israel will say Amen.
It is our duty to pursue that course that will lead and guide us unto
eternal life. This land is blessed above all other lands: it was
foreordained to be the gathering place of the Saints, where the Lord
would hide up his people until his indignation should pass over the
nations of the earth. You have heard us say that all the world and
hell combined cannot get us out from these mountains, and I say the
same today.
It is by our faith and works, by our integrity and righteousness, by
doing to others as we would wish them to do unto us. Jesus says—"With
what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye
mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matt. vii. 2.) This is and
will be the case with every man in this Church and kingdom, from first
to last. All will have that reward which their works merit, whether
they be good or evil.
I realize that I am a feeble man—that I am nothing more than a worm
that crawls upon the earth, except when God is with me. The more I see of myself, the more I am satisfied that I am a poor, weak,
frail man. We are all poor creatures without God. If you do not
believe it, look back into the world and see the condition of things.
They have no regard for honesty among them, speaking of them as a
community; but of course there are persons among them that are
honest—individuals who are the elect of God: they will eventually be
gathered.
Those who have been sent among us by the Federal Government as
officers were men who did not care for the people. They have always
manifested a great anxiety for the gold and silver, but none for the
interest through this community. Now, this should not be so with us;
our desire and labor should be to learn the principles of
integrity—to live up to our covenants made in the house of God. If we
do this, no power can overcome us, but we shall prevail.
I have passed through a great many trying scenes. I have been driven
and rooted up every time that this Church has been removed from its
gathering place by its enemies. I have also had the experience of
seeing armies come up against us in Caldwell county, Missouri, when we
could not raise above five hundred half-armed men to defend the
county, and the Governor, L. W. Boggs, ordered out as many as fourteen
thousand troops against us. At that time, it looked as though we
should be destroyed from the earth; but the Almighty was on our side.
When I saw the condition that we were in, I concluded that it would be
hot times; so I put a heavy charge in my United States musket, only
expecting to get one chance to fire, and felt determined that it
should be a dead shot to somebody. We all felt very queer, for there
was no other prospect before us than that of immediate assassination;
but of a sudden, as by a shock from all heaven, our enemies were
panic-stricken, and retreated in confusion. Brother Wells can tell you
about the Battle of Nauvoo, for he was there and took an active part
in it.
When the Church was thus broken up, we used to go forth from State to
State preaching the Gospel to all who would hear. We did not preach
the gathering at those times, because there was no place to gather to:
the Prophets and Apostles themselves had to flee for their lives. In
all these trying scenes the Lord sustained us, and he gave us favor
in another county and also in another nation. These things have
existed from the organization of the Church; but in the midst of all,
I never felt discouraged, neither did I feel to shrink from any duty
that was imposed upon me. I knew that God was with us, that he was
with his Prophet, and with all good men. We were faithful at that
time, and those that continued faithful through those trials still
remain with us; and my Heavenly Father knows that I respect them, and
I ever shall respect them while I remain in the body and continue in
the spirit of my calling.
Now, you all know pretty well how the Lord worked it with that army
which the United States Government sent here to scatter this people to
the four winds of heaven. They sent their minions to make war with the
house of God, and he took the battle into his own hands and kept our
enemies at bay. Some of you make remarks about our having no temple;
but what of that? Was it not so in the days of Moses? Yes, it was. The
Israelites were left with a Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant, but
still the Lord fought their battles, he defended them against their
enemies, he brought them off victoriously, he severely scourged their
oppressors; and he will do the same in the present dispensation, if we
are faith ful to the covenants we have made. Have not the
ungodly made war with the people of God? And was not that equivalent
to declaring war with our Father in heaven, and with Jesus Christ his
Son, and with his kingdom, with a design to overthrow it, kill his
Prophets and Apostles, and put to death his anointed ones, and also
every Saint that would not submit to their lasciviousness, to their
vices, and corrupting and damning practices? Yes, brethren, the United
States have done all this, and much more that would be painful to
recite.
Some of them talk sometimes about brother Brigham crooking his little
finger, and have told that if he were to do that, no Gentile would be
permitted to live any longer among us. When the enemies of
righteousness came here, they became so afraid of the Saints that they
dared not let a man out of their ranks; they were almost terrified to
death; they went down among the cedars, and there they have been ever
since, and there they will remain until they go away, which won't be
long. How awfully they were disappointed, as well as those who came
here to rule us! They have not any of them accomplished what they
designed, for the man or the woman that falls in with such spirits is
not our brother or our sister. Who is our brother? He that doeth the
will of our Father who is in heaven, and none else.
Now think of these things, reflect upon them; and so sure as you have
seen a few things, so surely will you, in the Lord's own due time, see
many more, and you will see that our Father will deliver his people
every time their enemies come upon them. Yes, it will be so from this
time forth and forever. Then, in addition to this, you will find that
this Priesthood, through those who hold it in righteousness, will rule
the nations of the earth forever and forever. Will those who hold the
Priesthood govern with a rod of tyranny? No; but it will be done by
the power of the Priesthood of the Almighty, which is compared to an
iron rod. The nations will eventually have to come and bow down before
this Priesthood and to this people, and they will be willing to lick
the very dust off their feet; yes, and they will be perfectly willing
to lick the dust from the feet of those men whom they slew in
Carthage, if they can be permitted to be in their presence.
Brethren and sisters, I feel very comfortable, generous, and kind
today, and I feel that there is a good Spirit here. You will all feel
better when you get rid of your contractedness. Let the womb of your
mind be expanded to receive the words of life, and then the Spirit of
the living God will be in you as a well of water springing up into
everlasting life.
To you, sisters, especially the young ladies, I want to say, Away with
your folly. Put away far from you all pride and all lightmindedness,
and trust in the Lord your God, and let the petition of your heart and
the supplication of your soul be life, life—eternal life!
There are many good books for you to read, and that are full of good
instruction. Here are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Book of
Doctrine and Covenants. You will see many revelations in the last
named book that are already fulfilled, and there are others that are
still in the future. The Almighty through his Prophets foretold that
the nation would make war upon this people, and that he would come out
of his hiding place, and pour out his judgments upon those that rebel
against him, and who persecuted his people, and set themselves against
his house. Then it shall go forth like a mighty whirlwind upon the
face of the whole earth.
In this country the North and the South will exert themselves
against each other, and ere long the whole face of the United States
will be in commotion, fighting one against another, and they will
destroy their nationality. They have never done anything for this
people, and I don't believe they ever will. I have never prayed for
the destruction of this Government, but I know that dissolution,
sorrow, weeping, and distress are in store for the inhabitants of the
United States, because of their conduct towards the people of God.
Then the judgments will go forth to the nations of the earth. I have
an understanding of these things, and I sincerely hope that you
comprehend as clearly as I do. If you do, you will strive to prepare
for those things that are coming upon the earth in these last days.
I would like you all to become like a vine, or like unto a tree, every
limb, branch, twig, fiber, and leaf to be connected one with the
other.
Now, in regard to the Spirit of prophecy, I will say that we may all
prophesy, if we will wait till we are sure we are right. Brethren, God
bless you with the gifts of the Spirit, and may peace be with you all,
and may the blessings of heaven rest upon these mountains and valleys
for the benefit of the faithful Saints.
When I look around, I see many things that I do not like; I do not
like to think of circumstances that have taken place within the last
few days. I do not like the idea of having thieves in our midst, but
we certainly have them, and I pray God Almighty to root them out of
the earth, and to let them go into forgetfulness, and let all Israel
say Amen. (The congregation responded Amen.)
Brethren and sisters, I pray our Father in heaven to give you
liberally of his Spirit, that you may be led and guided thereby in the
way of righteousness and truth, and in the end of your probation be
claimed in the presence of the Father and the Son, which I ask for you
and all the faithful, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
- Heber C. Kimball