The ideas that have been advanced by President Young are strictly
true, and they will so appear to everyone who has a knowledge of the
condition of this world, and they will especially appear so to those
who have a knowledge of the kingdom of God as it has been established
in these last days. In regard to the United States, Great Britain, and
European nations generally, they have a knowledge or a history of this
people.
I was in England and commenced preaching the Gospel twenty-four years
ago last June, and of course there were only a few Saints in that
land; but the Gospel has spread among most of the nations of Europe.
It has also been sounded in Asia, Africa, Australia, and in hundreds
of the islands of the sea. The people generally look upon us as a set
of fanatics, and they do not consider us worthy of their attention;
still there are some who occasionally become convinced and embrace the
truth. When the Church was first organized in Manchester, in the State
of New York, the people rose up against us, and were determined that
we should not stay there, and consequently we went to Kirtland, in the
State of Ohio, where we had peace for a little season. And then we
went to Jackson County, Missouri; but the brethren found we could not
stay there, and hence we had to move over into Clay County. We stayed
there a short time, and afterwards went into Caldwell County. We
re mained in those counties but a short time before the spirit of
mobocracy raged to such a degree that the people considered we were
not fit to live upon the earth. Fourteen thousand troops were called
out, and took a few of us prisoners, and made us sign a deed
transferring all our property to our persecutors in the State of
Missouri, to pay the expense of our persecutors. They commenced their
cruelties, and perpetrated the most diabolical outrages upon our
people that were ever known among civilized nations: men, women, and
children were indiscriminately despoiled of all they possessed; they
were mobbed and whipped; some were tarred and feathered, and those who
could not readily escape, were massacred, irrespective of age or sex;
and if the Almighty had not interfered, they would have killed us all.
We then went into Illinois, and had not been there long before they
began to serve us in like manner. They gave us a city charter, and
then took it from us again, and that too without any just cause. They
gave us a charter for a Masonic Lodge, and then went to work and
killed some of the men to whom the charter was given. The rage and
ferocity of our enemies did not cease there, but it soon manifested
itself in mobs assembling by thousands, who finally succeeded in
driving us out of that State also, leaving us in the wilderness to
perish. But the Lord assisted us; his protecting hand was over us for
good, and by his power we were preserved.
After all these hardships and trials we started for this country, and
what did the Government then require of us? Five hundred men were
called to go and take part in the Mexican war, and that too at a time
when we were all living in our wagons: many were sick, and some were
dying; and in fact hundreds and thousands have died in consequence of
the hardships and privations brought upon them by our ruthless
persecutors. Joseph Smith lost his life by the hands of assassins, and
he was one of the best men that ever trod the footstool of the
Almighty. He was the man called to open up this last dispensation, but
the world at large would not receive him.
We have passed through many grievous trials; but I do not feel that I
want to say much about our sufferings this morning, but simply to
remind you of some of the prominent acts of our enemies, that you may
know that we have nothing to expect from them in the future but
persecution and misrepresentation. Many of you are strangers to these
things, both members and Elders, because you were not baptized into
the Church until afterwards; but still you can see what the world have
done to us; and everything in the shape of persecution or affliction
which the world have brought upon us, will come back upon their own
heads tenfold, and this nation in particular will reap what they have
sown, and their troubles have already commenced; but I shall live to
see them broken to pieces a great deal worse than they are now, and so
will thousands of you. Our sons and daughters will live to see the
complete overthrow of the nation, and they will avenge our wrongs.
Many of them were born while we were undergoing those afflictions, and
the blood of retributive justice is in them, and I know this as well
as I know that I live and dwell upon this earth.
Our enemies know not what they are doing when they persecute and mob
this people. It is true they are doing no more than was done by the
wicked Lamanites who once lived upon this continent, and who were a
flourishing and prosperous people. They persecuted the people
composing the Church of Christ, the Nephites departed from the faith,
and the two parties wasted each other away until only a remnant was
left, and as such we now see them wandering about in filth, darkness,
and the very lowest state of degradation. The Jaredites, who preceded
the Israelites upon this continent, did the same things. They fought
and contended with each other until the whole people were destroyed,
and we are going to live to see similar things befall this nation.
Although many may fall away from the truth, and others may embrace it,
yet the destruction of this nation is sealed, except they repent,
which is not very probable. Notwithstanding this nation has been
favored with the revelations of heaven, yet they never knew God, they
never knew that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of the Most High, and they
do not now know that the leaders of this people are inspired from on
high.
Now, I will say one thing that is in this good old book, the book that
they won't have in the Congress of the United States, for you remember
it is only a short time ago that they would neither have a priest to
pray for them, nor receive the Bible as evidence. This book, the
Bible, says: "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and
with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." The
nation of the United States have got to reap that which they have
sown, and to receive that measure which they meted out to us,
pressed down and running over; and as they designed to wipe us out of
existence "with the flower of the army" which they sent here, that
destruction shall come upon themselves. I am perfectly willing that
they should know what I think of them. That army was sent here by
James Buchanan to wipe us out, but they might as well try to move the
sun out of his place; still we know that that was their design, and
brother Brigham declared it at the time. Yet, although you know that
those poor creatures came here for the purpose of cutting our throats,
you will feed them at their own price, instead of making them pay
handsomely for all they get. If the brethren had acted wisely, they
might have helped themselves a great deal, and have got together means
for the building up of the kingdom of God upon the earth; but some
were determined not to take counsel. Now, as feeble and poor a
creature as I am, I would like to know where there is a man who could
bring up one circumstance to show that I have ever violated the law of
the land. I know that I have been true to my country, to my Masonic
brethren, and also to my brethren in this Church. Are there any of my
countrymen who would injure me? Yes, scores, hundreds and thousands of
them.
They have now got Masonic institutions against Masonic institutions,
and Presbyterians operate against Presbyterians, and Episcopalians
against Episcopalians, and, finally, it will be every man against his
neighbor. But while they are being divided one against another, this
people are raising the standard of King Emmanuel, and we will sustain
the Constitution of the United States, and also all good and wholesome
laws. You may tell it to the nations, for as God lives this people
will do it, and I say, Amen.
- Heber C. Kimball