I arise, brethren and sisters, to make a very few remarks,
particularly upon one point, that is the subject of the Lamanites. I
am aware that in all the teaching that the brightest intelligence can
receive upon any subject, that there is a balance wheel in the inside
of man—the heart—that should be consulted in carrying out any or every
instruction that we hear. The Lord has put into every man a portion of
instruction that he is required to use, independent of any oral
instruction that he may receive. This natural intelligence is given to
balance things in the human mind. The Spirit of the Lord is given to
men to profit thereby. It is according to good sense and
reason that these natives should be looked to and sought after, for
they are the seed of promise; they act according to the light they
have pertaining to all matters that have come within the reach of
their minds, and it is the duty of the Latter-day Saints to treat them
kindly, and try to save them, and if they do not they may miss the
mark; and although they may offer many good teachings which do not
seem to be appreciated, yet there is a common law that is written upon
every man's heart, and the hearts of those poor natives can be
penetrated, and if this power is not exercised, or if we allow it to
lie dormant we miss the figure. And, I feel that we do not appreciate
our privileges, we let the spirit that is in us lie dormant, and hence
it is that our treatment to the Lamanites has been so different in the
various parts and settlements of this Territory. There is a splitting
of hairs about this important matter, and if the Latter-day Saints
cannot split hairs I do not know who can, yes, this people can split
hairs if anybody in the world can about anything. I am aware that we
are a peculiar people, that our circumstances have been trying and
vexatious all the way through; I am sensible that our treatment has
been rather extravagant, and it has been a matter of serious
reflection with many, to know to what extent we ought to mingle with
these wild natives around us. Before I was a member of this kingdom, I
believed in converting the inhabitants of these mountains. I foresaw
that it could be done, or in other words I saw them in a condition and
in circumstances where they were all passive and filled with the Holy
Spirit. I saw that it was the spirit of truth that dwelt with them,
and when I became acquainted with the Gospel in the early part of this
Church, I then learnt that it was the spirit of the Saints of
latter days, and that it would bring them to the knowledge of their
fathers and their friends, and also to the knowledge of the covenants
made with their fathers ages ago. In this thing, the Latter-day Saints
were as much deceived as they ever were upon any other subject, this I
am satisfied of. How was this? They were deceived in relation to these
tribes, because the Holy Spirit brought many things close to their
minds—they appeared right by, and hence many were deceived, and run
into a mistake respecting them. They (the Saints) undertook to make
calculations for to establish the kingdom and restore Israel, and many
were so excited, that they wanted to take the Gospel from the Gentiles
immediately. They were for taking the Gospel clear away at once, and
of course for sealing them all up to destruction. Many good men made
great blunders upon the subject of "redeeming Israel;" it was a great
mystery, and perhaps I made as great mistakes as others in forming my
opinions, but I had the caution not to utter my views to anyone. I
knew that faith and the Holy Ghost brought the designs of Providence
close by, and by that means we were enabled to scan them, and find out
what they would produce when carried into effect, but we had not
knowledge enough to digest and fully comprehend those things, and
therefore it was a mark of wisdom for any man to keep his spirit and
feelings to himself.
I mention this to show you how ready the Saints were to say that the
Lamanites should be before them in the Church, yet they would be
willing to do anything for the salvation of Israel; but our long
experience has proved, together with our faith and practice, the folly
of making great calculations beforehand. I have asked frequently when
is that time coming, which I have heard talked about and prophesied of in tongues years ago when in the meetings of the Saints;
even the sisters used to predict that their husbands would go and
instruct the Lamanites in all the habits and customs of civilization
that we as a people understand. These things used to be talked of
years ago, and now we are here right amongst them, the Lord has
thrown us into their society, and they are a dark, loathsome, and
forbidding people, and they live around us in a wild uncultivated
state, in these mountains and valleys, and I have proved them, some of
them to have partaken of the proper spirit, and many of them begin to
feel well. I have heard men prophesy in the early part of this
Church, that in 25 years Jesus would come to reign upon the earth, and
that in that time all would be wound up, and hence they were going to
redeem Israel in the mountains and wind all up in a short time, but I
have desired to have our Lamanite brethren brought to understanding,
and come and be united with us in the covenant of peace and
salvation—to see them learn the arts of civilization and quit their
habits of blood and murder; I wish to see them learn the truth, come
and be a white and delightsome people. All these ideas and feelings
seemed to be given up years ago, but by-and-by the Lord threw us into
a position where we could be tested and proved, and how do we feel and
act? I ought to touch a few points which I consider most extravagant
in the conduct of the Latter-day Saints. Some people, for instance,
when the Lamanites come to their houses will call out, "here, be off,
we do not want to see you, go away." These natives come to their
houses, dark, dirty, and miserable it is true, but they come like
little children, but the brethren and sisters order them off,
literally throw them away. And I have seen them go to other places and
the people would commence their jokes upon them, and making a good
deal of freedom with them. Well, both these things I have laid aside
as being spurious and not good. According to our faith, there is a
right way and one only, and if any people can split hairs this people
can, and do most assuredly about the right way to deal with these poor
loathsome creatures. Oh, says one family, "we do not want them in
here, we cannot do with them in our houses, upon our beds, or on our
floors which have been cleaned." There have been times that I have had
them with me in my house and have made a good fire to warm them, and I
would shake hands with them and tell them that I liked them, and that
the great Spirit liked them as well as I did. They will come to beg
and say, "we want to get wheat to feed upon," then I would reply that
"I wanted it for my 'papooses,' I would be glad to do it, but I have
many 'papooses' and cannot spare any." Treat them courteously, and
do
not let any kind of remarks fall from your lips that will make them
believe that you want to sauce them, and on the other hand, do not use
any freedom with them, take no step to make them believe that you are
their enemy, but show that you are their friend by your kindness and
liberality to them. I have always treated them well, and now many of
them come into my house, and they make no particular ado, neither do I
with them, but I am strict, I use no freedom; I forbid my boys
scuffling or joking with them, and if they ask for a thing that I have
not got, I tell them kindly, and then they will walk away, but they
will come again another day. By acting in this way when they ask for
anything and I tell them that I have not got it, they believe me,
because they have had no occasion to disbelieve me. I do not say to them that they have taken liberties in my house which I cannot
submit to, for I never give them the opportunity. I cannot see, for my
part that it is the privilege of people to abuse them. I believe that
we have to treat them with respect and the spirit of uprightness. We
will examine the law which our Father, the Great Spirit, and Great
Chief, has delivered to us to obey. Teach them the law of God, do it
mildly and kindly, and it will take an effect upon them, but harsh
measures will not. These are my views with regard to the Lamanites,
and I believe in being good-tempered with those men; I believe in
teaching them to cultivate the land and raise grain for themselves,
and in teaching them our language, and I tell my second son that he
must learn to talk theirs. Squashead often comes to my house and he
will hollow out when at a distance—"Joseph Young, Joseph Young, give
me meat and bread." I give him some, and then he will ask for some
wheat, and I tell him I cannot spare it. Once when he came, he asked
if I had any hay; "yes, got hay;" he wanted to lie down. "Well,"
said
I, "lie down on the hay." He came to me one day and put his hand upon
my shoulder, and pointed with the other, and said—"Joseph Young, got
one heart, one tongue, one ear—I want something to eat," and then his
brother came, and I always respond in feeding them, and I have this
faith that if treated properly they will ere long see the truth, and I
tell you brethren, when brother Benson was speaking of his views and
feelings I felt to say, that is by the power of God, and there is
nothing that is more of the power of God to me that when men are
speaking of this mean, poor, low, miserable, dejected people, for they
have been in favor with God as we now are, and we should be delighted
to have them brought to the light, and we shall endeavor to have them
made clean. What has been the cause of their filthiness? The same as
would befall us if we were to rebel and do the same things which they
have done. They are a poor miserable set of people, and they have been
abused and trampled upon by their enemies, and when I talk about them
I think of the vision I had some time ago, when I saw them in their
redeemed state, and they looked so bright, and clean, and glorious,
and this people are the individuals who have to bring this about, and
as I said, just because God's ways are not as ours. The Spirit of the
Lord, of the God of Israel, brings things in their time and place.
God's work is not like man's; the Lord shows things to come, perhaps
in dreams or by visions of the night, and we should learn what is
mingled and connected in his designs. We should observe so as to know
what is intended, so that we may not run into a snag. We have not a
great many inconveniences to contend with, and hence we should feel
for Israel, and I just know that there is a material change in the
feelings of that people in these mountains and valleys. How do you
know it says one? I know it by the spirit of their chiefs, and I know
it by the spirit that rules in the breasts of a great many of them.
"You must not kill the Mormons" they say, "they are our friends, and
they want to do us good." There has been a material, a radical change,
and I say that it is the power of God that has done it, and only let
us be of one heart and of one mind, and the thing will be brought
about in the due time of the Lord.
I thought I would say so much in favor of the red men, and here let
me advise you to mark your feelings from this time, and see if you do
not feel better when you feed them, than when you take up the
sword to fight them. Be liberal, and be just as kind as you can be,
and then see if you will not feel better than when you took up the
guns to shoot them. There is the touchstone and the balance wheel!
Keep a good spirit within you towards that people and it will be well.
I am not afraid, neither should be if I were in the wilderness. The
spirit of intelligence which I carry with me, and which is in them
would clear my way, and those men would never hurt a hair of my head,
and why? Because I would treat them kindly and manifest a good spirit.
Brother Francis Durphy tells an anecdote about some Indians; he says,
"that as he was coming from California with a few others they saw a
large band of Indians, and they went right up and met them, and as
they went up the old chief came as by some unseen influence, and held
his hands up and seemed quite pleased to have a talk with them. The
chiefs kept turning back to talk to the brethren; they were so pleased
that they dismounted and conversed, and they seemed to be filled with
the Spirit of God, they felt well; they could not stay, they said they
must go to their squaws and papooses; the brethren gave them some
fish, and they went off in the best of spirits." This shows that there
is a power that controls them, and will continue to their salvation. I
know this is true; I cling to them and intend to do so through.
May God bless you. Amen.