It is pleasant to enjoy an opportunity of coming together as we do
from time to time to listen to the words of eternal truth as they flow
from the lips of the servants of God, and especially as they have been
communicated unto us during the Conference that is past. We have all
of us been very much interested and edified, and the only thing for us
to do now is to seek to improve by those teachings that we have
received, that they may not be lost upon us; but against the time that
another Conference comes round, let us be able to feel that we have
very much progressed in the things of God. The work of God is one of
continued progress; it has been from the time of its commencement
until the present. Although we improve, we have not always been enabled
to discover the hand of God in regard to his dealings with the human
family; yet, at the present time, there is nothing more clear, visible
and easy to comprehend. Some years ago we used to preach about the
ushering in of the kingdom of God upon the earth; we used to talk
about God having revealed himself from the heavens, and that he had
restored a pure religion as it had existed in ancient days with
Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, Evangelists, gifts, healings, and
administering angels, and the power of the Holy Ghost through the
Priesthood; we felt happy and rejoiced in the things communicated unto
us, and which we gladly made known to others; we rejoiced to be
participators in those things that God has revealed for the salvation
of fallen man. We, at the same time, had our minds inspired by the
Spirit of God, and the Elders that made known unto us things that
would transpire in the latter days told us of judgments to come upon the wicked, and of salvation to be extended to the
righteous; that God had undertaken to manage the affairs of his people
and of the world, and that he would bless his followers inasmuch as
they would walk in obedience to his laws and his precepts, not only
with the blessings of this world but with salvation in the celestial
kingdom of God. We can now see that at that time we beheld only in
part the glory of the latter day beginning to dawn, and as the vision
of our mind began to be enlarged and expanded we were enabled to look
forward into the future, and we now rejoice in the bright prospect
that is being developed from time to time. In the beginning of this
work our minds were, and even now are contracted more or less, but yet
we have a more general view of the events that have been spoken of
concerning the last days. These events that were foretold by the
Prophets and Seers of past ages are now transpiring upon the earth,
and, as the last ten, fifteen, or twenty years have passed, those
events have rolled along with accelerated speed, and we have seen the
visible hand of God. The persecutions that we have endured from time
to time have shown us the feeling and spirit of the religious world,
but out of all these tribulations the Almighty has delivered us, and
notwithstanding the opposition that we have had to combat, he has now
brought us to a position that we can command some respect in this and
other nations of the earth, for the people not only look upon us as a
religious community, but as a great people politically, occupying a
desirable position upon this continent. It is true when we have the
Spirit upon us we look forward to the time when we shall have the
literal kingdom of God established, and when we shall exercise rule
and dominion, and when we shall increase, and so con tinue until the
kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God and of his
Christ. These feelings occupied our breast in our infancy, in the
Church, but some ideas of the reality of the vast unborn future were
more or less confused; it was very difficult for us to have just
conceptions of God's dealings with us and with the nations of the
earth. It was thought by many that when Joseph Smith offered himself
as a candidate for President of the United States that it was
dangerous and foolish policy, and, in fact, it was quite difficult for
many to bring their feelings up to that point.
We have been struggling against the powers of darkness, so far as
religion is concerned, from the year 1830, as we have increased in
numbers we have naturally assumed a social and political status, and
have been obliged to organize a government, and make laws in
accordance with those of that nation with which we are associated; we
are now struggling, and expect to have to struggle for our religious,
social, and political rights.
Many intelligent men have long understood that there was nothing in
the religious systems of men; we have comprehended them, weighed them
in the balances and found them wanting. The general feeling has been
for a long time that there was no argument that could be brought, in a
religious point of view, that could stand before our Elders. There are
very few of our Elders that would fear combating the doctrines of the
ministers of the world; they all feel that the knowledge which God has
communicated unto them is superior to everything else, they feel to
rely upon the Almighty, and ask no odds of any of the wicked in the
world. These have been the feelings of the Elders of this Church for
years.
In a political point of view we have had doubts whether some
systems were not as good as ours, and whether we had not better be
governed by the powers of the world than listen to the teachings of
God; however, as we have progressed the mist has been removed, and in
relation to these matters, the Elders of Israel begin to understand
that they have something to do with the world politically as well as
religiously, that it is as much their duty to study correct political
principles as well as religious, and to seek to know and comprehend
the social and political interests of man, and to learn and be able to
teach that which would be best calculated to promote the interests of
the world. As President Young says frequently, we have made
advancement, and now begin to comprehend many things of which we were
before ignorant. We have been striving, to a certain degree, to get
correct information in relation to all matters necessary for our
future advancement and understanding of things in connection with the
Saints of God, we have been endeavoring to promote the
righteousness, the putting away and overcoming of iniquity, and the
hand of God has been with us guiding and directing us. It is not
necessary to go over the details of our history, but, suffice it to
say, that many circumstances that were of a critical character, and
trying for the time being, have turned out to be for our best good and
to our future advantage. Many of the Saints thought it was difficult
and trying to leave Nauvoo, but should we like to go back there now?
There is not a man but would say that he is better off than he would
have been if he had remained in the State of Illinois, yet, as one of
the poet's has said—
"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs
And works his sovereign will.
Ye fearful Saints fresh courage take
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning Providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower."
We have proven that the hand of God has directed us, and by it we are
sustained, as we now find ourselves here on the present occasion.
Well, now, if the Lord has blessed us, as he has done, what reason
have we to fear for the future. Some people ask what will be the
result of our acts at the present time? I don't care; God has
dictated, and it is his business to dictate those that guide us and
direct our energies. If you have got a religion that is different from
that of other people, won't they persecute you? Yes; but what of that?
We dare to have a religion of our own. Years ago we dared to have
faith for ourselves, and to come forth amongst the contumely of the
world and to say we were Saints, and that we had taken upon us the
name of Jesus Christ, and were resolved to fulfil the obligations
which the Church of Christ had imposed upon us. This we felt years and
years ago. Did we experience it? Certainly; men would persecute us,
laugh at us and deprive us of our happiness if they could. A great
many influences were brought to bear against us. Well, now, is it
consistent that all the churches that are spoken of in the Book of
Mormon as well as in the Bible, that have been and still are being
built up to get gain, and for the purpose of keeping hordes of men
living upon the people in comparative idleness; I ask is it
reasonable that all these systems and organizations of men will give up without a struggle? I tell you nay. If such be the
position of the religious world, I would further ask, is it reasonable
that the political powers of the earth will give up without a
struggle? It would be at variance with history, with Scripture and
prophecy, and human nature, and contrary to anything we ever heard of.
The question may be asked, then, what shall we do; yield to the
prejudices and diction of men or to the laws of God? The poet
says—"Do what is right, let the consequence follow." This is the duty
of the Latter-day Saints in their attempts and endeavors to build up
Zion, and not to ask any questions as to what men may think of us or
our acts, that we, as a people, this nation and the world, are in the
hands of God. It is for us to do our duty and fear no consequences,
the result of our acts and those of other men and nations the Almighty
will control, but let us seek that wisdom which cometh from above, and
let us pursue that course that will keep us under the influence of the
Spirit of God in all of our doings before the Great Eloheim. Are you
not afraid that the President of the United States will operate
against us, and send an army here? No: I am not, for God has the
control of him and all armies, but I do expect that influence upon
influence, and stratagem upon stratagem will be brought to bear until
this kingdom becomes the kingdom of our God and of his Christ, and the
Saints take it and possess it forever and forever.
We have been talking for years about the rule and government of the
kingdom of God and its final establishment upon the earth, in peace
and righteousness; and also about the time when every creature which
is in the heavens and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as
are in the sea, and all that are in them, will be heard saying,
"Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." We have been
talking about these things, but there is much to be done in the
intermediate space between the present and that impenetrable period in
the great future. It is not all a matter of faith, but there is some
action required; it is a thing that we have got to engage in
ourselves, individually and collectively as a people, and it is a
matter of no small concern.
This cause and kingdom is attracting the attention of all good men
upon the earth as of Prophets and Saints that have passed behind the
veil. Apostles and Prophets have desired to see the day that we see,
and to participate in the blessings that we enjoy, but have died
without the sight. They used to talk of the kingdom that should be
established; they also talked of the time when the powers of darkness
should be destroyed, and when God would organize his kingdom upon the
earth, control his people and become ruler and dictator of the world.
He will then fully deliver them from the mists and darkness with which
they have been enveloped, and give light, life, wisdom, and power to
all the obedient of the human family. Then all shall be taught of God
and understand correct principle, and every Saint have a living
monitor within to qualify them to understand the great blessings with
which they are endowed. The Saints of former days looked forward with
joy to the time when the principles of truth should be established
throughout the world, and so do we.
These were things that the ancients looked forward to; but they did
not have the privilege to look at them as we do, and they died without
having the privilege of enjoying the blessings promised.
The world has been full of darkness and wickedness, and has not under stood the things of God; but many of the past as well as
the present generations have been full of bloodthirstiness, fraud, and
oppression, without any correct principles, without the Spirit of the
Lord to direct them. It is so now, and hence the wars and turmoils
that at present exist in these United States—a war of brother against
brother to destroy each other, and to bring each other into bondage.
This is the condition of things as they exist in this country at the
present time, and this state of things will increase throughout the
whole world, and all the inhabitants thereof will participate in the
very things that are now transpiring in this nation. "Is there no balm
in Gilead; is there no physician there?" There seems indeed to be very
little hope; we talk about conquests and victories; but we talk
without God, his decrees must be accomplished. Is God's work to stand
still? No; for the salvation of the people depends upon its progress.
The Almighty has established this kingdom with order and laws and
everything pertaining thereto, that we might understand his will and
operate in his kingdom, that we might be taught of God and understand
correct principles, that when the nations shall be convulsed, we may
stand forth as saviors, and do that which will be best calculated to
produce the well-being of the human family and finally redeem a ruined
world, not only in a religious but in a political point of view.
We have commenced in this important work, we have labored diligently
with a hardhearted and stiffnecked generation; many of us have
striven for years to do mankind good, and what have we to fear in
relation to the results of the cause in which we are engaged, or the
result of our labors for the salvation of men; we are simply agents;
we did not start it. Is there any of us capable of originating this
work, or of guiding it after it has commenced? No, only those that are
set apart and inspired and dictated by the Almighty, and who rely upon
the arm of Jehovah, and who by their humility, faith, and obedience,
call down the blessings of the Lord. True there are those who are
capable of understanding political principles to some extent, but even
that is very little indeed, when we consider government as viewed by
man and then as revealed by the Almighty. By the testimony of Jesus,
which is the Spirit of Prophecy and the fostering care of our Father
in heaven we get an understanding of correct principles, and in spite
of all the powers of darkness that may be brought in array against us,
we can carry out the wishes of our Heavenly Father in aiding in the
establishing of righteousness upon the earth. What are we looking for?
To establish the kingdom of God upon the earth, according to the
predictions of all the Prophets that have spoken since the world
began.
We are a very small company of people here, but God is with us; and,
if he were not, it would be very little use asking or thinking of
doing anything for the amelioration of the condition of the human
family. There is one of two things true. We are either laboring under
one of the greatest delusions that ever afflicted the human race, or
we are under the direction of the great God. There is no halfway
business about it. I have said to men where I have been preaching,
when they professed to believe me to be honest, but deceived, I did
not want them to set me down so, for I was either right or I was a
hypocrite and a deceiver. We know that we have embraced the principles
of eternal truth, and we also know that we cannot get rid of them. I
tested them thoroughly at the commencement, if I could have overthrown them by truth, I would; but I could not; and I had either
to embrace Mormonism or acknowledge myself dishonest; I believed,
obeyed, and rejoiced in the Gospel. Since I received and obeyed the
truth I have never seen anything to cause me to waver; I have examined
our religion closely and have found nothing to doubt; neither has
anything crossed my mind in regard to the Saints accomplishing the
purposes of the Almighty upon the earth or that has caused me to fear
and tremble, but I have ever felt strong in the Lord God of Israel,
and I feel today, as I have felt for the last twenty years.
Now as to the great future what shall we say? Why, a little stone has
been cut out of the mountains without hands, and this little stone is
becoming a great nation, and it will eventually fill the whole earth.
How will it fill it, religiously? Yes, and politically too, for it
will have the rule, the power, the authority, the dominion in its own
hands. This is the position that we are destined to occupy. We need
not borrow trouble or be afraid because we had a little fuss with our
respected Uncle Sam a short time ago, we could not help it, we did not
originate it, it was forced upon us, but God delivered us. Suppose we
should have a difficulty similar to the one which we then had, should
we have nothing to do but to sing ourselves away to everlasting bliss?
Yes, we should find plenty to do as we did then. I expect one nation
after another to rise against us until they will all be broken to
pieces. We have a great many things to accomplish; we need not think
that we have no business to attend to or that the world has gone
through its regeneration, for it has got to be struggle after
struggle, and power after power will be arrayed against us, and then,
if we have not learned it we shall learn that God is our strength, and
that in him only can we trust. If we think we are going to get through
this probation with the little difficulty we have had, we might as
well give it up. Now I think that it will be a struggle all the time.
How hard it is for us to give up our feelings, to resign our will. How
hard it is to do right by ourselves, by our families, by our
neighbors and friends and to do right by the Church and kingdom of
God, to do right by God and be honest with all men, and how difficult
it seems to have our hearts right, and purged from iniquity and sin.
We have a continued struggle to manage our own little selves. Don't
you believe that it will be harder to combat the powers of the world?
I think it will. How many things are transpiring among us as Saints,
how many hard speeches, contentions, and strifes there are, and how
much we are desirous of enforcing upon other men our own views and
feelings, and perhaps we have a very imperfect conception of what is
right and what is wrong ourselves.
This is what the world have been after so long. Now I do not want
that; no, I want to know the will of God. I would be like the Lord, I
would say, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my
thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the
way everlasting." —Psalm cxxxix, verses 23 and 24. This is as important
as anything else, for us to know ourselves, to understand ourselves,
to bring ourselves up to a mark, and see if we are ready and know
whether we can yield our stubborn will or not, and if we can yield to
the dictation of the servants of God, and if we are willing to be
subject to that which is wanted. If we are, then we shall understand
what Jesus says—"If any man will do my will, he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." We should all understand that that kind of teaching that was
true in the days of the Apostles is true now. The Savior said, "My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give
unto them eternal life: and a stranger they will not follow, but will
flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." One of the
Saints said, "Ye have an unction within you, and have no need that any
teach you, except the unction that is within you." If we know how to
follow the dictation of the Spirit of God, then we shall have the
light and intelligence of Heaven continually. Then we shall have that
Spirit which will enable us to know for ourselves in regard to correct
principles, and strive to improve in all things, and not be inclined
to follow a stranger. There is a kind of a certainty in regard to our
principles that has not been found anywhere else. No people upon the
face of the earth are blessed to the same extent as this people. It is
our privilege to have knowledge of all doctrines and principles that
are taught, and if we do not have this knowledge we are living below
our privileges. It is said in one of the revelations that the voice of
the people is the voice of God; this is because they are taught alike,
they are taught correct principles and when they are united, then
their voice in regard to any principle becomes the voice of God, for
it brings us into connection with him and his Spirit. You remember
what was said in ancient times, by John the Apostle: "And there are
three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the
blood: and these three agree in one." —1st John, v. chap., 8th verse.
We are told in the same chapter that there are three that bear record
in heaven. Now, if you will examine these things carefully you will
find something that is interesting. For instance, one of the witnesses
in heaven is one that is a witness on the earth, even the Spirit, and
when we are in the possession of this witness, having received it by
the laying on of hands, we have a hope and a connection that reaches
within the veil. We have the principles of eternal life made known
unto us and our children, and we are heirs of God and of Jesus Christ
our Lord. When this Gospel found us we had forsaken God, and the whole
of the religious world had broken off from the truth, and they had
formed another league, got in possession of other hopes, of another
spirit, hence the feelings the servants of God have when speaking of
these things.
Our brethren are and have been too guilty of dabbling with the wicked,
instead of feeling that they are Elders of Israel, nobles of the earth
and that they are above those little, contracted, narrowed-up
influences. This is about the kind of feeling that we ought to have.
What is there in the world that should attract our attention? Their
gold and silver and clothing are all well enough, but have we not got
them here? Yes, they are all here, we are here, and all that we have
got to do is to pursue the even tenor of our way as the Lord wants us,
and instead of being servants of the world, let us be servants of God,
and instead of being dictated by the world, let us be dictated by the
Lord and be under the influence of the Spirit of God, having that
intelligence, power, and wisdom in our possession that is necessary for
us to have as Saints of the living God that we may be harmless in the
midst of a perverse generation, and that we as Elders of Israel may
demean ourselves aright, and preserve ourselves humble and faithful in
the sight of Heaven. Let us ever be ready to do anything that is
required of us, that the Almighty may feel towards us as he
did towards Abraham of old. "I know him," said the Lord, "he will
command his house and his children after him." Then what have we to
do? We are the Saints of the living God, and let us bow down and
worship him, and by our obedience to the principles of life show that
we are the servants of God without rebuke.
How is the world going to be redeemed think you? If the kingdom of God
is ever built up the Almighty will have to dictate things himself.
Through what medium will he do this? Is he going to send his angels to
gather the people? He has got thousands of them but he has his own way
of doing things and that is through the Priesthood. If we are teachers
we think faithful people ought to listen to us; if we are Bishops we
of course think that the people ought to respect our council, and if
Presidents we are anxious to see the people obedient, if so, is it not
right for us to listen to those that are over us? All people in this
government should listen to the head, for that is the order of God. It
is all very nice; it is a beautiful theory; everybody under our rule
must submit, our wives and our children must yield obedience; we all
admire the beauty and order and harmony of the Church of God until it
comes to touch us, and we are the only people exempt. We are very apt
to show that we like a little of our own way, and that although God's
government is very good for others, that we do not like to be
interfered with so much. If this be our feeling why do we act
hypocritically? Why exact of others that which we will not do or yield
ourselves? Why not, if we are the rich men we profess to be, be on
hand, show our willingness at all times to do what is required of us,
seek the Spirit of the Lord, for when we get that we will be willing
to yield to its dictates. It is very easy to submit to law, and
doubtless we should all be ready enough to submit if the Almighty
should come and speak to us face to face; he chooses to speak by his
messengers, to them we must yield obedience. Jesus said, in his day,
what is true in this, "he that receiveth you receiveth me, and
receiveth him that sent me; and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me, and
rejecteth him that sent me."
Brethren, may God direct us and help us to keep the commandments of
our Father; I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.