A DISCOURSE DELIVERED BY ELDER JOHN TAYLOR, IN THE TABERNACLE,GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, JUNE 12, 1853
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In rising to address you this morning, I do it with feelings of peculiarpleasure, for I always love to meet with the Saints of the Most High; Ialways loved to speak or to hear of the things associated with the kingdomof God; and consequently, as we are all engaged in the worship of the Almighty,and meet together from time to time, to sing, to pray, to speak, to edify,and be edified, it is of little importance to me what part I take in thedrama, I am pleased at all times to hear my brethren speak, and it likewisegives me pleasure to address the Saints for their edification.
As men and women of intelligence, as those who profess to be the servantsof the Most High, we all have more or less reflection pertaining to thekingdom of God. The ideas that we have entertained, relative to this kingdom,have brought us here; these feelings and principles have caused its to leaveour native homes, our former habitations and associations, and, to minglewith the Saints of the Most High in the valleys of these mountains. If wehave suffered afflictions and privations, if we have passed through troublesor sorrows, if we have had to do with the chequered scenes or this life,more particularly as it is associated with the kingdom of God, it is becausewe have been stimulated by thoughts, feelings, hopes, and desires, pertainingto the eternal world, and those things associated with our everlasting welfare.
If these are not our feelings, what are we doing here? Why are we foundin this distant land? Why have we left the land of our birth, and dwellingplace? Why have we quitted out former associations and friends, in differentnations, countries, tongues, and peoples, and thus become amalgamated? Whydo we together worship the Most High in the valleys of the mountains, ifthese have not been our feelings? We have come here expressly for this purpose.This has been our only object, our only hope, our chief desire, and mayaccount for our singular gathering, and our peculiar location here. Andnotwithstanding we may have a few trials and difficulties, and various thingsthat frequently perplex and annoy our minds, and disturb our feelings, yetthe polar star of our minds, the strong and deep feeling of affection, andthe principle of truth within us, still point to the same thing for whichwe started at the commencement of our career; and when we bow down beforeour God, when we enter into our closet and call upon the Lord, when associatedwith our families to supplicate the Most High, when we mingle with the Saintsin public worship, or whenever we are led seriously to reflect upon thetrue position of this kingdom, our rejoicing is, that our face is Zion ward,that our hopes are placed upon God, and we know that He is our Father andFriend. We contemplate with joy that the heavens have been opened, thattruth has been revealed, and the power of God developed; that angels havemanifested themselves, that the glory of the eternal world has been madeknown, and that we have been made participators in that light, glory, andintelligence which God has been pleased to reveal for the blessing, salvation,and exaltation of the human family in this time and throughout all eternity.These are our feelings.
We believe that God has set His hand in these last days to accomplishHis purposes, to gather together His elect from the four winds, even tofulfill the words which He has spoken by all the holy Prophets, to redeemthe earth from the power of the curse, to save the human family from theruins of the fall, and to place mankind in that position which God designedthem to occupy before this world came into existence, or the morning starssang together for joy. We believe in and realise these things; we feel them,we appreciate them, and therefore are we thus assembled together.
I know that, as other men, we have our trials, afflictions, sorrows,and privations; we meet with difficulties; we have to contend with the world,with the powers of darkness, with the corruptions of men, and a varietyof evils; yet at the same time through these things we have to be made perfect.It is necessary that we should have a knowledge of ourselves, of our trueposition and standing before God, and comprehend our strength, our weakness,our ignorance and intelligence, our wisdom and our folly, that we may knowhow to appreciate true principles, and comprehend, and put a proper valueupon, all things as they present themselves before our minds. It is necessarythat we should know our own weaknesses, and the weaknesses of our fellow-men;our own strength, as well as the strength of others; and comprehend ourtrue position before God, angels, and men; that we may be inclined to treatall with due respect, and not to overvalue our own wisdom or strength, nordepreciate it, nor that of others, but put our trust in the living God,and follow after Him, and realise that we are His children, and that Heis our Father, and that our dependence is upon Him, and that every blessingwe receive flows from His beneficent hand.
It is necessary, then, that we pass through the school of suffering,trial, affliction, and privation, to know ourselves, to know others, andto know our God. Therefore it was necessary, when the Saviour was upon theearth, that he should be tempted in all points, like unto us, and "betouched with the feeling of our infirmities," to comprehend the weaknessesand strength, the perfections and imperfections of poor fallen human nature.And having accomplished the thing he came into the world to do; having hadto grapple with the hypocrisy, corruption, weakness, and imbecility of man;having met with temptation and trial in all its various forms, and overcome,he has become a "faithful High Priest" to intercede for us inthe everlasting kingdom of His Father. He knows how to estimate and puta proper value upon human nature, for he having been placed in the sameposition as we are, knows how to bear with our weaknesses and infirmities,and can fully comprehend the depth, power, and strength of the afflictionsand trials that men have to cope with in this world, and thus understandinglyand by experience, he can bear with them as a father and an elder brother.
It is necessary, also, inasmuch as we profess that we are aiming atthe same glory, exaltation, power, and blessing in the eternal world, thatwe should pass through the same afflictions, endure the same privations,conquer as he conquered, and overcome as he did, and thus by integrity,truth, virtue, purity, and a high-minded and honorable course before God,angels, and men, secure for ourselves an eternal exaltation in the eternalworld, as he did.
The world, at the present time, is all confused, and it seems to me,sometimes, that even we have made very little improvement indeed, accordingto the light and intelligence God has communicated to us. But what has theworld done? Whether you look at it morally, religiously, philosophically,or politically, or in what way you please, you will find it is all a chaoticmass. Confusion, disorder, weakness, corruption, and vice of every kindare abounding, and the whole world seems to be confused and retrograding.The human family have departed from the principles which God has laid downfor their guidance, direction, and support; they have forsaken Him the fountainof living waters, and hewn out to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns,that can hold no water.
I shall not, at the present, examine particularly their philosophy orpolitics; these things you are already acquainted with, for you have hadmore or less to do with them; you have seen their weakness, and incompetencyto accomplish anything they desired in times past. There is no project theyhave put on foot, to the present time, if carried out to the furthest extent,according to the most sanguine desires of its advocates, that would be capableof producing happiness to the human family. I shall not enter into a detailof these things at the present, but merely make this statement. Sufficeit to say that we have been satisfied of these things years ago, and thereforehave come here. Have we come here because we expect to become more rich?No.
Have we united with this Church because we expect to become more honorablein the eyes of the world? No. I think this work would have been the lastship we should have boarded, if that had been what we sought. This remindsme of a minister that I once conversed with in England. He wanted a littleprivate conversation, after having had some public debate with me. Saidhe, "Elder Taylor, is there any way you know of that I can be savedwithout uniting with your Church?" These were the feelings most ofus had when we first heard the Gospel. "Mormonism" is the firstimpression, and the "Mormons" are looked upon as being deludedfanatics and fools, the offscouring of the earth. This is the way we havebeen looked upon, and in this light we looked upon "Mormonism",ourselves, at the first. When I first read about the Gospel preached bythe Latter-day Saints, I thought it was nothing akin to religion; and Ipresume now that the people in England, and in the United States, particularlysince they have heard some of the late doctrines which have been proclaimed,think it is nothing like religion. I know what their feelings are, and Iknow that nothing but a sterling desire to do the will of God will causemen to endure the contumely and reproach of their fellow men, and associatethemselves with the people denominated Latter-day Saints or "Mormons."We had similar feelings to these ourselves; and we united with this peoplebecause we considered there was truth associated with their religion, otherwisewe never should have become converts to it, we should never have been here,but we should have been with the world, and following in their path. Butwe are here; the world have their ideas, and we have ours. I was going tosay, they think they are right; but on reflecting a moment, I am led tothink they do not think so, but they are at a loss to know how to mend themselves.The difference between them and us is, they think they do not know a betterway than that they are pursuing; we think we do, and some of us know wedo. I confess, myself, that if I knew no other religion, than the religionsthat are propagated abroad, I would not be a religious man at all, but Iwould lay it all aside, as something beneath my notice, and worship Godas the great Supreme of the Universe, according to my own judgment, independentof the opinions of man, and without having any regard to the ridiculousdogmas taught in the world.
Many find fault with and blame the infidel community, and say that nonebut scoundrels would be associated with them, &c. The most intelligentmen in the world are found among the Infidel class of society. They seea variety of sects and parties contending for all kinds of conflicting dogmas.They know that persecution and wrong have prevailed, under the cloak ofreligion, causing many to be imprisoned and put to death. In fact therehas been no inhumanity, barbarity, or cruelty equal to that practised bythe professors of religion. Humanity shudders at the thought, and yet thehypocrites tell us, it is all for the love of God. And they do it for thebenefit of the human family. The Catholics have killed Protestants by thousands,and vice versa, and yet we must believe it is for the love of God, and forthe welfare of souls. Can I think that God has any thing to do with influencingsuch a course of conduct? No. What can there be more ridiculous, for instance,at the present day, than two Christian nations fighting with each other,and both worshipping the same God, and whose ministers call upon God, asthey say, in sincerity. What for? For God to destroy their enemies, theirbrother Christians, who are going to the same heaven. The other party prayfor the same thing, and when both have been praying, then comes the clangof arms, the deadly strife, the groans of the dying, blood, carnage, anddesolation. And after they have got through, the victorious party thankGod that He has given them the victory over their enemies.
These kinds of christian feelings do exist. I speak of this as one circumstance.What can I think of such priests, and of such prayers? I think just as muchof one as I do of the other. But what would you think of the gullibilityof the people who would listen to such things? Would I be gulled by suchinconsistencies? Not if I had my reason. At the present time, take Christiansin general, which, you know, we all suppose to be the best people in theworld, and one half of their time is spent in polemical essays and strife;and I think sometimes our Elders engage too much in that matter. But I amnot surprised at it, because they have come from that school, and have beentrained in that element. They seem to have the bump of combativeness welldeveloped, for almost the very first thing that men do when they go outto preach, is to run against these Christians, and their principles. Weare not among them here, but gathered out from them, and if we refer totheir inconsistencies, it is that we may comprehend our own, and the positionof others.
There are Catholicism, Presbyterianism, and all other isms, the advocatesof which worship the same God, though their doctrine, precepts, and beliefare not the same; they think differently, and worship differently, and eachparty sends to hell, in a wholesale manner, all who differ from them! andif God was no more merciful than they are, we should find ourselves allthere together. This is the way things exist down in the world. If it wasnot for the religion I profess, which gives me to know something about thematter, by revelation for myself, I would not have anything to do with religionat all. I would worship God the best way I knew how, and act justly andhonorably with my neighbor; which I believe thousands of that class of mencalled Infidels do at the present day. But I never would submit to be gulledwith the nonsense that exists in the world, under the name of religion.
What is it, then, that we believe in? We believe in the restorationof all things. We believe that God has spoken from the heavens. If I didnot believe He had, I would not be here. We believe that angels have appeared,that the heavens have been opened. We believe in eternal principles, inan eternal Gospel, an eternal Priesthood, in eternal communications andassociations. Every thing associated with the Gospel that we believe inis eternal. If it were not so, I would want nothing to do with it. I donot want to make a profession, and worship a God because this one, thatone, or the other one does it, and I not know whether I am right, and thosewhom I imitate not know, any more than myself, whether they are right orwrong.
I profess to know for myself, and if I did not know for myself, I wouldhave nothing to do with it. Acting upon this principle, I associated myselfwith the Latter-day Saints. I preach that doctrine which I verily believewith my whole soul. I believe in its principles, because there is somethingintelligent about it. For instance-if I am an eternal being, I want somethingthat is calculated to satisfy the capacious desires of that eternal mind.If I am a being that came into the world yesterday, and leaves it againtomorrow, I might as well have one religion as another, or none at all;"let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die." If I am an eternalbeing, I want to know something about that eternity with which I am associated.I want to know something about God, the devil, heaven, and hell. If hellis a place of misery, and heaven a place of happiness, I want to know howto escape the one, and obtain the other. If I cannot know something aboutthese things which are to come in the eternal world, I have no religion,I would not have any, I would not give a straw for it. It would be too lowand grovelling a consideration for a man of intelligence, in the absenceof this knowledge. If there is a God, I want a religion that supplies somemeans of certain and tangible communication with Him. If there is a heaven,I want to know what sort of a place it is. If there are angels, I want toknow their nature, and their occupation, and of what they are composed.If I am an eternal being, I want to know what I am to do when I get throughwith time; whether I shall plant corn and hoe it, or be engaged in someother employment. I do not want any person to tell me about a heaven thatis "beyond the bounds of time and space," a place that no personcan possibly know any thing about, or ever reach, if they did. I do notwish any person to frighten me nearly to death, by telling me about a hellwhere sinners are roasted upon gridirons, and tossed up by devils upon pitchforks,and other sharp pointed instruments. These notions are traditionary, andhave come from the old mother church.
I have a Catholic book containing pictures of devils roasting sinnerson gridirons, tossing them about with pitchforks; of snakes and dragonsdevouring them, &c.; which I have brought with me from the old country.The Protestants are indebted to the Catholics for all this blessed information,and all the glory associated with it, and I suppose the Catholics are indebtedto some of the ancient painters for it. I want nothing to do with such things,I care nothing about them. But as an intelligent being, if I have a mindcapable of reflection, I wish to contemplate the works of nature, and toknow something of nature's God, and my destiny. I love to view the thingsaround me; to gaze upon the sun, moon, and stars; to study the planetarysystem, and the world we inhabit; to behold their beauty, order, harmony,and the operations of existence around me. I can see something more thanthat mean jargon, those childish quibbles, this heaven beyond the boundsof time and space, where they have nothing to do but sit and sing themselvesaway to everlasting bliss, or go and roast on gridirons. There is nothinglike that to be found in nature-every thing is beautifully harmonious, andperfectly adapted to the position it occupies in the world. Whether youlook at birds, beasts, or the human system, you see something exquisitelybeautiful and harmonious, and worthy of the contemplation of all intelligence.What is mans wisdom in comparison to it? I could not help but believe therewas a God, if there was no such thing as religion in the world.
If we look at men, with the best and most exalted talents you can find,what do they know or comprehend, or what can they do in comparison to theworks of God. What is there that is worthy of notice in all the mechanismof men, with all their intelligence and science combined, upon which theyhave been improving from year to year, and from generation to generation?What do they know to the present time? If you look at their governmentsyou see none of them pursuing their legitimate object of promoting the happinessof the world, but they are engaged in watching each other for evil, anddestroying themselves. They have organized armies, navies, custom-houseofficers, &c., in order to support their own peculiar locality and interests,independent of any thing else, or any regard to the rest of mankind. Theylook upon each other as upon as many thieves, and maintain their armiesand navies for self defence against the intrusions of their neighboringbrother robbers.
Such is the nature of the main organization of the nations at the presenttime. But if we look back for a few ages, we shall discover that where themost mighty nations existed generations ago, is now a desolate waste, anda howling wilderness. We are now occupying a place that was a wilderness,before we commenced to people it, but which was densely populated generationsago. Such is the case, in a great measure, with Palestine, Babylon, andmany parts of the Assyrian empire. Changes have been going on continually,and the ambition of man has desolated nations, overturned kingdoms, depopulatedempires, overthrown countries, and millions have had to welter in theirgore. This has been the wisdom of Gentile governments, with all their intelligenceand philosophy.
We look again at the works of God, and see nothing exhibited there butperfection, harmony, symmetry, and order. If we look at the planetary system,we see this principle beautifully and most perfectly maintained. Immenseplanets revolve round our sun, and this system; and other suns, with theirsystems, round another; and that, and innumerable other suns and systems,with our own, around another yet greater and more magnificent; and so, millionsof systems more in their order, until it is past our comprehension, andyet every thing is beautiful, perfect, and harmonious. If it was otherwise,if the kingdoms of God were governed by the same confused order of thingsthat are characteristic of the governments of this world, we would havehad planet dashing against planet in wild confusion, and millions of theirinhabitants sent to desolation in a moment
God's works are perfect. If you examine vegetation, how beautiful thatis. Who is there that can imitate it? We can see some painters who havemanaged to make rough daubs in imitation. One of the greatest feats thata painter ever did, was to paint a curtain so perfectly as to deceive anotherpainter so, that he went forward to draw it aside to exhibit a picture behindit. There are millions of curtains in the works of nature, which springforth from the works of God by that light which is in them, which is impartedto them by the great Eloheim.
We see men who are considered very talented, whose names are handeddown to posterity as great sculptors or painters. Their works are amongthe ancient ruins, and are exhibited as specimens of artistic skill, thatmen may see how intelligent their forefathers were. And what is it whichthey had wisdom to make? Something like a man, or a beast. But break offan arm or a leg, and you discover that it is but a lifeless piece of matter,though the outlines may be true to nature; and in this alone consist thebeauty and skill of the artist. But there is no life in them, and they fallfar short of perfection, beauty, and symmetry, as it is seen in the humansystem, or that of any other animal. Look upon a man, he is a perfect being,he is perfect inside and outside. If you remove the skin, the perfect coveringof the human form, the nerves, muscles, arteries, veins, and everythingnecessary for this peculiar system, are there found in perfect harmony,and in every way adapted to make complete a living, moving machine. Notonly so, but he is an intelligent being, capable of reflecting and acting.We profess to know a great deal, but what of our philosophy? Who is therecan tell me by what power I lift my right arm? If that cannot be told, whatdo we know? How far short, then, are we of that intelligence that governsthe universe, and regulates all the works of nature. I look at the bonesof the mammoth, and they tell me of something that was. I can gaze uponan elephant, as it now is, a mighty, ponderous moving machine, with strengthand energy. Who planned and contrived these mighty beings? I look againat the animalcula, a thousand of which can float in a drop of water, andI see, by means of a powerful glass, the veins, muscles, and everythingthat is perfect to constitute a living, moving creature, invisible to thenaked eye. He who organized the one, regulates the other. Man is an intelligentbeing, but how far does his intelligence fall short of that which regulatesthe world! He cannot even govern himself, he never was able to do it, andnever will be able until he receives that wisdom and intelligence whichcomes from God. If every man can obtain intelligence of that kind, and fromthat source, which governs the world, and keeps in order all the planetarysystems, and adapts every fish, fowl, and insect to its own peculiar positionin the world, and supplies all its wants; if he can receive it from God,as his instructor, he is then able to govern himself, possessing intelligencewhich he now knows nothing about; and intelligence which indeed is worthyof God and man. If I cannot have a portion of that intelligence and thatwisdom, if the great Eloheim cannot impart a portion of that spirit to me,and teach me the same lessons that He understands, I want nothing to dowith a system of theology at all.
I believe in obtaining from Him, intelligence to enable me to comprehendall the works of God, to comprehend all the purposes of God. And if I cannotknow something of these, I am altogether in the back-ground, and shall notbe able to comprehend my true position in society, and for what I came intothe world.
What are we? We are noble, intelligent beings, bearing the impress ofJehovah. With all our imperfections, we can reflect upon things back, andthings to come. Our minds are capable of flying from one part of the earthto the other, in less than a moment of time. We can contemplate things wedid in the years of our infancy, and thousands of miles distant from ourpresent position; and in another moment contemplate things that are a-headof us. That is a degree of wisdom and intelligence which God has impartedunto us, and which we may improve as intelligent beings, and, having tastedof the fountain, go and drink, and participate more fully in all those blessingswhich are in store for us.
I have often been amused at the narrow contracted ideas of men, whenI have looked abroad in the world, and seen their cogitations and calculationsin their writings. One man believes in justification by faith, another injustification by works. Some believe in one thing, and some in another;all have their own peculiar ideas, unguided and ungoverned by the only legitimaterule and standard of truth-the living and eternal Priesthood of God. Fewcan extend their charity sufficiently for to believe it is possible thatsome will be saved as well as themselves; but that some few thousands ofpeople are going to heaven, and all the rest, to hell, is the prevailingbelief; and if a few, besides these "elect," reach heaven, theythink it will be a hard chance. The Protestants believe the Catholics areall in error, and pack the whole church off to hell as the mother of harlots,without any trouble, or without even a sigh. And the old mother is justas uncharitable towards her daughters, for they are her offspring, and shesends the whole of them unceremoniously to the same place. The Catholicsand Protestants are generally united in sending all the Mahometans and Heathensthere. It would be something like it was with me once, when I was discussingwith a minister on the principles of "Mormonism." Before I gotthrough with him, he nearly destroyed and cast away the whole of the Bible,in his zeal to destroy our faith. He threw away one book after another,until but a small portion remained. So it is with the religious world generally;each one packs off his neighbor to hell; and after such narrow minds havemade their selections of the worthy ones, and put them right, as they think,few besides will get to heaven.
Others will take every body to heaven, no matter who or what they are.I think the latter idea is as ridiculous as the former, although there issomething more pleasing in the last idea, I must confess, than in the other.The only thing I would hate in it, is being associated with a multitudeof cut-throats and blacklegs there. For instance-the old world was cut offthrough their wickedness and corruption. I could not think it right of theLord to take all those wicked fellows straight to heaven, because they werewicked and unworthy, and leave Noah and his family to combat with the troublesof earth because they were righteous. But such are the ideas of men; whilesome are all charity, others have none at all. I have sometimes thoughtthat we "Mormons" are almost as uncharitable as others.
I believe God has a great design in view, in the creation of the humanfamily. I do not believe that an all-wise Being would ever make a beautifulearth like this, and people it with man, and a multiplicity of other kindsof beings designed to exist upon it, and all for no purpose. I do not believethat 350,000,000 of people that live in China in a state of heathen darknessare created to live in this state, and be damned because they have not theright religion. I do not believe that all the nations that worship variouskinds of idols, in different parts of the earth, and know nothing aboutthe true God, will be consigned to be burned in fire hereafter, becausethey know no better than worship as they do. I cannot receive any such ideasinto my mind. Although I was going to say I am not a Universalist, but Iam, and I am also a Presbyterian, and a Roman Catholic, and a Methodist,in short, I believe in every true principle that is imbibed by any personor sect, and reject the false. If there is any truth in heaven, earth, orhell, I want to embrace it, I care not what shape it comes in to me, whobrings it, or who believes in it, whether it is popular or unpopular. Truth,eternal truth, I wish to float in and enjoy.
Now I come to us, "Mormons." We are the only true Church,so we say. We have got the only true faith, so we say and believe. I believewe have got many great and true principles revealed from the heavens. Iwill tell you how I feel about it, and what I have said many times whenI have been abroad among the priests, people, and philosophers. If any manunder the heavens can show me one principle of error that I have entertained,I will lay it aside forthwith, and be thankful for the information. On theother hand if any man has got any principle of truth, whether moral, religious,philosophical, or of any other kind, that is calculated to benefit mankind,I promise him I will embrace it, but I will not partake of his errors alongwith it. If a man should say, I am in possession of one piece of truth,and, because I have got that, I must be right, am I to believe him? Certainlynot. It does not follow that he has not many errors.
The Catholics have many pieces of truth; so have the Protestants, theMahometans, and Heathens; and am I to embrace one of these systems becauseit has certain things that are right? No. Suppose a person should tell methat two multiplied two makes four. Well, that is right. I believe it withall my heart. But suppose he believes and teaches also, that six and fourmake twenty, and exhorts me to believe it, saying-I was right in the othercalculation, did I not prove the other to you? O yes, but you did not provethat six and four make twenty. I will take out the truth and leave the error.
Then you believe that we, as "Mormons," have got truth? Oyes, I do, and for this reason, I have travelled extensively in most ofthe States of the Union, and in Canada; also in England, Ireland, and Scotland;in the Isle of Man, Jersey, and other islands of the sea; in France, Germany,Belgium, and other parts of the earth; and I have not yet seen a man thatcould find one error in doctrine or principle connected with the religionof the Latter-day Saints. I do not talk of practice. God knows there istoo much delinquency among us. I speak of principle. Then if you have gota thing that nobody can overturn, but can be sustained everywhere; thatbids defiance to the wisdom and intelligence of the world to find one faultin it, you must say it is right, until it is proven to be wrong.
Can anybody prove to you that two multiplied by two makes six? Thereare certain things which are matters of fact-two multiplied by two makesfour, and two parallel lines infinitely extended will never meet at rightangles, but run to eternity. These truths demonstrate themselves, no mancan alter these matters of fact. And if I have got principles which areout of the power of man to prove false, I consider they are right, and Istand upon them as a sure foundation.
On the other hand, am I to think it is right, because I am right, tosend every body else to hell? No, I will leave them in the hands of God.He has told me to preach the Gospel to every creature, saying, "hethat believeth and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believeth notshall be damned." He has told me to do this. And how many millionsof mankind are there who have never heard the Gospel? And are they goingto be damned for not believing in a thing they have not heard, and thatnever came within their range, and that they have not the slightest knowledgeof? No. What is it we have to do? We must spread forth the light of theGospel. Why? Because God has communicated a system of religion which iscalculated to ennoble and exalt the human family.
The world is confused, it is in darkness and ignorance, and knows nothingabout God, His purposes, designs, or the object of His creations. God knowshow to touch my understanding, and how to touch theirs; and if they liveand die without a knowledge of God, and His law, we are told that they willbe judged according to the light they have, and not according to that theyhave not. Those that have lived without law, will be judged without law.
Am I going to weep over the condition of the world? No. God made it,and if He suffers millions to dwell upon it in ignorance of Him, I havenothing to do with it. All I have to do is, when God sends me, to go andteach the people the principles of light, intelligence, and truth, so faras I know them, and no further; and if they reject them, it is none of mybusiness. In any instances, they do it for want of information, and accordingto the government, priestcraft, prejudices, &c., of which they are underthe dominion. It is difficult for them to comprehend correct principleswhen they hear them, or to know the light when they see it shine. The lightshineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. They understandmany things, perhaps better than you do, but they do not understand theprinciples of the Gospel as you do, for want of the light of the Spiritof God. No man can understand that without the Spirit. A great many amongthe prevailing sects of the day have to some considerable extent encompassedsea and land to make proselytes, and in the majority of instances wherethey have been successful, they have made them ten fold more the childrenof hell than they were before." They have taught them hypocrisy, andevils of many kinds, of which they were ignorant before. They do not understandhow to propagate true principles, for they do not understand them themselves,and how can they teach them to others? But I will love them, and let themgo.
We "Mormons" think that we have made a wonderful stretch,for we say that all Israel is going to be saved, and we believe we are ofIsrael, and that we shall be gathered into the fold with them. And whenwe are gathered in with all the Israel of God, as we call them, that havelived in the various ages of the world up to the present time, we with themshall be redeemed and saved in the eternal kingdom of God. What else? ThenHis work will be accomplished, you may say. But I do not think it will,though it will certainly be a great work. This looks like the time of therestoration of all things, but in reality it is only a restoration of afew. Why, you may inquire, will you take in somebody besides the Israelites?Certainly. We are told they were beloved for the fathers' sakes, and inconsequence of the promises made to the fathers. If they are brought in,it will be in consequence of these promises. I wonder if there were no othermen of faith besides Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that existed previous totheir days. And if there were, I want to know if they knew anything aboutGod, and obtained promises for their offspring. I will go a little furtherthan old Abraham, and say, I am glad to see your posterity saved, Abraham,but I think some of your descendants prophesied of the time when Ammon wouldstretch out his hands to God, and Moab and Philistia be blessed with thesame blessing. I think some of your descendants, when their minds were enlightenedand expanded, looked forward into the womb of the future, to a time whenthere would be a great gathering, when people from Hamath, Cush and fromthe islands of the sea, when different tribes and nations, should flow togetherto the name of the Lord of Hosts. If Abraham knew how to obtain promises,I wonder, for instance, if the old man that was called Melchisedec, wholived before Abraham, and whom Paul in his writings makes a greater manthan Abraham, for, says he, "the lesser was blessed of the greater"-I wonder if Melchisedec did not know also how to obtain promisesfor his seed? There was an old man who lived in the land of Uz, who is saidto have been a very patient man; notwithstanding he cursed the day he wasborn, and the womb that gave him birth. He surely knew how to obtain blessingsfrom God. God came to him, and he obtained blessings from God, and couldlook forward through the dark vista of ages and contemplate the purposesof God, and he saw himself not only dead and buried, but, said he, "thoughafter my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."He had the kind of religion I believe in, exactly-a religion that causedhim to know and understand something of God and His purposes; and he actedupon it, and profited by it. Very well, if he knew about these things, Iwant to know whether he will not have some promises to claim for himselfand descendants by and bye, when they are hunted up.
I will go further back yet; to old Noah, for instance. He was a goodman, and while the whole earth was destroyed, his life was preserved, andhis posterity with him. He was a man of God. I want to know if he couldalso obtain blessing for his posterity, and whether he will feel after themsome time or other, and if the time will come round that they may partakeof the covenants and blessings of God, and stand in their proper place,and not be consigned to all eternity in this dreadful hell. I think he wouldnot like to see his posterity there, more than Abraham would like to seehis. All these holy men have their interest to feel after their posterity,and all desire to see them brought forth.
"But," says one, "they are fallen creatures." Andso are the Israelites. Where will you find a more corrupt set than the descendantsof Ephraim, so far fallen and so debased a set as the Indians that dwellin these mountains, and that roam wildly over the broad prairies of thiscountry? Their fathers have got to do something for them, to bring themforth to inherit the promises. It is for Abraham to feel after his seed,and be interested in their welfare.
We will go back to old Adam, and see him coming on the earth, as heis the head and father of us all. Well, now I want to know if the old gentlemanwould like to see his children packed off by nations into a place of torment,millions and millions turned off into the Catholic hell, to roast thereto all eternity. I think he has fatherly feeling to his numerous offspring,and would desire, and seek earnestly to have them saved, to have them redeemedfrom their fallen and degraded condition. For they are no worse fallen,no more degraded and corrupt, than the Israelites are, and have as muchright to be brought forth at the proper time, and be blessed, as they have.This is my doctrine, and these are my feelings.
You may go to the head fountain of all, to the God who made Adam, andsay, O Lord, why did you make the earth, and cause the sun, and moon, andstars to be made to give light to it, and man to inhabit it, telling himto multiply, and replenish the earth, and cause it to bring forth in itsstrength for man and beast?
I will go back further, and find the spirits that are existing withhim in the eternal world. They came here, and obtained bodies, that bothbodies and spirits might receive an exaltation among the Gods, and be capableof eternal increase worlds without end. I think this agrees more with philosophyand truth, with an intelligent and extensive mind, with true religion, withour fathers, and with God, than any thing else we see abroad.
I see the world of mankind in darkness, and try my best to enlightenthem as much as possible. If I can do them any good, I will do it. God hasrevealed His truth to us, "Mormons." What to do? To make us gloryin it, and in nothing but what God gives to us; and to teach it to others,that they may be put in possession of the same intelligence that we enjoy.What have we to do? To spread this Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue,and people, that the Spirit of the Lord may operate upon those who lovethe truth, that they may have an opportunity of embracing it, and of participatingin the same blessings we enjoy, and forming a nucleus whereby a fulnessof eternal truth may be developed, and angels come again and communicatewith the human family, that the earth may answer the end of its creation,and that all men who ever did or ever will live may answer the end of theircreation, that men who have fallen from righteousness may suffer for theirsins and transgressions, and by and bye come forth and enjoy their properlot in the eternal world.
"O then," say you, "I will do as I please in this world."Very well, go and do it. It will prove that you do not live by the truthbecause you love it, but if you follow the truth, you are actuated to doso by a dastardly fear of hell. If that is the case, I would not give theashes of a rye straw for ten thousand such "Mormons." If a mancannot stand up in the defence of truth, to the death, it is not worth having,and he is not a man who is acknowledged or considered worthy among the Saints.But such will find it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the livingGod.
I will notice an instance for your information, to stir up your pureminds, if you have got such minds. I read of many people who were destroyedby the flood; and in Jesus Christ's day, we read that he was put to deathin the flesh, and quickened by the Spirit, by which he went to preach tothe spirits in prison, who had been disobedient in the days of Noah, &c.He preached to them, and they came forth out of their confinement. "Well,that would be all right," you say. O yes, but I want to know how youwould like to be shut up in prison, three or four thousand years, or evenone year. It is said in Scripture, that "it is a fearful thing to fallinto the hands of the living God." It also says that "the wickedshall be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God." Doyou believe that? "Certainly I do." I remember a minister onceasking me a question upon this subject. Says he, "Do you believe ineternal punishment?" "O yes, I believe the wicked will be turnedinto hell, with all the nations that forget God." "Do you believethey will stay there?" "O no." "Why do you not?""Because it is not according to Scripture." "But if theyall be turned into hell, who forget God, and will go away into everlastingpunishment, will they not stay there forever?" "Yes," I said,"they will go into everlasting punishment, but they will come out again.""How is that?" "Why the Scriptures declare that death andhell will deliver up their dead, and the sea deliver up the dead that isin it; and all nations will stand before God, to be judged according tothe deeds done in the body." So you see they have got to come out tobe judged according to their works, whether they be good or evil. Supposewe have a States prison, for instance, in this place, a transgressor ofthe laws of the land is put in for a certain time, according to the deedswhich he has done, and the evidence and circumstances of the case. Afterhe has suffered according to law, he is set at liberty, but, mark you, theprison still remains, which may be compared to eternal punishment, or God'spunishment. Who will go there? The wicked, for the punishment of their sins,and to teach them a useful lesson. The Scriptures say that some will nothave forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come, but these we willleave in the hands of God.
Some people will ask if we think the devil will be saved. You must askhim, for I have nothing to say about it. I have gone far enough in my remarks.I believe God will accomplish all His purposes, and Satan will not havepower to frustrate His designs in any way whatever; for if he did, he wouldbe more powerful than God. Every man will be rewarded according to the deedsdone in the body. Those who have received pure and heavenly principles,and lived up to them, and kept the celestial law of God, will enjoy a celestialkingdom. Those who have not attained to this perfection, but can obey aterrestrial law, will receive a terrestrial glory, and enjoy a terrestrialkingdom, and so on. But I believe, furthermore, that there are eternal gradesof progression, which will continue worlds without end, and to an infinityof enjoyment, expansion, glory, progression, and of everything calculatedto ennoble and exalt mankind.
This is one of our first estates, or it is our second estate, if youplease, and so we move on from state to state, with a knowledge of the trueprinciples of the eternal world revealed to us, which principles are eternal-eternaltruth, eternal life, eternal intelligence, leading us on to the possessionof celestial kingdoms of God. From intelligence to intelligence, from gloryto glory, from power to power we proceed onward, until we possess thrones,and powers, and dominions in the eternal worlds. And I pray God to giveus power to obtain all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.