Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1860.

I wish the people could realize that they walk, live, and abide in the presence of the Almighty. The faithful shall have eyes to see as they are seen, and you shall behold that you are in the midst of eternity and in the presence of holy beings, and be enabled ere long to enjoy their society and presence. You are greatly blessed. How many there are who say—“God bless you!” How many times it is said to the Saints—“I bless you, and may the Lord bless you!” You shall be blessed all the time. Good is poured out on the people, and we say Amen.

The brethren have done nobly in their contributions to the Missionary Fund, and we expect to continue to do nobly. How much do we expect to do for the kingdom of God? The talent, ability, and everything placed in the hands of this people shall be devoted to his cause and kingdom on the earth, in the name of the God of Israel. These are my feelings. As far as I have control, and as far as I have influence in this kingdom, all within its pales shall be devoted to its upbuilding. When Elders are called to go and preach, they go; and when we want means we shall have it.

Tomorrow morning we expect to meet you here again. When shall we meet to part no more? Never, never; no, never. That is a curious idea, and I have not time to give full explanations. We shall go and come; and when we are in the eternity, we shall be on this earth, which will be brought into the immediate presence of the Father and the Son. We shall inhabit different mansions, and worlds will continue to be made, formed, and organized, and messengers from this earth will be sent to others. This earth will become a celestial body—be like a sea of glass, or like a Urim and Thummim; and when you wish to know anything, you can look in this earth and see all the eternities of God. We shall make our home here, and go on our missions as we do now, but at greater than railroad speed.

It is time to close our meeting; and, by the power and right I have in the Priesthood of the Son of God, I bless the Saints of latter days. Amen.

Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, October 6, 1860.

It is about thirteen months since I had the privilege of rising and speaking in your midst. It is therefore with a heart filled with thankfulness to our Heavenly Father that I now enjoy the privilege of bearing my testimony on the present occasion of the things which pertain to the kingdom of the Most High. In his kind providence we are enjoying a great multitude of blessings.

The testimony which has been given to us this morning of the power and manifestations of the Spirit of God in the midst of Israel is calculated to make us rejoice. The Lord speaks unto us in his own way, and after his own manner, and in our language, and after our understanding, and the light of his Spirit which shineth in our minds, inasmuch as we will suffer it to do so; but if our hearts are clogged with the things of this world—if our souls are suffered to become enamored of the earth and the objects that are sought after by the wicked world, we lose the Spirit of the Lord, and by that means do not understand when we are taught and instructed in the way of life.

The object of obtaining wealth and the desire to handle or control a considerable portion of this world’s goods have blinded the eyes of many Elders, and caused them to go astray in the ways of extravagance and folly. It has decoyed them from the path of virtue, and by that means they have become totally estrayed from the path of truth. If we can keep in view the one great principle, to build up the kingdom of God, proclaim the fulness of the everlasting Gospel, to labor for the sustenance of Zion, make that our first, our great, our only object, and fear not for the earthly things we may need, we shall have the Spirit of the Almighty to enlighten our minds and guide our feet in the true path.

When the Presidency bear their testimony to us, our spirits will then meet with theirs, and we shall feel and enjoy the truth of the principles they proclaim to us. But while our minds become concentrated upon earthly objects, we are dark, and we begin to think we know better than other people; we begin to feel that we can do something independently of God or his servants.

I will relate an instance that occurred in 1849. I was talking with one of the brethren who had been many years in the Church. He told me he wanted to situate himself so that he could leave his family and be prepared to go preaching. I said, “Are you not pretty well situated now you have a large farm, plenty of cattle, and other property, and your family are able to take care of themselves?” He said he did not feel as though he had ready means enough to go. “I want to get myself in condition so that I can leave home; and in order to do it, I have determined to go to California; and I think in the course of five or six months I can there raise ten thousand dollars, and on that means I can go to the southern part of California, buy 1,000 head of horses, and bring them to Salt Lake, and next year sell them for one or two hundred dollars each. With that means in my hands I shall be able to leave my family and go preaching.” That was the design he laid out. I may say the plan was very tempting: he went to California, but the tremendous results anticipated were never realized. There are a great many men in the midst of Zion that have lost their power and ability to perform those works they seem to wish to perform by endeavoring to take a wild goose chase to place themselves in possession of wealth on their own responsibility. The circumstances which have transpired in our midst for the last few years have been calculated to try many men.

In reviewing the history of ourselves as a people, we have encountered many things which have been calculated to try some men. They have been compelled many times to submit to the most cruel exactions—seeing their friends murdered, their families driven from their possessions, and yet bearing up under it splendidly. They have had to pioneer into the midst of a barren and hitherto unknown desert, make settlements, rear their families in the midst of want, and toil, and bear it patiently. Yet, after a few years of prosperity, you will see those very men, when they become better situated, surrounded with the blessings and comforts of life—they begin to feel as though they were not doing quite well enough, and their thoughts begin to wander like the fool’s eye to the ends of the earth. In some instances the scenes of the last few years have caused them to turn again, as President Kimball expressed it, like the hog to the mire after he had been cleanly washed.

It puts me in mind of a compliment paid to Queen Elizabeth by an English farmer. Her Majesty was out on a ride, and was caught in a storm. The farmer was very much rejoiced that the Queen had called upon him, and she was pleased with his rough hospitality. Being just after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, he complimented her on the success of her arms by saying—“The King of Spain got the wrong sow by the ear when he made war with your Majesty.” The Queen was much amused at this vulgar comparison.

Though, really, the dream related by brother Kimball, describing the multitude of hogs that were in the city, was so perfectly illustrated at the time the town was so tremendously full of soldiers, teamsters, gamblers, and camp followers, and they floated off so suddenly, that it could almost be said it was dreamed awake. That is the best way to dream: a man can many times dream wide awake straighter than when asleep.

I remember once (when in Zion’s camp), I was very thirsty, hungry, and tired, that I dreamed when I was walking on the road I could see a loaf of bread, a bottle of milk, and a spring of water. It was one of the pleasantest dreams in the world, and I dreamed it while walking along the road. At the same time a great many dreams, as men consider, are no more nor less than open vision, and a great many dreams are the result, perhaps, of fatigue—of overexercise—of overeating before retiring to rest, or some other cause.

When a man’s mind is illuminated by a dream, it leaves a vivid and pleasant impression: when it may be guided by the Spirit of God, it leaves the mind happy and comfortable, and the understanding clear.

I have regretted, for the past year, that I have not been permitted to speak to you, that my testimony to the truth might be heard in the midst of Israel, and in this city particularly. It was owing simply to an accident which lamed me in such a manner that I could not walk about—could not stand up, though after a while I got so much better that I could ride. I have rode about the Territory, and talked to the brethren in the settlements, generally sitting down; and many of them heard my testimony, which is the same as it has been for the last twenty-eight years—a testimony to the truth of the revelation of the fulness of the Gospel to the Saints in these last days. It is the work of the Lord, and the hand of God is visible in everything that is passing before us; his hand and power have been over us. He has shielded us from the political machinations of evil-designing men, and preserved us from the wrath of our enemies. He has given wisdom to our President to guide, to counsel, to direct us; and if ever revelation guided a people on the face of this earth, this people has been guided by special revelation ever since we came into these valleys. The power of the Almighty has been with us, his hand has been over us here, his wisdom has directed us, his inspiring Spirit has been on our Presidency, his revealed will has been given from the lips of him God has given to lead us. Fear not to do right ourselves, and let us be fully aware of our own follies and weaknesses and corruptions, and listen to the watchmen of Zion, and we shall overcome and inherit the blessings of glory. We shall rise above our enemies, light and truth will shine upon us, peace will be on our path and the lamp of life will guide us to eternal glory.

This is my testimony. You have it as I feel and realize it and know it, for these things are of God. And may his blessings attend us, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1860.

We have come together this morning for the purpose of holding our General Conference, and to attend to matters of business that pertain to the whole Church, not only for the people in this Territory; but we have met to do business that concerns all nations and people, both the living and the dead, or those who have passed behind the veil; and I feel to rejoice in the privilege we now have.

I know that this is the kingdom of God. It is that kingdom which was shown to the Prophet Daniel, as recorded in the second chapter of his book. This is the kingdom that was set up in the days of Jesus, and it is the kingdom that our Father and God set up after he organized this earth; and he is the King: but there are and will be tens of thousands of kings this side of him, and will be a perpetual increase of kings and priests in the kingdoms of our Father.

I desire to express my feelings in a few words upon those things, that you may know how I feel, and understand that I view this kingdom as something that pertains to or that will affect all the creatures of God in this creation—yes, the thousands and millions of beings who have not yet appeared upon this stage of action. It is that kingdom that concerns every man that ever did or that ever will live.

I wish to encourage you Elders and all good Saints to live so as to get that Spirit that is promised to the faithful; and let us lay aside our selfishness, and become interested in the general welfare of the kingdom of God; for it is something that should interest every man and woman in the world.

This Church is that Church which has been spoken of by the Prophets, and this people constitute that king– dom that was to come forth in the latter days. We are members of this kingdom, and we proceeded from the King of this earth. We are all his sons; and when, through our obedience, we become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we in reality become princes, for we emanated from that King; and he is our Father and God, and he will call every son and daughter of Adam to an account for their deeds. It does not matter whether they belong to the Church or are outside of the fold of Christ, our Father will call them to give an account of the deeds done in the body; and the spirits of men that were in existence before they inhabited these bodies have got to be responsible for the acts that are wrought in the flesh. This is upon the same principle that President Young commits to me the care and supervision of a house—for instance, the sanctum sanctorum—a holy place, where the ordinances of God are administered. He commits that to me, and holds me responsible for its safe keeping. So it will be with you and me; so it will be with all men and women in regard to their works on the earth. There will be thousands of men brought to an account for their conduct towards women, for in many instances it is shameful.

We have come here today to worship God, to speak of his purposes and designs, and to bear testimony of his work. It is rainy and rather wet and unpleasant, and therefore we cannot do much else; and we shall stay here until the Spirit indicates that it is best to adjourn; and when that will be I cannot now tell. But I hope none of you will be troubled upon that point, for President Young will hold it as long as it is interesting and the Spirit of God shall dictate to him. In referring to the sons and daughters of Adam, and to this great work which I have already said concerns us all, and especially the Elders that have come into the Church in the beginning, and who hold this Priesthood which God has revealed through his servant Joseph. I wish you to understand that all that is connected with you—your wives and children—should interest you in their welfare and in the prosperity of the work of God; and you will be interested in proportion to the light, knowledge, power, and spirit there is in the Elders; and that spirit will rest upon the Elders, their wives, and children. Their animals and all they possess will be quickened by it.

You can read in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants that the Lord spoke to Thomas B. Marsh and the Twelve Apostles, telling them that they held the keys of the kingdom with the First Presidency and the fathers from the beginning of the creation.

“For unto you, the Twelve, and those, the First Presidency, who are appointed with you to be your counselors and your leaders, is the power of this priesthood given, for the last days and for the last time, in the which is the dispensation of the fulness of times. Which power you hold, in connection with all those who have received a dispensation at any time from the beginning of the creation; For verily I say unto you, the keys of the dispensation, which ye have received, have come down from the fathers, and last of all, being sent down from heaven unto you.” (Doc. and Cov., sec. 104, par. 12.)

The Lord told us there that the fathers are interested for us just in proportion to the interest we feel for this work and for the Church and kingdom of God here upon the earth. I want you to think of that and reflect upon it. You need not doubt in relation to the truth of what the world call “Mormonism,” for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, established and organized through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith, is the true Church of God. With it is the Priesthood and power of God; and you might as well try to doubt that the sun shines, for it is truth; and although all hell may deny it, and all the men upon the earth, that will make no difference, for it is from God. The Lord called that man, and sent his angels to ordain him and confer upon him that authority necessary for the building up of the kingdom of God; and it was through him that we received all the authority we hold, and through us every soul of you who have received the truth received it—through that Priesthood which came from God through Joseph Smith; and you grew out of that Priesthood, and none of you have a particle of power except that which comes through that medium. It came from Jesus to Peter, from Peter to Joseph, and from Joseph to President Young and his brethren, and from us to you. You hold that Priesthood and authority in connection with them; and except you are connected with them, you cannot have any Priesthood or authority. You must honor that tree with which you are connected; for, if you dishonor that tree, you dishonor yourselves, and I would not give a farthing for your authority.

These are some of my views upon the subject; and I feel to say that this work will roll forth with greater power hereafter than it has done in times past; and my prayer to my Father in heaven is, Let thy work roll on, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That is the way it has got to be, for things must eventually be done here as they are in heaven. We have got to do right, and we cannot do this except we honor our callings and Priesthood; for we are like a great tree, having roots, body, great and small limbs; and I want to know what the difference is between one limb and another, so far as honor is concerned? All should be honored in their place and calling. Let every man honor the head, the body, and every member that pertains to that body, if you wish to honor God. Now, can I rise up and chastise the limb that I am connected with? No, I cannot; and the limb will die quicker without my interference, if there is anything wrong about it. Could a man rise up and chastise President Joseph Smith when he was alive? No; no man had the right. Well, then, can any man chastise President Young? No, sir; but it is the duty of all to honor the head and the body with which they are connected. Upon the same principle, the smallest member of the body should honor the part to which it is attached. You know two feet are required to carry two legs, and two legs to carry a body; and so it is in the Church of Christ.

The Apostles and Prophets used to talk in this way, presenting figures and comparisons for the purpose of conveying things to the minds of the people more forcibly. Now, let every man take a course to honor one another and the Priesthood they have received. “Well,” says one, “I will honor the First Presidency of the Church; but I don’t want anything to do with the Twelve: they are not of much account.” That is the way some of you feel. Now, if you treat these men in this way, how long will it be before you will treat President Young in like manner?

The course for us to take is to honor the Priesthood which the Almighty has given to man. How can you honor God except you honor that Priesthood? This is well worth your consideration. You all sprang out of that Priesthood as one limb of a tree comes out of the main body. This is honorable in all men, and I feel to say, Let every man honor his calling, and his fruit will appear.

Will a good apple tree produce a thorn or a thistle? No, it never will. But notwithstanding this, I believe there are a great many thistles that call themselves apples; yes, many that are briars, thistles, and other useless things they ought not to be. I frequently think of these things. I consider our Priesthood and the vows that we have made with God. “But,” says one, “we have made those vows with our brethren, and not with the Lord.” Let me tell you that it was the brethren in authority in the Priesthood who called you into the house of the Lord; but you made your covenants with God. The brethren were merely the witnesses of those things which you did—of the covenants you made with the Father, with the Son, with the Holy Ghost, and with all the heavenly hosts; and your brethren stood as witnesses for God, and you will have to give an account of the way and manner you keep and observe those covenants.

There are many who think these things are of no account; but I will tell you, brethren, that you will be straightened out when the Lord appears, taking vengeance upon those that will not obey his Gospel. In that day the wicked will be as chaff or stubble, and they will be destroyed from the earth, and their tabernacles dissolved; but the righteous will receive new bodies, and they will inhabit a new earth, and eternally enjoy the favor of that God who sent his Son that you and I might be redeemed and brought back into his presence.

There is a great deal for us to do, and I wish you would all think so, and have these things before your minds continually. How can this evil be remedied? I say, in the name of the Lord God of Israel, Wake up from your slumber, and get within your souls the Spirit of the Most High God; and the more you have of it, the more you will feel the necessity of being wide awake and attentive to your duties.

Your eyes have become dim because of your dullness and inattention to your duties. The Scriptures say—“Let thine eye be single, that thy whole body may be full of light.” The reason we do not see things as they are is because we have become dull and stupid, and do not understand the things of God. It is said in the Scriptures that the eyes of certain characters are like the fool’s eyes, reaching to the ends of the earth; and like the door upon its hinges, doing no good, but just swinging backwards and forwards. Brother Benson, won’t you shut that vestry door, and open it again? [Which he did.] Now, don’t you see, brethren, that has neither lost nor gained anything; but it will soon wear out. This figure I wish to apply to you indolent persons, and thereby show you that you ought to go to work and improve—bring about something for the honor and glory of God, and the adorning and building up of his kingdom. I do not want you to be like the sow that has been taken and washed clean, and then as soon as the door is open she goes into the dirtiest mudhole there is in the neighborhood. But as you have been washed in the waters of baptism and entered into the fold, I want you to remain clean and pure, and to labor for the welfare of Zion and the upbuilding of the kingdom of our God. If you act like the sow, then your last end will be worse than your first.

You have entered into the kingdom, and should be like a little child, humble, meek, and passive in the hands of your superiors.

You will remember that when those commissioners came to make peace with us, we came up from the South to see them, to find out what they wanted. The night we arrived in the city, I dreamed that there was an awful flood, and that the floodwood had stopped up the stream. I watched it; and after a while the floodwood gave way, and it came down Emigration Canyon, and went in a southwesterly direction. I then looked round to see what the effects were, and all at once this whole city and adjacent country became full of hogs. I spoke to the President and the brethren who were with him, and said—“The country is full of hogs,” and they were frothing at the mouth just like mad hogs do; and I saw them running after the brethren, who got on the walls and fences in different directions, and they were jumping up at them, but their mouths were full of froth; and I was pleased to see that there was not one of those hogs could bite any of the brethren. By-and-by our attention was called to other business, and when I had a little leisure I looked round and said to the brethren—“Where are those hogs gone?” We looked around us, and lo and behold there was not a hog to be found in the country!

But while they were here did they not froth at the mouth? They did, and they jumped and made a terrible stew; but I do not know that they have ever hurt anybody. They have not had the power to meddle with or hurt anybody except those who wanted to be meddled with. Now I consider that those men and women who have suffered themselves to be overcome by these hogs are no better than the hogs themselves.

This may be considered a very good introduction, in my way, to this General Conference.

I do not know that I ever felt better in my life than I do today. I feel that I can touch a little thing here and another there, and I see before me ten thousand times more than I speak of; and among the many things that I can see, one is, that all the hogs are going to leave as fast as they can! If the Elders and Saints will only do right, all will be right for them and with them; and they ought to know that the responsibility is upon their shoulders.

If you, brethren, go and sell your wheat, that will not be laid to the sisters, excepting in those cases where the men are under petticoat government. Those who do this are taking a course that will bring sorrow upon themselves; yes, those who trade away the staff of life will suffer pain, sorrow, and nakedness, and many things that have not entered into their hearts to think of.

Since the Latter-day Saints have been in these mountains, there has never been such a deep designing and well-got-up scheme to draw grain out of this Territory as there is now; for there is a branch of a store in almost every settlement, and they are buying wheat and sending it to Pike’s Peak, and they are getting it at a very low price, too. I am afraid this is going to bring trouble upon you, brethren and sisters. President Young has talked and talked upon the subject of saving your breadstuff, and the Twelve have borne testimony of it in all your settlements day after day and year after year; and yet many of the people don’t care any more about it than if we had never spoken upon the subject.

There are some who have listened and laid up their grain. Look at the men who have done this, and you will find men that have got power with God and man. Let us try to improve, and get as many to do this as we can, and we shall do well. We cannot get everybody to do it, but we can use an influence with a few. There are a great many here who have lived from hand to mouth all their lives, they have been accustomed to get their wages on a Saturday night; and let their wives have them; then their wives would go and pay such a portion for the week’s provisions—so much for ale, so much for the priest, the tithing, and other things; and they don’t know how to get along any other way.

How can you be saviors, except you lay up knowledge of the things of God? And how can you be temporal saviors, except you lay up provisions? Jesus says, Seek first the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto you. The Lord is not bound to feed us, except we take care and do our part. Do you imagine that the Lord will go and raise you a crop of wheat, without your first going and ploughing the ground?

You have heard President Young say that none of us know enough to make a spear of grass grow, and this we all know to be true; but I will tell you what you can do. You can obtain the ground, plough it, drag it, sow the seed, and dedicate it to your Father and God. Then, when you find it necessary, you can irrigate it, and you will be pretty sure to get a good crop of wheat, or corn, or whatever you may choose to plant.

There are a great many that are going into speculation nowadays. Some of our Elders are becoming merchants, taking the Gentiles’ goods and peddling them off for wheat, and then turning it over to our Gentile speculators who have persecuted us. Well, you will see that pretty much everyone of them will lose the Spirit, except they repent.

Now, you have been told again and again to take care of your cattle, and send back for your goods. This has been done this year by a number of the brethren, and it can be done by the majority of the people. There was a train of goods came in a few days ago: the cattle started from here last spring, and they have come in better condition than any other cattle that have crossed the Plains this sea– son. The same thing has been done before. The year the pioneers came in, we bought oxen, mules, and horses; and some of the cattle we brought in with us went back to the Missouri River the same season, and they got through about three weeks before we did, for we had to stay back and help our horses. When we struck the Platte River on our return, we found that there was no substance in the grass; the frost had killed it. But in the spring, when cattle go down from here, the grass is fresh and good, and the cattle get fat; and then on their return they get into the “bunchgrass country” before the frost comes, and you know bunchgrass is good all the year round. I want to see the people go into this business forthwith.

I cannot do much, but I have had it in my heart ever since I have been in this Church to do some good, not only to myself but to this people; and I want to honor this Priesthood, and to see the day when this people will circumscribe and circumnavigate the whole world; and I want to see the kingdom of God govern and rule the world, and this I will see with mine eyes, if I am faithful; and if I am not faithful, I shall be sure to see it, and that to my sorrow.

I desire to be humble and faithful; but I am like you—I have my weaknesses to contend with. We seem as if we must have something to excite us to good works—to encourage us to press forward in the good work of our Heavenly Father; and I consider we have everything to encourage us to do good—to practice virtue and righteousness.

Brethren, I feel to bless you with the blessings of Almighty God, that the Spirit of God may run through your bones like blood running through your veins, to cheer up your hearts. And I ask my Heavenly Father to bless you; and he will do it, if you be faithful and diligent. He will bless the virtuous, the upright, and those that honor their calling, and that honor this Church; and he will honor me forever, so long as I do right and honor the Priesthood; and he will honor my wives, my sons, and daughters, if they will honor themselves; and I will honor them. The men who honor this Church, and try to promote its interests, God will bless; and if they honor God, they never will take a course to crush their brethren: they will honor their Presidents, whether they be Apostles, High Priests, or Elders.

Uncle John Young is a Patriarch in the Church of God, which office he received honorably, for he is an heir to it through his father; and he may bless all the people with the blessings of the heavens and of the earth, and they will only get what they live for. This is the promise of God to his Saints.

The Spirit of the Lord giveth line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little for the comfort of the Saints. These are given to you to improve upon. I feel this spirit of improvement, and desire to advance and see my brethren advance in the things of God.

I pray God to bless you all, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 30, 1860.

I feel the force of the ancient saying—“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

I realize all that has just been said in regard to the blessings of heaven being ready to be poured out upon this people, if they were prepared to receive them, and that too in a far greater degree than has ever entered into the heart of man to conceive; for the heart of man is incapable of fully comprehending the blessings that God has in store for the faithful, unless he has revealed those blessings to them by the revelations of his Spirit. The natural man is contracted in his feelings, in his views, faith, and desires, and so are the Saints, unless they live their religion. If they live their religion, all that has been said this morning they will fully realize to be true.

It may be asked, “Shall we go to the world for wisdom?” They have none, so far as pertains to the plan of salvation. To be sure, they have considerable knowledge of the arts and sciences; but in those do they understand all that has formerly been understood? I have no idea that they do. Do they know anything of the things of God? No. Brother Taylor observed, “Go to the priests of the day, and they cannot inform you.” There is a good reason why—because they know nothing directly in regard to the things of the kingdom, and they are equally ignorant with regard to the design of their present existence, to say nothing of either their prior or future existence. They are a mystery to themselves, and do not even understand the things which they see; still they are searching and researching, and studying and striving with all their powers to understand the things they see every day, and come short of doing that. How, then, can they understand the invisible things that pertain to eternity? There is no knowledge of these things in the so-called Christian world, in comparison with what they should possess, in consideration of the advantages which have been granted to them, neither is that knowledge among those denominated heathen. There are only a few dark traditions—a few incorrect and garbled ceremonies and ordinances remaining of the true system that was once possessed by mankind.

We are in the kingdom of God, and must yield obedience to it. We say that we do—we feel that we do, but when will this people fully see and understand things as they are? I may answer in the future, and all I can now say is that they are learning —growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth; but to say we are perfect, we cannot. When brother Taylor referred, in his remarks, to our leader and dictator, with regard to his perfections and imperfections, I felt that I could almost say that I did not want him to be perfect yet. I remember Joseph Smith’s saying, “If I were as pure and holy as you wish me to be, I could not stay with you; I should not be here to guide and direct you, for the Lord would take me from you.” He did take him; the people were not worthy of him. The people required him to be as holy as the Almighty himself, and to never make a mistake. Wherein the First Presidency and the Twelve do wrong, it is not in the ability of the people to detect them in those wrongs. They are far advanced, and they know enough more to lead out; and if they commit an error, it is passed over, and the people cannot tell wherein or when, nor how to correct it.

The Christian world are all looking for a day of perfection, and are donating their money and sending out Missionaries—they have also a great many Tract and Bible Societies, &c., &c., expressly to convert the world and bring forth the day the ancient Prophets have written about—a day of rest, the millennium, or any other term you please to apply to it, but it is a day when the Saints who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall see eye to eye, when all shall come to the knowledge of the truth, and the law of the Lord shall be written in the hearts of all, and none shall need to say to his neighbor, “Know ye the Lord,” for all shall know him, &c. All Christendom is looking for that day. I will inform this congregation and the whole world that they will never come to perfection—never can commence the great work of reformation in them– selves and with each other, until the superior knowledge can take the inferior and direct it, and, if need be, chasten it, and remove its errors, and give it the truth.

During a few weeks past much has been said in relation to the folly, feelings, and doings of Elders of Israel. Joseph Smith was a rod in the hands of the Lord to scourge the Elders of Israel; he was the mouthpiece of the Almighty, and was always ready to rebuke them when requisite. You who were acquainted with him know his course and life. He had a word of comfort and consolation to the humble and faithful, and a word of rebuke to the froward and disobedient. But for a few years past, in the midst of the Elders of Israel, they have treated each other with what may be called silken words spoken with velvet lips; and what you have lately been hearing about has produced this course of life and feeling among the Elders not to chasten or rebuke each other. If they wished to correct, they would preach a long sermon, and tell how miserable they themselves were, how wicked they had been, how much evil they had done, and how many times they had transgressed and been out of the way; and after they had painted their own characters as black as darkness, they would say, “Brethren, do you not think that you have done wrong in what you have done? I am afraid you have; but my own evil works are so much greater than yours, that I dare not mention it.” This conduct is connected with other things; in fact, the whole experience of man and the whole plan of salvation are so interwoven that it is hard to draw out and divide one subject from another, though it may be done in some instances. Men become darkened in their minds; they say that the Elders of Israel, they believe, have fallen from grace and have received the spirit of the world. Those Elders are not willing to acknowledge this, but almost every track they make proves it; almost every deed they perform proves that they have become lukewarm, and they preach with silken lips, and do not pour the truth of God upon the people as the Lord wishes them to, nor cause the overt acts of the ungodly to feel the wrath of justice and the weight of truth. This is what I see, and what I have seen for a long time.

People become covetous. The whole world is more or less covetous; and when the questions are asked, “Where shall we go for wisdom—for strength? To whom shall we apply for knowledge? Where shall we seek for life?”—there is but one source, and that is the God who organized us. When will we become entirely independent? Never, though we are as independent in our spheres as the Gods of eternity are in theirs. When will we lead out and act for ourselves? When we have overcome, and that is not yet. Jesus has not yet overcome; he has not received his kingdom from the Father. He has to contend against the enemy—against the power of the Devil, until he overcomes death and him that has the power of it. If he is successful, and we believe that he will be, when he overcomes and subdues all enemies and puts them under his feet, he will present the kingdom to the Father; and then he will be crowned, and not until then. When will we be crowned? Not until we pass through ordeals preparatory to receiving those crowns. We are not our own. We have our existence, but it is not our own.

That which we seem to possess is not our own, but is owned and controlled by a superior power. Even the power of the Devil can take money from one man’s pocket and place it in another man’s pocket, to say nothing of what the power of God can do. Some men seemingly possess much riches, as did Job, and how long may it be before they have not a farthing’s worth of property, or a wife, or child? In a few weeks the Lord took almost all from Job; he spared to him a wife, who, as recorded in the Bible, seemed to taunt Job’s trust in his God—his fidelity to his Maker. “Now,” says she, “you had better curse God at once and die. I told you that he would not stand by you.” I presume Job felt like saying, “Go to the Devil your own road.”

Who does have true power? Those who have overcome and sat down with the Gods in eternity, and who have committed to them the keys that are prepared for them. Then they can reign triumphantly, for they have perfect control over death and him that has the power of death, and over all evil: then they control life.

I frequently reflect upon how much power we need. You hear the Elders of Israel praying for power to overcome their enemies: they want power to strike them blind and to strike them dead. We have seen times, within a few years back, when we would have been glad to have had power to destroy our enemies. Have you power, independently, to make a kernel of wheat grow, or any vegetable with which to feed yourselves? No; you have not power to control those lesser powers that pertain to the elements.

What does the Lord want of us? To build temples, raise potatoes, wheat, &c., and preach the Gospel to and gather the poor. The Elders of Israel do not thoroughly know how to do this; yet they want to rise here and tell how the Gods are made. They had better learn how to raise potatoes, and how to take care of them after they are raised. Some do not know even this, but would let the potatoes rot before they are half used up. If they had an abundance of gold and silver, they would not know what to do with it. Are not the people reaching after that which does not belong to them? That is the reason why the whole world do not receive the Gospel; it is too low and humble for them. They are looking after something in the future; they are like the fool, whose eyes are wandering to the ends of the earth; like some of the Elders who rise here to preach and want to tell what is going to be in the millennium, and what has been long before the creation of the world, but never think of inquiring as to their duty today. Learn first to obtain power over the smaller objects and principles around you. Learn to control yourselves and that which is immediately around you, and always keep in view that the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms—the earth and its fulness—will all, except the children of men, abide their creation—the law by which they were made, and will receive their exaltation.

Who will possess the earth and the fulness thereof? Will those who love money, and who barter their lives and their hopes of salvation for a little gold? Those who love it in its present existence will perish. Gold is one of the most refined metals, and mankind have to be tried like gold that has passed seven times through the crucible, making it a little hotter each time, until the metal is as pure as it can be. Who will possess it? Who will possess the earth and all its fulness? Will it not be those whom the Lord has reserved to this honor? And they will come upon Mount Zion as saviors, to labor through the millennium to save others.

Are the Elders able to correct a person when he is wrong, without having personal feelings? You are not as you should be, unless you can correct every person you know to be wrong, without having personal ill feelings against them. If you cannot possess gold and silver without having one particle of love for it, you are not as you must learn to be. All that a man should have in his heart with regard to goods, and chattels, and possessions on the earth, is to know of the Lord what to do with them. If I do a wrong, let me correct that wrong, and become right; if I see a wrong in my neighbor, correct that, and remove the fault from him, and give him something better. The object of the Elders of Israel ought to be to glorify God and sanctify their feelings and affections before him. If we have anything else in our hearts, it is wrong: contending one with another is wrong.

May God bless you, brethren! Amen.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 23, 1860.

I am happy in discerning from brother Calkin’s remarks that he is really expanding and improving. He could not have talked to this people before he went on his mission as he can today. I now know that he has been prompt and fervent in the discharge of his duty, and has enjoyed the Spirit of the Lord. And so far as I have learned concerning his labors, I do not know but that I am perfectly satisfied with his course during his absence. He reported himself immediately upon his arrival, before he went home, saying, “I am here, and all I have is here; now what is wanted of me?” Go home, rest, and make yourself happy and comfortable, and by-and-by we will have a long talk. I am pleased with his remarks today. He is ready to leave again tomorrow, to go here or there, east or west, north or south. This is a satisfaction to me. He feels to bless the people, and to pray for them. He has had no doubt in regard to the results of the afflictions or seeming trials that our enemies strove to bring upon us. Every heart that believes in the fulness of the Gospel of life and salvation, as it is revealed in this our day, has never had a doubt as to the good results: there is no doubt in the case. We may fail, if we are not faithful; but God will not fail in accomplishing his work, whether we abide in it or not.

I will now express a wish in relation to all who may rise here to ask a blessing on the bread and water of the sacrament, or to speak to such large congregations as assemble here. When a blessing is asked upon the bread and water by some persons, you cannot hear them ten feet from the stand, and only a few persons in this vast congregation can hear one word. I want brother Hunter to let his voice partially correspond with his body; and when brother Hardy opens his mouth, or any of the rest of the Bishops, I want their voices to correspond with the occasion; I want them to so lift up their voices that all may hear, that all may say “Amen.” When the Elders rise here to speak, I want them to so raise their voices that the people can hear them, that the audience may be able to say “Amen” to all the good; and if there is evil, refuse it. Naturally, I speak low, and use but few words; but here I see thousands of people who wish to hear what is said; and how can they hear, unless the speaker uses sufficient voice? I am often obliged to so raise my voice beyond my natural strength that it hurts my lungs and my whole frame; but I do this for the satisfaction of the people. I want my brethren to do the same, that the hearts and faith of the congregation may have an opportunity to join in the worship of God. When anyone rises to preach, pray, sing, exhort, or bless the sacramental emblems, let him do so with voice sufficient for all to hear.

I am highly gratified with brother Calkin’s report in relation to the Foreign Missions. We understand the situation of the brethren in those Missions, and one fact we wish the Saints at the gathering place to understand. How many hearts are now ready to receive what I am going to say? How many of you can receive the sentiments I will now advance, and treasure them up—make them more choice in your feelings than the pure gold? They are worth everything to us and to the people abroad. Do you know that here is the standard, the nucleus, the fountain, the head for all the exercises of the kingdom of God upon the face of the whole earth? Now, let the Saints in this congregation droop in their faith, and that spirit will spread before tomorrow morning throughout the vast domain of this creation. Every Elder that goes abroad is a witness of this fact. This spirit spreads through a telegraphic influence or force that is independent of wires. Let this people at the gathering place wake out of their slumbers, gird on their armor, and go forth like men of war against wickedness, and every Branch throughout the Church feels the influence in a very short time—it is speedily imparted to all creation. The wires, as it were, are set, the lightnings flash over them, and all feel the influence, when we are doing our duty here. It all depends upon us here. “Are we not obliged to send forth Elders?” Yes, for helps and governments, which are all necessary to God’s work.

Here is the kingdom, the Priesthood, and the power. Here are the eyes, and here is the sense; the head and the body are here, and every component part that comprises the kingdom of God upon the earth. The small Branches abroad feel the impulse of the spirit here, whether it is for good or for bad, whether it is for information, for forgiveness, for life, for faith, for light, or for power, or apostasy; the whole Church throughout the world feels the spirit that predominates here. Hear it, O ye Saints, and profit by it. We are sending forth our Elders, and do you think it is in our power to tie their hands? If the head that has sent them forth into the world to preach the everlasting Gospel goes to sleep in its armor, wallows in wealth, or in anything that is this side of the power of God, our Elders are at once tied; they feel the oppression, are trammeled and weakened, and will totter and fall, unless the head is wide awake for them.

Brother W. C. Staines, in his remarks, wished the Saints here to remember him in their prayers. Thousands here will hold him up in their faith and prayers. I wanted to add to his life on the earth, which going on his mission will do, even many years, if he does his duty. Such will be the case with brother John Needham. They are merchants, and have heard that they are sent on this mission because they are speculators. I do not know anything about that, but I feel that it is time that William C. Staines went on a mission: his life is worth more than the gold which he gathers from the sale of the goods he deals in. He is going on a mission, and is going just right. Brother Needham has been a merchant from his youth, and brother Staines has been a tiller of the soil. I have not the least fault to find with either of them; but brother Needham would probably die in a short time, were he to stay here. If he goes on this mission, he will probably live many years to do good, and be richer than if he stayed here and followed merchandising. We have called them because we want them to go, and we wish them to go their way rejoicing.

We have promised the Missionaries, if they will live according to the manifestations of the Spirit, and preach the Gospel by the power of God sent down from heaven, that they will feel more of the Spirit and power of their calling than they have ever felt before. Do you think that we are always going to remain the same size? I am not a stereotyped Latter-day Saint, and do not believe in the doctrine. Every year the Elders of Israel are improving and learning, and have more power, more influence with the Heavens, more power over the elements, and over diseases, and over the power of Satan, who has ruled this earth from the days of the fall until now. We have to gain power until we break the chain of the Enemy. Are we going to stand still? Away with stereotyped “Mormons.” I have more power than I had last year. I feel much stronger than ever before, and that too in the power of God; and I feel as though I could take the people and bring them into the presence of God, if they only hearken to counsel. Do you think that I am improving? “Yes.” Keep up, then; keep your places, and follow in the track.

The kingdom of God is all that is of real worth. All else is not worth possessing, either here or hereafter. Without it, all else would be like a dry tree prepared for the burning—it is all consumed, and the ashes are driven to the four winds. Let the brethren who go upon missions go with the power of God upon them, and shun every appearance of evil. Love the Gospel and cling to the Lord. Seek unto him by day and by night, that you may have his Holy Spirit to be with you to guide your feet and your affections, and give you wisdom to ask and answer questions; then you will not be apt to fall into temptation and be caught away in the snares of the Devil.

So far as I have learned, the brethren and sisters have most liberally responded to the call made on them last Sunday for sending forth the Elders. I have not a full list of the contributions, or I would report it to you today. A few of the Bishops have reported to me what their Wards have done, but I have not learned the full amount that has been collected. So far as I can learn, the Saints have felt the responsibility that is upon them. It belongs to us to send the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth, and it belongs to the Elders to preach it. Some may say that the Elders ought to start from here without anything, and go into the world and get their support. You who have never given anything, since you have been in the Church, for the spread of the Gospel, have an opportunity to begin now; and those who have always been on hand to help will help more; and between the two classes, we will receive enough to send the Elders abroad, and sustain their families during their absence, so far as their families need assistance.

I wish the Elders to go forth as I have taught them. If you have a clean shirt and one to be washed, then be satisfied. If you are clothed so as to be comfortable, be satisfied, and do not let your minds reach out after anything, only to preach the Gospel and gather the souls of men. That is all the business you have upon your hands—it is your whole mission; and trust in God to get home—trust in the Lord to go from place to place, and the way will be opened for you. And when you start to come home, if you have more than you need to bring you home, without bringing a dress pattern for your wife or children, and though, when you reach home, your own clothes will be worn to strings and tatters, if you have five dollars more than you need to defray your expenses on your return, help the poor Saints with it, and I will warrant you more food to eat, more clothing to wear, and more friends in heaven and on earth, more houses, lands, and possessions, than you would have, were you to bring home rich dresses for your wives and expensive clothes for yourselves, with your minds shrunk with covetousness and love of the world.

I have been striving with my brethren, all the day long, to build up the kingdom of God. As long as Joseph lived, I labored with all my might with my brethren. In the days of the Prophet it was proven to a demonstration that he could not bear off this kingdom without temporal means. If this was absolutely necessary in his day, why not now? Elders of Israel have taken a course—those who have been to Australia, to the East Indies, to California, San Bernardino, the State of New York, Philadelphia, and other places in the United States, and those who have had charge of the European Missions, to keep every dime out of my hands. I will not suffer this any longer. They require me to bear off the kingdom of God, and they would keep every dollar from me, if they could. I am satisfied with the brethren, for they seem to have supposed that this kingdom was a kingdom of merchandise. I do not say that the brethren have done as they have with their eyes open, for they are as good men as ever walked on this footstool; but they have been mistaken. This is the kingdom of God, to gather the poor, for the poor are the people of God, and they shall inherit the earth; and if you make merchandise of anything, buy the souls of the children of men, and bring them into the kingdom of God, and lay them at the feet of Jesus.

Every person who knows anything about life must know that it requires means to carry on this work; and that means I shall require, from this day forth, to be at my control, and not at the beck and call of every Elder; and at the same time they make me gather the poor and pay all the debts of the Church. We want to build the Temple walls on this block. We now support thousands of people, and wish to support thousands more. They want hats, coats, shirts, dresses, tea, coffee, and sugar. The wife wants the comforts of life to give to her husband while he is laboring hard, and for herself while she is knitting stockings, etc., for the hands. The Elders abroad are wallowing in their riches, and there are women here before me in their silks and satins that have been bought with money that belongs to my purse. They shall not do this any longer. I wrote to brother Calkin to give me a history of matters abroad: he has done so. In the emigration operations of one season Church funds were kept out of my hands by Elders, and they rolled seventy-six thousand dollars of Church indebtedness on me to pay, and that too without the least notification, until it was all transacted and done. While the Elders were buying the best silks and satins for their wives, and the most expensive clothes for themselves, with the money that I ought to have controlled (going out preachers and coming home merchants, with their pockets full of money and drafts), I have had to take the old worn-out horses, and the old toothless cows, and the potatoes, and wheat, when they would not bring money, and make a shift of a shirt, and a shirt of a shift, and a pair of breeches of a shirt, and then make another shift to get hold of money to keep the work in motion. If I were not one of the best financiers on the earth, we should have been in trouble today; and all I know, God has taught me. I have been obliged to ask brother Wells to work like a slave, to deal for me here and there, and change property, and to keep him running until he was almost run out; and now the people are teasing him all the time, for they want dresses, shirts, boots, pantaloons, etc.; and he has nothing to give them, while some are rolling in wealth.

I am going to make the Elders of Israel help to bear off this kingdom, or I will scourge them until they do. “How is it with yourself, brother Brigham?” I would rather wear gray homespun than your fine broadcloth. I have it made up; but, to please my family and the people, I wear such as I do. I would as soon wear a good homemade coat as a coat of the finest cloth in the world. As to food, my greatest luxury is roasted potatoes and a little good, clean, sour buttermilk. Such fare is good enough for Brigham.

Now, let me say to you all, and hear it, O Israel, you have either to give me the control of the Church funds, and pay your Tithing promptly, or take the responsibility of bearing off this kingdom. If the Twelve Apostles and the Presidents of Seventies and the High Priests will take the responsibility of bearing off this kingdom and sending the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth, of gathering the poor, building up Zion, and doing all that is necessary preparatory to the coming of the Son of Man, Brigham is with you to labor with you all his days, and support himself. I have fed and clothed myself from the beginning, and I am willing to do it now, and to spend all my time in the work of God, no matter in what department. If you take the responsibility, you shall have the means; but if you roll the responsibility upon me, I must have the means. If you wish me to bear off the kingdom, will you give me the means to do it with? If you will, raise your right hands. [All hands were raised. To the contrary vote, not a hand was raised.]

We all should follow our leader; and when we are perfectly united in one, we produce the best results for Israel.

God bless you! Amen.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 16, 1860.

In the forenoon, brother Hooper asked—“What will not people do for gold?” I will answer the question. They will not serve God with a pure heart; you cannot hire them to do this. If they serve God, it will be by their own free will and choice. Persons can be hired to preach for money, but it does not follow that such preaching is doing God service.

As I mentioned this morning, when the god of this world is hoisted, the priest from the pulpit and the pious deacon and the people worship at its shrine. All the churches and all the world run after gold.

The arts and sciences are somewhat advanced among the Christian nations; but as to a true knowledge of things as they are in eternity, there never were nations more ignorant. According to my definition of the word, a people are heathenish that do not know things as they ought. The Christian world, so called, are heathens as to their knowledge of the salvation of God. If those nations that we call heathen were civilized as we are, intelligent as we are, we would not call them heathen. The civilized world term those heathen who do not follow their customs, who are not educated as they are, and who do not worship according to the modern Christian form of worship. Without doubt, much of the display and pretended knowledge and wisdom that were presented to the Japanese visitors by the senators, representatives, and great men of our nation, were offensive to them; and perhaps they looked upon the inhabitants of the United States as a poor, miserable, degraded, abominable people, not fit to live upon the earth. Pass from Japan to China, then to India, then westerly across Asia, and probably those people view our nation in much the same light. And when you arrive in the Christian nations, they esteem themselves wiser and far in advance of those they call heathen.

The women in Christendom cannot successfully compete, in spinning and weaving, with those in the East Indies and some other heathen nations. And arts and sciences, in the so-called heathen nations, in many respects excel the attainments of the Christian nations. Then pass in review the ancient heathen nations—examine their architecture and their other productions in the mechanical departments, as to this day exhibited in their works and ruins, and all the boasted knowledge of Christendom in those branches fades in comparison. The civilized world have a tolerably good understanding of the art of navigation, but father Noah knew more about it than do all the mariners now upon the earth. Abraham knew more about astronomy and true philosophy than does all Christendom. The civilized nations know how to make machinery, put up telegraph wires, &c., &c.; and in nearly all branches, they are trying to cheat each other; and finally they will learn that they have been cheat– ing themselves for the golden god—the Mammon of this world.

The world is drunk, but not with wine or strong drink; and our country is the most drunken of all. They are deluding themselves; they are drunk with party fanaticism; they are high-minded, heady, and senseless, and are fast going to destruction. As brother Heber has stated, the Lord Almighty will empty the earth of the wickedness that has dwelt upon it for so many hundreds of years: it will not be suffered to dwell upon it much longer. The wicked will go to their place, and the Almighty will gather his Saints and raise up a people who know their right hands from their left, which Christendom does not know, so far as pertains to the plan of salvation.

Serve your God, but not for gold. Strive to be righteous, not for any speculation, but because righteousness is lovely, pure, holy, beautiful, and exalting: it is designed to make the soul happy and full of joy, to the extent of the whole capacity of man, filling him with light, glory, and intelligence. If you cannot love it for that, do not undertake to be righteous. A man cannot be a Saint at the same time that he loves sin and rolls it under his tongue as a sweet morsel, any more than an Elder can do good on a mission while his heart is set upon riches, planning to bring home merchandise. The Elders cannot accomplish both these things at once; and in trying to do so they have missed their aim, for they have neither got rich nor magnified their calling and priesthood.

I can say amen to what brother Heber has said. Those who now go forth upon missions will feel more of the power of God than they ever had, and will speak as men having authority, asking no odds of the wicked. I said, in Nauvoo, that we were going to leave our possessions. We did so, and God has been and is our helper, and is on our right and left, and round about us like a wall of fire to defend this people, if they serve him with an undivided heart. Will our enemies be saved? No. They have had the Gospel preached to them year after year, and have rejected it. What are they? Comparatively nothing. Where are they? Nowhere. Who are they? Nobody; and as they ripen in iniquity they will depart to the place prepared for them, and be as though they had never been. Can you so much as hire them to serve God? No: but go into the East Indies and you can hire hundreds to profess to serve God, by paying them so much a day. Christian ministers are said to build up their churches there by hiring the natives to be sprinkled and have their names written in the church records. There is a gentleman now in our city who has been blamed by missionaries, both in Europe and America, for writing the truth about their operations in Africa. They had not made as many converts as they had lost missionaries on the African soil.

We want the Elders of Israel to preach the Gospel without purse or scrip, and to trust in God for their food, raiment, and lodging. If you have not a second shirt with you, do not be fretting about it, but trust in God for some person to give you another; for you will not have anything without the Lord pleases, neither food nor raiment; and what he wants you to have he will bring about. Then trust in the Lord, going forth in his name. I will leave the matter of gathering means to the Bishops.

“How much, brother Brigham, do you want gathered to enable the Missionaries to reach their fields of labor and assist their families during their absence? Will five dollars do? for we are very poor in our Ward: we cannot give much.” You are a poor Bishop. We want your hundreds and thousands; and what is not needed now, we will save for the Elders next spring; and when we bind burdens for you, you shall not be able to truthfully say that we will not reach out our little fingers to lift them. You may bring two or three of your best men, and I will give more than they all; I will put forth my whole hand. If any man in this kingdom will give me two-thirds of what my property is worth, I will sell it to him and give every dime of the money towards gathering the poor, and in ten years from now I will be far richer than I am now. I would like to devote every dollar I am worth to preaching the Gospel and gathering the poor, to show the people what God is willing to do for his servants, though he be possessed of weaknesses. Bring the man or woman, who has labored for me, that can say in truth that I have oppressed the hireling in his wages. No living being can in truth say that I have; but I have fed and clothed hundreds and thousands who have not labored for me.

I shall keep the plan of assisting our Missionaries from here before the people until we learn that it is the best policy. I do not, on this account, wish the people abroad to omit paying their Tithing and doing all they can; but I wish to dictate the Church means in a way that will benefit the kingdom of God; for I will gather the poor and build up Zion, while the course of others wastes and destroys. Doubtless many of the Elders think that they are smarter than I am. As brother Kimball has said, some of the knowing ones marveled when we were called to the Apostleship. It was indeed a mystery to me; but when I considered what consummate blockheads they were, I did not deem it so great a wonder. When they would meet brother Kimball and myself, their looks expressed, “What a pity!” Then I would think, You may, perhaps, make tolerably good men after a while; but I guess that you will tumble out by-and-by, just as they did: they could not stay in the Gospel net, they were so big and grew so fast; they became larger than the ship and slid overboard.

I ask no odds of the enemies of truth, neither have we from the beginning. Let us so live that God and angels are with us, and all is right; and if we do not, it matters not what becomes of us, nor how quickly we are overthrown as a people. Let all hearts be fervent in their covenants, and glorify their Father who is in heaven, with their spirits and bodies, which are his. Let our most earnest desire be to bring forth and build up the kingdom of God upon the earth, save the house of Israel and all the honest among the Gentiles, and fill the whole earth with the light, glory, power, and knowledge of God, and be prepared to enjoy it; which may Jesus grant. Amen.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 16, 1860.

I can say amen to what brother Pratt has just said. I think I can with propriety say to him and a great many of the Elders of Israel that they may dismiss those little doubts that brother Pratt has spoken of in regard to proving faithful. You who are in the Church and have been a long time faithful, the Lord will never suffer to so fall away that you cannot be saved. I hardly know of a man who has been in the Church fifteen, twenty, or twenty-five years and longer, but what had better be thankful that that time is past, and not wish to live it over again, for fear he would not do as well. True, some of the brethren have taken missteps—have dealt amiss in some instances, and have not done so well as they could, had they lived so as to have known more; but I am satisfied with them, if they will continue to learn and improve upon their gifts and become perfect; otherwise, I shall not be satisfied, either with myself or with my brethren, the Elders of Israel. The knowledge we now have in our possession is sufficient to guide and direct us step by step, day by day, until we are made perfect before the Lord our Father. If we do not take a course to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, and attain to perfection, I do not intend to be satisfied with either myself or anyone who comes short of this.

When I came into the meeting, brother Pratt was speaking upon the principle of covetousness, which is idolatry. This a matter that ought to be understood, though it is as impossible to make those understand who are not seeking to know, as it is to make blind people understand the difference between colors. It is a hard matter to so bring some to their understanding that they will comprehend, recollect, and practice correct principles. Preaching the word to Saint or sinner is of but little moment, unless there is a place in the hearts of the hearers to receive it; otherwise it is to them like sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. To enjoy the light and power of the Holy Ghost day by day is prayed for by brother Pratt; but the preacher does not need it any more than the hearers. The preacher needs the power of the Holy Ghost to deal out to each heart a word in due season, and the hearers need the Holy Ghost to bring forth the fruits of the preached word of God to his glory.

We need not refer to the traditions of the fathers with regard to the manifestations of the covetousness we see so much of. Observe the customs and habits, not of the fathers, but of the children—our brethren and sisters here. We see men, from twenty years up to old age, who are entirely overcome by their desire to obtain gold. It is asserted that there are 75,000 people at Pike’s Peak. What business have they there? Simply to worship the god of this world. He was said to be there, and they flocked there to worship him. A little gold dust was found near Pike’s Peak; the golden god—the god of this world—was hoisted, and what is the result? Priests and people, the old and young, rich and poor, wise and foolish, noble and ignoble, are all running after this god.

Are all who profess to be Latter-day Saints entirely free from this Mammon worship? No. You have heard “Oppression!” sounded from Maine to Texas, from Texas to California, then to Washington Territory, in the British Provinces in America, in England, and all over the world—“Great oppression in Utah!” because we exhort the people not to be such fools as to run after the golden image; and sometimes we tell them that we will cut them off from the Church, if they do. This has caused this great outcry. Some who have come here this season expressly to enjoy the privilege of their religion are not satisfied, but want to go where there is more money. Money is their god. Go—go after it and worship it as much as you please, and trouble us not. Go your way rejoicing as much as you can; but you will have sorrow in that course. Instead of bettering your condition, you will make it a great deal worse. Your spirits will sink into darkness and wretchedness, and you will go your way mourning instead of rejoicing.

It is reported that thousands of persons will soon be on Strawberry Creek, a little east of the South Pass. What are they after? Someone, they say, has found sand with a little gold dust in it. There is their god again, and hosts are coming running after it. The world is after riches; riches is the god they worship. It is a marvel that they do not discover the emptiness of earthly riches, when hundreds are going out like a candle burnt down in the socket. We know that we are here, and how soon we shall go hence we know not. Perhaps some of us may be called from this life before tomorrow morning, and some, perhaps, before sunset will pass into the spirit world. But that does not lessen the appetite for gold. I do not know that a miser’s appetite for gold would be lessened in the least degree, if he knew that he would be required to leave it tomorrow.

Such riches can give no real enjoyment. There is no happiness in gold, not the least. It is very convenient as an article of exchange, in purchasing what we need; and instead of finding comfort and happiness in gold, you exchange it to obtain happiness, or that which may conduce to it. There is no real wealth in gold. People talk about being wealthy—about being rich; but place the richest banking company in the world upon a barren rock, with their gold piled around them, with no possible chance of exchanging it, and destitute of the creature comforts; and they would be poor indeed. Where then is their joy, their comfort, their great wealth? They have none.

What constitutes health, wealth, joy, and peace? In the first place, good pure air is the greatest sustainer of animal life. Other elements of life we can dispense with for a time, but this seems to be essential every moment; hence the necessity of well ventilated dwelling houses, especially the rooms occupied for sleeping. You can live without water and food longer than you can without air, and water is of more importance than meat and bread. In what, then, consists your riches? In being comfortably clad, comfortably sheltered, and suitably provided with food. Gold, where those comforts could not be obtained, would avail nothing. But the greatest of all comforts are the words of eternal life: they also comprise the greatest of all riches. The greatest riches that can be bestowed upon man is eternal life—the power to sustain ourselves and preserve our identity before our God, though this is not esteemed riches by the world. You may assemble such men as Dick Turpin of England, Joaquin of California, and Joseph C. Hare of the United States, and let them hoist the golden flag, and you will see priest and people running after them, and they will call them fine gentlemen, give them of their substance, and their daughters to wives.

We have the real wealth here. We have not much gold and silver here, but we have the good, fine flour, good wheat, horses, cattle, beef, pork, vegetables, fruit, sheep, and wool, and good wives to manufacture the wool into clothing. This is real wealth. This people is a rich people. We are the wealthiest people, in what constitutes true wealth, and in proportion to our number, that there are in any other part of our country: we have the comforts of life.

I will now inform the Latter-day Saints in this Territory that I wish them to fit out our Missionaries, who are going into the world to preach, with means to go to their fields of labor, and then sustain their families when they are gone. That is the text I wish to lay before the people. If I do not preach upon it this morning, I may this afternoon. I was with the Bishops last Thursday evening, and I requested them to notify the brethren to come here prepared to donate their half-eagles, eagles, fifty dollar pieces, horses, mules, wagons, wheat by the twenty and hundred bushels, and other available means, that we may send these brethren away rejoicing; and then we will give them a promise that we will provide for their families after they are gone, so far as they are unable to provide for themselves.

You may inquire, “What has hap– pened? Is there anything new under the sun? Are the Church and kingdom of God becoming different from what they were?” All this can be explained to you—only give us time. I think that the brethren were required to go and preach “without purse and scrip,” and that is what I am now trying to get them to do—to go “without purse and scrip,” and not beg the poor Saints to death. Let us support the Elders, instead of making the poor do it. We are able to send these men out to preach the Gospel, and they may go “without purse or scrip.” It may be asked, “What do you say to the following words of Paul?—’Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and so remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” When the Elders are on Missions, I want them to let speculation alone. I call trading, begging, and borrowing, and laying plans to come home wealthy, speculation. The Elders of Israel have not magnified their callings as they should have done. Had they known things as they really are, and seen them as they are in the bosom of eternity, they would rather have suffered their right hands to be cut off, or their heads to be severed from their bodies, than do as some have done.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.” All the gold and silver are in the hands of the Lord. When he is so disposed, gold cannot be found; and when he is disposed, the surface of the earth is full of it. There may be gold here; but, to find it, the persons will have to ride over my faith. No doubt many of the Elders are hunting to find gold. I was going to say that I would rather they would find hell; for they would, if they found gold. Every man that prays to find it here virtually prays that the Devil may have power over the kingdom of God to destroy it from the earth. Perhaps some of these very men will give a sixpence, shilling, or a dollar to the Elders who are going out to preach. Such men know no more than those Elders who go out on missions to gather gold to administer to their nonsensical appetites; but it goes from them, and they know not where it goes. Every Saint should understand that the Lord will bring forth to us the gold when we need it. We now want shoes, boots, hats, bonnets, dresses, coats, food, and comfortable houses, to enable us to live long on the earth, with wisdom to know how to use all creature comforts.

The means which you donate for supporting our Missions shall be entered in the book of the law of the Lord, that the record thereof may go down to your posterity. It will not be put into our pockets, nor used for other purposes—at least, not with my knowledge or consent. I shall throw this business into the hands of the Bishops. The good Bishop will get a liberal donation, while the others will not get much. “As is the priests, so are the people;” and as is the Bishop, so is his Ward. Let the Bishops commence at the intermission to receive donations, and continue so to do until a week from tonight. With these means we expect to send the Elders directly to their fields of labor.

It is my business to control the disbursements of the Tithing paid by the Saints, and not the business of every Elder in the kingdom who thinks the Tithing belongs to him. In the English Mission, where comparatively but little was done, fifty-four thousand dollars of the Tithing money has been expended by the Elders during the last two years. This has been kept from my knowledge until recently; but I have now got hold of the rope, and I will search out every secret act pertaining to this matter. The money that has been spent on those Elders ought to have been used to gather the poor and pay the debts previously contracted in their emigration. Elders have expended hundreds of thousands of dollars of Church funds, and have left me hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay. The motto of many seems to have been—“Not one cent will we let the Trustee-in-Trust have, if we can keep it out of his hands.” I am going to search into this course until it is stopped. It is the business of the Elders to preach the Gospel and gather the poor. If they do not do this, they will come home shorn of their strength. You may wonder why I have not sooner spoken of this. I could not get it in shape to do so until now, and have had to groan under it. My Counselors and immediate associates know how I have felt, ever since I have been in this Valley, with regard to the way in which the work is carried on abroad.

The Lord takes one man, whom he knows to be just and righteous, and places in his path an abundance of possessions—houses and lands, cattle, and every good thing that can be bestowed upon an individual, while many of his brethren and neighbors around him imagine that he has obtained his possessions by deceiving, by oppressing the poor, and keeping back the wages of the hireling, and they undertake to get rich by dishonesty. This is the case with many of the Elders of Israel, and herein they make a great mistake. “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor riches to men of wisdom,” but to those whom God favors. You may ask me for proof of this. It is ready, were it wise to produce it. May the Lord bless you! Amen.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 16, 1860.

I arise to address myself to the congregation of the Saints who are here assembled with a degree of pleasure and satisfaction, feeling that it is a great privilege that we enjoy of meeting together in this bowery, from Sabbath to Sabbath, for the purpose of hearing from and worshipping the Lord our God.

It has always been a great satisfaction to my mind, and a source of pleasure, to speak of the things of the kingdom of God, especially on those occasions on which the Lord has condescended to bless me with a portion of his Spirit; for the Spirit of the Lord gives joy and satisfaction to all those who are made partakers of it, whether it be the speaker or the hearer; and without that Spirit no person can expect to enjoy any great degree of happiness in this life or in that which is to come. It is contrary to the nature of happiness for us to undertake to enjoy ourselves independent of the approbation of Heaven, and independent of the Holy Spirit which the Almighty pours out upon those who are honest and upright before him. There is no happiness in anything else; there is no place worthy of being called a place of happiness only in the enjoyment of the favor of God and of his Holy Spirit. And those persons are truly blessed who have the greatest share of that Spirit abiding with them; and when that Spirit withdraws from the hearts of mankind, they are truly cursed. In the Spirit of the Lord there is peace, there is joy, there is light, there is truth, there is hope, and there is truth. Without that Spirit all is darkness, all is wretchedness, and all is shut up and closed as it were to the human mind, and future hope, or hope of future blessings and exaltation, is cut off.

Perhaps this may be the last opportunity, for some time to come, at least, that I shall have of addressing the Saints in Utah. In a few days I expect to be wending my way, in company with some of my brethren, on another mission to the United States, for the purpose of doing whatever the Spirit of the Lord may direct in those lands. Whether I shall return again to Utah, it matters not, if it so be that I keep the commandments of God and do his will. All flesh is in His hands, and He governs and controls all things according to his own righteous will and purposes, and preserves in life whomsoever he sees proper, and takes away his servants whenever it seems to him good to do so. Whether I shall be spared many years or few, it matters not to me, if I am only faithful to the end. This is my object; this is the foremost thing in my mind; and it should be the foremost in the minds of all the Latter-day Saints. Many great and good men have fallen by the power of their enemies, by the Destroyer, by sickness, and by accidents; but this is the lot of all mankind, to pass through the veil—to go from this stage of existence to another, altogether a different state of existence from this, in many respects. But even this state of existence that we now enjoy is a pleasure to the righteous; it is a great satisfaction to those that keep the commandments of God. Life is sweet, and there are but very few individuals who are willing to part with it, even though they knew with the perfect knowledge that when leaving this mortal state of existence, where we are subject to toil and fatigue, to pain and sorrow—though they knew that they would enter into the presence of God, and enjoy complete happiness in his kingdom henceforth and forever; yet there are many, who although they might know this with the most perfect knowledge, they would pray in their hearts that they might abide here a little longer. There are but very few individuals upon the earth among the Latter-day Saints who desire to die; and I doubt very much whether there have been many persons of that kind, in the past ages of the world, among the true-hearted servants of God, who desired to die. When they reflected upon the work that they might accomplish and perform in this world, they would still feel to pray for life, even immortal life to be continued unto them.

Why do we desire to live? Is it to accumulate riches? No; this ought not to be the cause of the desire in our hearts; for if we should have power to heap up gold as the sands—if we should have power to collect the treasures of the earth together to a very great extent, and have power to have everything, so far as this world’s goods are concerned, to the fullest extent of our desires, what is it even then? Can we take those things into the grave with us? Can we carry our farms, our houses, our carriages, and other property, behind the veil with us? No, we cannot. Then why should this be in the hearts of so many of those who profess to be Saints as the uppermost desire? Why should the people lie awake to study how to collect an abundance of the things of this life? Why should they cling to the things that must perish and be done away? This is one of the great temptations that beset the pathway of mortal man. He desires to heap up the riches of this world, as though he were to stay here forever. But he may inquire if the original desire is not placed in the heart of man for a good purpose? Yes, it is; but that desire should be controlled according to the law of God and the will of Heaven. We should seek for nothing in this dispensation and in the kingdom in which we are engaged—we should seek for nothing, I repeat, that would be calculated to lead our minds astray from the great purposes we have in view as Latter-day Saints. Nothing should be permitted to lead our minds from God and his kingdom, and from worshipping him with the fulness of our hearts. Desires are very good in their places: when dictated by the Spirit of God, they will be gratified in due time. Every man and woman should seek in a lawful way to procure the things that are necessary in this life to benefit themselves, their neighbors, and the poor around them, and make a good use of the blessings God bestows, and the things he entrusts them with in this world. But how many there are among the Saints of the living God, whose hearts and minds are almost overwhelmed with the things of this present life! They covet gold and silver, houses and lands, and other riches in abundance; and they know not why. I should delight to see the Saints of God rich; yes, I should be pleased to see the poorest Saint among us have in his possession all that his heart could desire, if he would use those things properly that were committed to his charge and according to the will of Him that made him. I should also desire to see no poor in the midst of Zion, but that all might be blest with a good supply of the things of this life. I desire to see the day come when all the Latter-day Saints who have suffered shall have everything which their hearts can desire in righteousness of the things of this world, when they will be good for them, and when they can use them for the glory of God. Until that period shall come, I doubt whether riches will benefit the Saints of God. If, peradventure, any of you, by your diligence and perseverance, should happen to accumulate riches to some extent, if you should use them for the purposes which God has ordained, all will be well; but if not, they will prove a curse to you, instead of a blessing. And I will add that there is one thing that I am confident of—viz., that in Utah there is not much danger of the Latter-day Saints becoming very rich. If they accumulate by their perseverance a sufficiency of breadstuffs and those things that are necessary for their present sustenance and future security against the famines that are to spread desolation in the earth, they will do well. I think there are no people upon the face of the earth that need to envy the Latter-day Saints, so far as their temporal prospects are concerned. In other respects they have great cause to envy them.

There is not much chance for the Latter-day Saints to grow rich in this Territory—I mean according to the meaning of the term in the world. There is and ever will be too much to be done in various kinds of labor for the building up of the kingdom of God. Your land, of course, yields abundantly where it is well cultivated; but it requires a great deal of toil to accomplish it. About three or four times the labor is required of the farmers and agriculturists than is required in other countries. Why, it takes a man almost one-half of his time to get his fuel from the canyons, about one-quarter to irrigate the soil, and of course the rest is well occupied with the other duties of life. This being the case, then, there is not much prospect of soon becoming very rich. We ought, nevertheless, to be thankful for the blessings we enjoy; for the Almighty has brought us into a country where we have not the privilege of heaping up riches and ruining ourselves forever. It takes a people a long time to prepare themselves for riches. The old principle which was planted in the hearts of our ancestors, which was a principle of covetousness, as practiced by the Gentiles in all ages, has become a part of the nature of the human family, by tradition; so much so, that it seems to be one of the most difficult things to root out of the hearts of men. To accomplish this, the Lord has to train the people, year after year, in order to get it out of their minds; and he has given us a very thorough training and experience in order to deliver this people from this covetous feeling and principle.

If we reflect back upon our past history—and I believe that the Latter-day Saints are acquainted with that history, either by actual experience, by reading, or by hearing it verbally recited; suffice it to say that they are pretty well acquainted with the history of this Church for the last thirty years—what has the Lord been trying to accomplish since the rise of this Church? Has he not been trying to accomplish one of the greatest events and one of the greatest works ever accomplished among mankind? Yes, he has been trying to eradicate from the people the old leaven of the Gentiles that has been established in the hearts of men so many generations, and to prepare the Saints for the great work of the last days. In regard to heaping up a multitude of the riches of this life, all our past history shows that the Lord was so determined to rid us of this principle as far as possible, in order that we might enjoy riches when he shall see fit to bestow them upon us, that he suffered us to be driven from our inheritances, to undergo many privations, and thus be prepared for the vicissitudes of future life.

We need not be fainthearted nor discouraged in regard to the riches of this life, for this people are bound to be the richest of any people upon the face of the whole earth, in the Lord’s own due time. That will be in fulfillment of prophecy, and no people that ever dwelt upon this earth ever came up to what the Latter-day Saints will be in the accumulation of the things of this life. But when we reflect upon these things, we ought to pray earnestly that we may never be put in the possession of those things until we are rid of those feelings of selfishness and covetousness. (President B. Young: We shall not be; for the Lord knows that wealth would certainly be a curse to us.) It frequently looks very curious to me, looking at it naturally, and causes me some astonishment, when I see the pride and arrogance of the children of men; for I see that the whole bent of their minds is upon the wheat and corn, that they may grow: their contemplations seem to be upon the plans and means by which they can best accumulate the treasures of this world. Who would place their minds in this direction when they see thousands and millions perishing and annually going into their graves? And who would believe that they would be so exceedingly anxious to heap up millions more than they actually need? They see scores of their neighbors cut down upon their right hand and upon their left: they have the experience before them to prove that all must go into their graves without carrying with them the goods and riches of this world. Why is it that it does not take away this feeling from them, either morning or night? Men of this kind are awake during many of the silent hours of the night to calculate how they can the easiest accumulate riches.

We have brought these principles and notions with us; we have inherited them from our fathers; they were instilled into us by our parents; and we have to get rid of them as soon as we can, in order that we may be prepared to receive the true principles in the proper spirit. We ought to be thankful that we are in a country where we cannot get rich as easily as we desire to—a country where it takes from morning till night in hard labor to get the common necessaries of life, and that this will continue until the Lord says that our hearts are prepared, and we are capable of enjoying the good things of this life.

We, as Latter-day Saints, not only have the promise of earthly riches and temporal comforts; but, what is far more joyful to us and more satisfactory to our minds, is, that we look forward to an eternity of riches—to a perpetual increase of wealth to be given unto us, if we are faithful before the Lord, to be enjoyed upon righteous principles—to be enjoyed where no covetousness shall mar our feelings—to be participated in by the Latter-day Saints when they have clean hands, pure hearts—when they can use the blessings bestowed upon them according to the mind and will of God and in peace, where riches will impart the most perfect happiness to the Saints of the living God.

These are the riches we should seek after first—these the treasures that our hearts should be set upon—the riches that are behind the veil, that extend beyond this mortal sphere—the riches that are as endurable as eternity. It is these riches that will be able to endure and stand when all earthly riches shall vanish away like the dream of a night vision.

Thirty years ago next January, by a revelation that was given through the Prophet Joseph, we were told to seek earnestly for the riches of eternity; and the Lord said it must needs be that my people shall be tried and proven, that they may be prepared to receive that which is in store for the faithful. Seek first for the riches that are in the future life. Seek first, as our Savior bade his disciples, the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all things shall be added to you, that are needful and necessary.

It will be thirty years next Wednesday since I was baptized into this Church—almost one-third of a century since I have had an opportunity of understanding the things of the kingdom of God in some measure—of being baptized into that kingdom which shall endure forever. How shall I look back upon these thirty years? In many respects I look back with exceeding great joy; in some respects, with exceeding great sorrow. I can see where I have failed in many things, and that if I had lived as faithful as I might have done, I might have done more to the honor and glory of God. I might have been a person more humble and diligent in obeying counsel—more faithful in the discharge of many duties that are required of a person holding the Priesthood; I might have taken a course that would have been better for myself in many respects, better for mankind, better for my family, and for the cause and kingdom of God. You can easily perceive, then, that reflection upon these things gives me a degree of sorrow. But after considering all these matters, when I reflect upon the little good that I have done, and upon the travels and labors that I have performed, the success that has attended my efforts, and the few good desires that I have had to build up the kingdom, I certainly have great joy. I feel a satisfaction in my own mind in contemplating my past life. I feel a joy and satisfaction that I would not part with for all the luxuries and honors of this present life. These would be nothing in comparison with it. I ever expect to look back upon the past period of my history with joy, so far as the good is concerned. I shall have to reflect with pleasure that I have preached the Gospel to so many—that I have so often borne my testimony to the great work of the last days in which we are engaged. I shall never regret any of the testimonies that I have borne in regard to the future events that are coming upon the earth; I shall never have to regret exhorting mankind to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to repent of their sins, to believe in the laws, doctrines, and ordinances of the Church and kingdom of God, and in the holy Priesthood restored to man in this generation. Have I any reason to regret these things now? No; and I should very much dislike being placed back thirty years in my his– tory, and to have to live my life over again. I should be exceedingly fearful that I might not live it as well as I have done; I should be afraid of taking a step that would prove my overthrow. How long I shall live hereafter it matters not. I desire to live, if it is the will of my Heavenly Father; and if it is his will, I desire to die. I desire to be perfectly submissive. Death has lost its terrors to me. I feel no fear of pain, for it is only momentary. There is pain in yielding up this mortal tabernacle in many cases, but what is it? It only lasts for a few minutes, a few hours, days, or weeks, and then all is over.

The great object of our existence is to have the mind and the spirit right, the feelings and passions under control—to have the mortal man that dwells within led and dictated by the Holy Spirit. If that is right, the pain and suffering of the body is but small. If we have hope of eternal life—I do not mean that kind of hope that exists among the Christian world at large, or that which exists among the Pagans or Mahomedans—but I mean that kind of hope that is based upon a sure foundation—a hope that we can really depend upon—a hope that is not built upon a sandy foundation, but one that takes hold of the things in eternity, that lays hold of the things of the Most High God—a hope founded upon the promises of the Almighty, upon the Priesthood which is after the order of an endless life, and obedience to the laws of heaven and those of the kingdom of God on the earth—a hope that blooms with immortality and eternal lives.

This is what imparts confidence to man and takes away the fear of death, distress, and terror from the minds of the Saints.

Have I this hope? I have to some degree, and I would to God that I had it to a greater degree. Promises have been showered upon my head; blessings have been pronounced upon me by the Priesthood at different times; other blessings have been sealed upon me, through the holy ordinances of the Gospel, by the proper authority: but I contemplate that these are conditional. There is a small degree of trembling and fear that, after all, I may prove unfaithful, and that I may not be able to endure unto the end.

The great promises of our Savior to his Apostles have been made upon this condition. It is true there are some promises that God has made upon some subjects without conditions. We might mention the following in the revelation upon marriage, concerning sealing blessings upon persons, and sealing them up to eternal life—sealing upon them blessings for time and for all eternity, at the time when the man and woman go forth and are sealed by the Priesthood having authority to do this. This remains upon them, if they are sealed unconditionally; at least, the revelation says, if such a one transgresses, he shall be destroyed in the flesh and suffer until the day of redemption; and then they shall come forth and inherit all that was placed upon their heads by the servants of God, on the condition that they have not committed the sin against the Holy Ghost or shed innocent blood. This would seem to be as near an unconditional promise as can well be made to mortals. But this is not altogether unconditional, for there are some exceptions; but it would come as near as anything we have ever read of.

This ought to be a comfort to the Saints, and not a license for them to sin and commit all manner of blasphemies; but it should be a comfort and a consolation to those that may, in the hour of temptation, be overtaken in a fault, to encourage them to turn unto the Lord their God with all their hearts, minds, might, and strength. Then they can lay hold of these promises, and with them come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, and inherit all that was placed upon their heads. But when we reflect upon pain in this life, it is grievous to be borne and to think of. When we think that a man may be buffeted, not only in this life, but until the morning of the first resurrection, this ought to cause the heart of every Latter-day Saint to shrink from everything that is sinful. What! Shall we offend God who has made these great and precious promises? Where is our life, if we should offend God, the giver of all these good things? If we should dare to sin upon such a promise, we should indeed be deserving of the severest punishment. Let no Latter-day Saint, then, try to claim these great and precious things, if they willfully commit sin, and because the Lord has promised that they should only be punished for a season. The time of their punishment is here in this life, and it is sure not to extend into the other for any great period. Yet there is far more satisfaction in being perfectly honest before God and men—yes, far more satisfaction, joy, and consolation here in this life, to live without any threatening and punishment in this or in the next life. Every man that has the right spirit within him will feel that he ought to keep the commandments of God; and it is the great source of our happiness and the fountain from which we draw all these great, glorious, and honorable tokens of the approval of our Heavenly Father. Obedience produces enduring happiness in our minds. Then let us love God and love righteousness, because it is right; let us love honesty, love to do good, because there is pleasure in doing so; let us hate wickedness because it is hateful in its nature; let us hate that which has the appearance of evil, and do that because we know it to be the feeling of God, of angels, and of all good men.

These should be the feelings of every Latter-day Saint; they should study to discriminate between the right and the wrong, and be determined to walk continually in the path of virtue, of righteousness, and of truth. Let us study to make ourselves approved before God, that we may have his smiles and approbation continually.

We are fallen beings, and are not aware how deeply the prejudices of our forefathers have been visited upon our minds. When we think ourselves free from the bondage of our fathers, we then imagine that we become perfectly untrammeled, and we are not at all aware how deeply these prejudices have entwined themselves around our hearts. How diligent we should be to root them out, and get every feeling of our nature in the proper direction for that new state of society into which we have entered. The Lord does not prompt his servants to love the manners and evil customs of the world, and you can scarcely put your finger upon the custom that is not evil; and although the passions of human nature have been planted in the breasts of men for wise and good purposes, yet they have become so changed by associating evil with them that we do not appear to realize the influence they may exert over our minds. We therefore ought to study and to seek diligently for that light which comes from heaven, to look into our own hearts as we look into a mirror, that we may be enabled to see our foolish practices, turn from them, and feel that we are not only in the presence of man, but that we are in the presence of God, that we may become sensible of our responsibility, and act consistently in all things, that our government may be righteous and holy in all things. Let us ask ourselves the question, Are we practicing as though we were in the presence of heavenly beings, and enjoying what they enjoy, and being with them day after day, and night after night throughout all eternity? Are we prepared to stand up before God, angels, and before holy and celestial beings, with confidence and a oneness of feeling, being assured that there is nothing the matter in our hearts, but that we are upright as they are upright—that we hate iniquity as they hate it? We may feel that we are trying to do this; but a little more light of the Spirit from heaven—of the Holy Ghost shed forth upon our hearts—would enable us to see many imperfections and follies that are gathered up by the traditions of our forefathers and from the acts of our neighbors.

This being the last time, probably, that I shall have the opportunity of speaking to you in this place for some time to come, although I almost consider it unnecessary to bear my testimony before a people that have so often heard it, yet it seems it would be a satisfaction to my own mind, if it is not so to you, to bear testimony concerning the kingdom and work in which you are engaged as well as myself. Do I know that this Church and kingdom that is established here in the Territory of Utah, and whose branches extend abroad in England, in France, and in various parts of the earth—do I know that this is the kingdom spoken of by the Prophets of old—that this is the great Latter-day Kingdom of the Most High God? Yes, I do. How do I know this? Not by miracles that my eyes have beheld, though I have seen many; not by manifestations in healing the sick, although I have seen many healed; not by the testimony of others, although I have heard many, but that would not give me a living and an abiding witness. How do I know that this Latter-day Kingdom, organized by the inhabitants of this Territory, as well as the Branches that are abroad, are all included in that great and glorious kingdom of the last days that is to stand forever? Have I seen the face of the Almighty in open vision? No; this is a great privilege that I have never attained to. Have holy angels come down from heaven when I was awake and conversed with me as one man converses with another? No; I have not had so great a privilege—I have not attained to that. But I know by the power of the Holy Ghost shed forth in my heart from time to time; for, notwithstanding all my faults, all my weaknesses, my imperfections, and failings, through the past thirty years, I do know one fact, and that is that God has from time to time, through his infinite mercy and goodness, shed forth upon me his Holy Spirit, unworthy as I was to receive it, and that has borne testimony, time and again, that this is the work of God: it has given me a knowledge which it is impossible for me to doubt. If I had seen angels, I might doubt, without having the Holy Ghost. I might doubt if I had seen great miracles, without the Holy Ghost accompanying them; and I might doubt if I saw the heavens opened, if I heard the thunders roll; and I might go and build a golden calf and worship it: but when the Holy Ghost speaks to me and gives me a knowledge that this is the kingdom of God, so that I know it just as well as I know anything else, then that knowledge is past controversy. By that knowledge I know this work to be true; by it I know that this kingdom will roll on until it shall attain its high destiny, and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and his Christ.

I feel truly thankful for this know– ledge that I have been counted worthy to receive, and the greatest desire of my heart is that I may always retain this knowledge within me. The Spirit may depart for a little season, but it will return again, if we are faithful. How miserable, how unhappy would every person be to have this knowledge remain and the Spirit be taken from him. It would be calculated to make a man one of the most wretched beings upon the face of the earth. What! A knowledge that this is the work of God, and at the same time lose the Spirit that imparted it?

Now, brethren and sisters, if all of you have this knowledge, and have had the Spirit to bear this witness, beware how you grieve the Spirit of the living God, and how you turn from the influences of that Spirit to evil, unless you want to become miserable all the days of your lives.

I am going forth shortly to the United States, and I pray that the grace of God may sustain me. What is the desire of my heart? It is, O Lord my God, let thy servant have thy Spirit to direct him while upon this mission. This is the chief desire of my heart. I do not care whether I preach much or little, or whether I administer much or little, so that I perform those duties that may be re– quired at my hands. As for poverty or affliction, they matter not, if I only have the Spirit of God to accompany me. If it were not for this, I would not give anything for the testimony of this work. All those holding the Priesthood without the Spirit to accompany them can do nothing. Without a man’s testimony is accompanied by the Spirit, it will do nothing. He may multiply words—he may study, as the revelations says; and after he has done all this, without the Spirit is with him to carry conviction to the hearts of the people, all his labors will be in vain.

They have systems in the world; they have the best books that are published amongst themselves; but they do not make a right use of them; and when a man goes to preach without the Holy Ghost, to bear testimony, to be in his heart to give him utterance, it will be all in vain. Nothing can be done satisfactory either to himself or to this people.

Then I do hope and pray that not only myself, but all the Missionaries that are going across the Plains may have this Spirit all the time to be with them. Give me the Holy Spirit, and I can work the work of the Lord. Let this be promised, and all will be well.

May God bless you all! Amen.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 9, 1860.

The instructions, faith, revelations, and Scriptures that have been given from the earliest ages to the present—all the past that has come within my notice—all that is now transpiring among the nations of the earth, so far as we can see and understand—all the privileges that men can enjoy, that are allotted to the intelligent beings now before me, with the rest of mankind, and much more than all this, continually occupy my mind, feelings, sympathies, and judgment. We enjoy the greatest blessings and privileges of any people we are acquainted with.

What causes this people to do as they do? It is written, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” It is a spirit that causes this people to do what they do—to leave their native countries, to leave their fathers and mothers, brethren and sisters, and take up their line of march and travel thousands of miles to this distant country; and then, when selected for missions, to again leave their fathers, mothers, and friends, and travel back to their native lands, or to some other place, wherever they are appointed to go. We cannot behold that spirit and influence with our natural eyes. The results alone are known.

What causes the inhabitants of the earth to do as they do—those who do not believe in the Christian religion? You remember that a few years ago Mr. Sutter, in California, hired some of our brethren, who had been in the Mormon Battalion, to dig a millrace, in which they found gold. The news spread rapidly; and now, in the States, how many places you can find forsaken! Good farms, mechanic shops, stores, and other good situations for men to live in and make themselves comfortable, are deserted, having been sold or mortgaged for a few hundred dollars with which to go and get gold. Then try to number the widows and orphans who have been left in a state of destitution; then count the bones that are bleaching on the prairies between the frontiers of the Eastern States and California, and is not this conduct as great a mystery as it is to see our Elders do as they do? There is also a spirit that prompts this craving for gold.

There is a spirit that prompts the nations to prepare for war, desolation, and bloodshed—to waste each other away. Do they realize it? No—no more than a wicked man realizes the propriety of an Elder’s taking his line of march to Europe to preach the Gospel. The Spirit of the Gospel that is in the hearts of believers prompts them to do as they do, and the spirit of the enemy that is in the wicked prompts them to do as they do and is it not a mystery? Verily we can say that man is a mystery to himself—that he does not understand himself. When he understands himself, he will understand much about his Creator—his Father and God.

The greatest desire in the bosom of our Father Adam, or in his faithful children who are coworkers with God our Father in heaven, is to save the inhabitants of the earth. Many spirits have gone forth into the world—very many, as also the Holy Spirit of the Gospel to lead this people and all the human family, who will receive it, back into the presence of our Father and God. It has been the greatest desire of the faithful to see their relatives and friends follow that good Spirit, that they may return to the presence of their Father and God.

Brother Hooper has stated that he has charity. Every good man has; but there are only a few men on the earth who understand the charity that fills the bosom of our Savior. We should have charity; we should do all we can to reclaim the lost sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, and bring them back to be saved in the presence of our Father and God. If we do this, our charity will extend to the utmost extent that it is designed for the charity of God to extend in the midst of this people. But I have no love or charity for a wicked and corrupt scoundrel, who commits iniquity with his eyes wide open, though I pity and regret the condition of the human family in their ignorance. They would come to the light, but for one thing—their deeds are evil, and they do not mean to have them reproved. They would be rebuked, and they will not bear it; and so they pass on, and will, until they are punished.

May God bless the righteous and sustain his cause. He will do so. The wicked cannot do anything against the truth. Every move they make to crush the kingdom of God will be attended with the signal blessings of the Almighty for its further extension and ultimate triumph. All their efforts will result in the overthrow of sin and iniquity, and the increase of righteousness and the kingdom of God upon the earth, until “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ.” “Shall we see this in the flesh?” Yes. “Before we receive new bodies?” I do not know, though I expect to see all this in the flesh. Whether in this or in a new body, God being my helper, I shall contend for the righteousness of God and the rights of his Saints, and contend manfully, until we gain possession of our relatives, friends, neighbors, country, the nations of the earth, and the earth, to purify it and prepare it for the habitation of angels. That is our business. May the Lord help us to accomplish this purpose! Amen.

Discourse by Elder George Q. Cannon, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 9, 1860.

I rejoice this morning, brethren and sisters, in having the privilege of assembling with you under such favorable circumstances. While I have been sitting here listening to the singing, and looking around at the attention of the congregation, the thought has arisen in my heart, how is it possible for the Elders of Israel, who have partaken of the spirit that emanates from and surrounds this people, to remain so long absent from the society of the Latter-day Saints? I have never returned without having similar feelings; and now, to contemplate another mission, and the probability of being absent as long as I was on that mission from which I have just returned, seems, at the first view, terrible.

There is nothing but the Spirit of God—the comforting and sustaining influences of that Spirit which is promised to be given unto the Elders, that would enable a man to absent himself from society that is so pleasing, to go out into the world and labor to proclaim the Gospel unto the children of men.

I feel to rejoice that I am here; and when I look around me and see the comfortable circumstances of my brethren and sisters that have been gathered out from the nations to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences and the revelations of Jesus Christ, my soul is filled with joy and rejoicing. I feel this to be a glorious privilege that we enjoy, and I do not think that the people generally appreciate it although there may be some exceptions.

If an Elder should go forth after residing here, and have for years to come to mingle among the inhabitants of the earth, if he be animated and led by that Spirit which prevails here, he will realize that holy influence to a very great extent. He will realize that God has gathered out a people whom he has filled with union and love, such as he does not witness or experience among other people or nations abroad. This he will realize, if filled with the Spirit that prevails here; for, wherever you go throughout the length and breadth of the earth, you find that there is a spirit of hatred, envy, malice, and everything that is in opposition to the Spirit of God. Spirits of this kind and feelings of this character prevail throughout the length and breadth of the land. There are ex– ceptions to this: there are men and women who are animated with a good spirit and influence; but it is not so with the majority. There is a contrary feeling and influence that will destroy and pull down and completely break up everything that is pleasing in the sight of God. It is a spirit and influence that will break down and destroy every gift that is calculated to bind man to man, and that would enable them to live in union and peace.

This is not the worst feature in the case. The people themselves, though filled with this spirit and surrounded by this influence, do not seem to be aware of the dangers that threaten their peace and the perpetuity of their institutions, or that threaten the blessings that they have received from their fathers, and that they hope to hand down to their children. This is the worst feature of them all, in my estimation. If they could only be made aware of it and the power of the Evil One, they would give heed to the words of those bearing the everlasting Priesthood. By faith and diligence, those going forth holding this authority may escape these threatening dangers.

I know this from my own observation; and so far as my own experience has gone, these are the feelings that have animated my own bosom. If I find people that are faithful to their own creeds, and who are diligent in what they undertake to do, I have then hope in my bosom. Under these circumstances, I have had faith to lay down the ancient Gospel as taught in the Bible and Testament. This, however, is the difficulty under which the inhabitants of the earth labor at the present time: they are not true to that which they profess, and this causes the hearts of the Elders to mourn. I have been able many times to account for the saying in the revelations, that the heavens weep over the children of men, and the bosom of the Almighty is filled with sorrow because of the condition of the human family.

I believe that an Elder who goes forth can to some extent realize the deplorable condition of fallen men, and it fills him with compassion; and instead of killing them off and destroying them, he feels willing to lay down his own life, if, by so doing, he could bring them to the knowledge of the truth.

I have sometimes heard the brethren indulge in harsh expressions when they have been tried; but when we consider the condition of the inhabitants of the earth as it really is—view them from the standing point which we occupy, instead of having these feelings of vengeance towards them, we should feel that their punishment has already commenced, and that that which they suffer while they tabernacle in the flesh would be sufficient for many things that they have done.

During my absence on my recent mission to the Eastern States, I found but few willing to listen to the truths I had to proclaim to them. There were, however, a few who were anxious to learn what we believed in—what our views were; but the great majority of the people were so completely filled with newspaper stories which go forth week after week and day after day, that they were not disposed to listen to what a “Mormon” had to say; and if there were any who were willing to converse, all their talk would be about brother Brigham’s wives, or some miracle of which they had heard; but they would not be willing to say anything about our faith.

This originates through a vitiated appetite which has taken possession of the people throughout the United States. There were some few who were disposed to investigate and in– quire into our principles—to reason and reflect.

There is something connected with this system, and with the power that is exercised by the Presidency of this Church, that the world cannot understand. I found many men who were anxious to investigate, and, if possible, ascertain what produced this oneness of feeling, and what enabled President Young to sway such influence over the people during our times of difficulty.

The reflecting men over the whole land, however much they may be led to believe that we are a corrupted people, consider this one of the great mysteries. If there is anything in newspapers about the “Mormons,” it is very apt to be read with avidity. There is something which I do not suppose they can account for. We have gone forth from the time of the inception of this Gospel, and so signally triumphed over our enemies, that in the minds of many men who are posted in regard to the events of the age, there is an anxiety to form some idea of the features of the system: they are anxious to know whether it is going to be a permanent power in the United States, or whether it is going to crumble to pieces as has been talked of by our enemies.

There is one thing they will give us credit for—namely, that we are united, that we will give heed to authority, and that we are in possession of some of the best modes of getting along that are known in the world. But there is a difference of opinion about the origin of this union. What is the cause of it? Some attribute it to a wonderful power which the President exercises over the whole people, and which the Elders exercise when they go forth into the world to preach the Gospel: others say there are inducements held out by which the people are completely blinded, and this grows so strong that the people become willing to be led by the Elders; and then, when they get here, they are so surrounded by the Danites that they cannot go away, if they want to. Others entertain a different idea, and have a better opinion than to suppose that illiterate, unlearned men, like many of our Elders, can go forth and exercise such power.

I have had men admit to me that the advance of the age demanded a new revelation—that the old fogyism of the past age was not suited to the wants of this generation—that the people required a new revelation, a new influence—that there was nothing to bind the people together or cause them to believe in their leaders. And some are willing to believe that “Mormonism” is the religion that is best calculated to take the place required to be filled, and become the dominant religion. But, like other religions, it has to fight its way. All systems of religion had to do this in early days; but to acknowledge there is anything revealed from heaven that is inspiring the hearts of the people would be the first step towards associating religion with fanaticism!

It is singular to go out into the world and converse with people with regard to the opinions of men of influence respecting the Latter-day Saints. Some suppose that the power that is exercised by the leaders of this people will be short-lived; and many of them supposed, when the army came in here, that that would be the time when the system of fanaticism would be crushed. They hoped that the long-expected period had arrived when we should be obliged to succumb, and no longer have an existence as a distinct people upon the earth. The failure of that expedition, and of every other expedition to bring upon us the trouble designed, has changed the opinion of many, and they are now to some extent in doubt. The Adversary who influences them has been foiled. He is willing now to let them have a resting spell, and they are resting, not knowing what course to pursue. This is the feeling that is possessed by many. How long this feeling may last, I cannot tell; but that the fire of persecution that is now smoldering will again arise, there can be no doubt.

If we suppose that the future is peaceful, it is a delusion: the efforts of our enemies will be continued. They are encouraging their hatred and increasing their determination to bring destruction upon us, and they do know themselves that they are wicked in this respect; but they have an idea that we are a blotch upon the civilization of the nineteenth century; but they do not know the influence that guides them and that directs their determination.

A man who goes forth at the present time, if he be filled with the spirit of Zion, will find continually evidences upon the right hand and upon the left to strengthen him in the work in which he is engaged. This is not confined to the religions abroad, but it is to be found among the Saints here, and we see it every day. A man whose heart is open, and who is clear to behold the evidences that are to be gleaned during our experience, will have abundant cause of thanksgiving for having extended unto us the helping hand in time of need.

A man who goes among the people of the world is soon made to realize the confusion that exists, the spirit that controls them, and the doubt and uncertainty that they are in. Experience of this kind gives strength to the Latter-day Saints—to the Elder who may be laboring among the people. During the difficulties that arose here some years ago, I frequently heard the Saints express themselves thankful that God had given them a knowledge of the future. They knew, through that knowledge, how it would be with those who sought to oppress them. The whole of the United States are now in trouble. They have been excited about the Latter-day Saints; but lately they have had difficulties enough at home to occupy their thoughts. The attempt of John Brown, last fall, to overthrow slavery, engendered feelings of hatred between the North and the South which never will be allayed. For a long time after Congress met, it seemed as though they never would be able to elect a Speaker or do any business, and that a split between the North and South was inevitable. Editors were troubled, and all men who made any pretence whatever to a knowledge of the signs of the times, were at a loss to comprehend what the future of the United States would be, if these difficulties continued. They looked upon it superficially, and supposed that the panic of those times was only temporary. They view things in the same light now; they believe that the obstacles will be removed, that the Government will go on and press forward to that position which they believe it will attain to. But there were many, previous to that time of difficulty to which I allude, maintained that there was no such thing as dissolution to the United States. But now, after all their hopes in relation to the greatness of this Government, they are willing to admit that possibly it may be dissolved, and that the difficulties at present in the nation between the two extreme sections will produce the dissolution.

There has been an attempt during the last session to remove this feeling, and to some extent it has been done. Men are so ready and willing to be deceived in regard to that which will produce their destruction, that they put far off the day of dread.

Although Joseph Smith and the Elders of this Church have proclaimed, both by their own voice and by publications, the downfall of this Government, and set forth things so plainly to those that would look at them, yet the people have closed their eyes and have pressed forward in their own way; and they will so continue until every word shall be fulfilled.

Brethren and sisters, if there were no other cause of thankfulness and of gratitude within us to God our Heavenly Father for the blessings that he has bestowed upon us, we should be thankful for this blessing—the blessing of foreknowledge—that he has revealed unto us, by his own voice and that of the holy angels, those things that are coming upon the nations of the earth; and that while uncertainty, doubt, and gloom prevail from one end of the land to the other, we are in the possession of a feeling and of knowledge which enables us to bear up. While the hearts of others are filled with fear and dread, ours are filled with hope and bright anticipations that we are privileged to live in a day and age like this.

If there were no other cause of thankfulness, this furnishes us abundant reasons. We can read in the newspapers, if we cannot ascertain it any other way, that they are filled with these influences, and that these feelings of fear pervade the mind. You know the feelings that now prevail, and that instead of dread and sorrow controlling the minds of the Saints, there is on the contrary a feeling of thanksgiving and joy that our lot has been cast in this day and age of the world. Where calamity and sorrow were, there are thanksgiving and joy; and when we bow our knees before our Father in heaven, we thank him for these blessings.

If the nations of the earth could realize that there were such feelings prevailing here, there would be hundreds and thousands that would associate themselves with us, especially, if they could believe it possible for them to attain to the same privileges. But lies have prevailed to such an extent, and have been so industriously circulated, that thousands of men and women now believe us to be the worst people upon the face of the earth. If they come here, although they may not profess our faith, but will submit to the regulations that are established here, they can be comfortable and enjoy themselves.

Our enemies, by the course they are taking, are bound to remove the stigmas they have tried heretofore to place upon us; for they have slandered us, told lie after lie about us, and predicted what would become of us; and many who believe in the stories published in newspapers will ere long be convinced that we are an injured people. Many of their stories have already been proven to be false. This result will produce its own fruits, and the reaction produced will be the overthrow of God’s enemies. And when the time of difficulty and sorrow overtakes them because of their iniquities, and they will be to a certain extent fearful of the consequences, the way will be prepared for the fulfillment of the words of the Prophet, that those who will not take up their sword against their neighbors will have need to flee to Zion. This will be the result of the actions of those who are now our enemies—those who should be our neighbors, and who are now operating to bring about our downfall.

But let me say unto you, my brethren and sisters, that all their efforts and all the moves that they have made have produced a contrary effect to what they intended, and all they do in future will be far more striking in its effects than anything that has previously transpired. They began in the first organization of this Church to tell so many falsehoods, and they have told them so long and circulated them so widely and so very rapidly, with a design to destroy our character, and with a design to make the world believe that we were a bloodthirsty people—a people guilty of every species of crime, that they think credence must still be given to all they do and say. Those who have circulated these unfounded stories are filled with the very spirit which they accuse us of possessing; and they do this for the purpose of creating difficulty and bringing trouble upon us.

I have seen this myself. I have seen men who knew when they were writing that they were writing statements that were not true. Some of these were men that have been associated with us in the bonds of fellowship, and the spirit which they sought to infuse into others they had received by transgression. This spirit has caused editors and other men who have labored in this manner to bring about our destruction, to lay the foundation for their own damnation.

Fear is taking hold of the hearts of men, and it will doubtless increase until that will be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet—“Let us not go up against Zion, for the people thereof are terrible.” Men do not realize that they are fulfilling the words of the Prophet of God. No: they labor diligently and assiduously, as they think, to prevent that. Therefore not only are the good brethren and sisters and the pure and holy laboring for the fulfillment of the word of God and the spreading abroad of the truths of heaven, but the wicked who are laboring for the overthrow of the kingdom of God have all their efforts turned to good account, and the fruits thereof are beginning to be apparent. This, as I before observed, will increase and be more apparent, every year that we live upon the earth. This is not a dead letter which I am speaking to you, but it is a truth which has been uttered by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost many years ago. Remember the saying—“We cannot do anything against the kingdom of God, but for it;” for God himself will control the result. It is not only true so far as we are concerned, but the nations that undertake to send their armies to fight against Zion will find everything trained in favor of the Saints, give them success, and enable them to overcome the difficulties with which they are surrounded; and they will continue to overcome until they attain that position which our Heavenly Father intends all his faithful people shall occupy.

The warning of the nations of the earth and the labors of all the faithful Elders among the nations all contribute to the accomplishment of this work and the preparing of the Saints for a high and exalted position in the kingdom of God, to reign as Kings and Priests of the Most High, according to the promises of the Father.

I have felt during my absence this time, as well as upon other missions, that it did not matter much where I labored; but I felt to mourn that I could not do more than I did for the kingdom of God. I was ambitious and felt a desire to hasten forward the purposes of our Father in heaven; but when I looked upon it in another light, I considered that whether the fruits of my labor were much or little, if I and all my brethren and sisters would only labor where we were wanted, we should be sure to accomplish that which our Father wished us to do.

It does not matter what we are doing or where we are laboring—in the adobie yard, in the canyons, preaching the Gospel, or doing anything else that God through his servants directs us to perform—if we labor faithfully, we are contributing to the accomplishment of a great and good work, and are really doing much more than we think, and laboring to bring to pass all those predictions that have been delivered respecting the generation in which we live.

I know, however, that this is a difficult lesson for us to learn—that it is difficult to get the idea into our hearts. It is so natural for a man to be desirous to do something—to have the name, to have the credit of having done something upon the earth. And it is the desire of an Elder to do something in preaching the Gospel, and it is very difficult to curb the inclination that many have for preaching; but if we labor in the way and in the position in which the authorities have put us and directed us, we may rest assured that we are laboring for the accomplishment of all that which is required to be done by our Heavenly Father, and we are laying up treasures in heaven; and although we may not do as much here as we suppose we ought, there is an eternity before us in which we can labor. There is no end to our opportunities for doing good, and we are not going to labor here for the last time; and although we are making adobies, laboring in the canyons, or sawing lumber, yet if we labor as our Father in heaven wants us, we have before us a destiny far greater than we can at present imagine: we have before us a field of usefulness much more extended than it has ever yet entered into our hearts to conceive of. There is yet a vast eternity in the future in which we can labor, and we are to press forward until we attain the fulness of our desire.

It is so with the wicked in one sense—with the enemies of truth. All that they do contributes to the rolling forth of this great and mighty work. In our expulsion from Illinois, our journeyings across the Plains, our settlement in this Valley, all has contributed to make us what we now are. Our enemies see this, and they regret that they did not leave us to be mixed up with the world, so that civilization might have surrounded us, and its surges eventually have destroyed our organization. But we are here, and it is now too late. We are now established, and we have become a fixed power; we are growing here in the mountains, and are beginning to be acknowledged and called a nation in the midst of the earth, and everything that the wicked have done and will do will be a source of regret to them, because they will see, as they have already seen, that they have worked into our hands. Then, to use a familiar expression we will say, Let it blow hot or cold—let them do just as they please, persecute us, send armies here or keep them at home, it will make no difference as to the final result. It may enable us to progress the faster in the good work in which we are engaged; but all that our enemies do, with a design to thwart the operations of the people of God, will be unsuccessful. I have felt grateful many times for the possession of this knowledge; and when I have walked among the people and seen how determined they were to take steps to overcome us, and then have considered that to our God and Father in heaven they were mere toys—playthings to accomplish that which is intended—and that they might labor and toil and concoct schemes for the injury of God’s chosen people, that all would be unavailing, I have then realized the goodness of our Father.

In my reflections upon these things, I have ever realized that God has spoken from the heavens, and said that this kingdom should fill the whole earth, and that the kingdom and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens will eventually be given to the Saints of the Most High. I have realized that the work will spread, though the wicked do all they can to stop it. Then let us rejoice in this knowledge which God has given unto his people.

I feel, in relation to the United States, that there is now an opening for the Elders to labor. While in the city of New York, there was a disposition to come and hear our people preach. I had the pleasure of baptizing a number. I was not often there; but when I was, our hall was crowded, not by Saints only, but by those who had been, and by others who were inquiring after truth. There was a disposition manifested to learn our doctrines, and I have no doubt but great good can be done in the future. I have no doubt but there are hundreds in the United States that are honest, but their eyes are now blinded by the influences that are around them. Among editors and public men generally there is not this feeling that you find among the poor and middle classes. They have said that we are wicked, and they are determined to wipe us out.

During my last mission I have had many opportunities of conversing with the leading editors of the most popular journals in the States, and I have frequently had the evidence in my hands to disprove the lying stories in circulation about us. They would acknowledge it—say our views appeared to be correct, and that the evidence we presented was of such a character as to give them reason to doubt the stories that were in circulation about us. But would they take that evidence we presented as an offset for the lies they had published? No: they would tell you that their readers expected something different from them. You could not hire their columns only for advertising purposes. There were some who would express a willingness to write something about us of a political nature, but they would not like to have anything said in favor of our religion. For instance, they were quite in favor of the Territories electing their offi– cers; but of Utah, they could not think of it. They would be willing to write something for the benefit of the people of Utah, they would say; but when it came to be written, you could easily see that they were very willing that the other Territories should have this privilege, but they could not think of giving it to Utah! It was a determined hostility to us, and they were resolved that we should not have the privilege which they designed to give to other people. You go to them and talk about crime—tell them what was in our nation, they would color about it; but they had not the manhood to rebut our statements or to expose the guilty. This is the feeling that prevails in the United States; and while this prevails, it cannot be wondered at that the people should partake, to a certain extent, of the influences that prevail.

Men and women would acknowledge unto me that this work was true, and that they had been blinded by the lies and wicked stories that had been in circulation about us. How long this will continue I cannot say, but I presume until judgment and calamity will overtake the people, as a punishment for their driving and persecuting the Saints of the Most High.

There are some of the people, however, with whom the Spirit of God is pleading. I received a letter by the last mail from the States. The person has had a misfortune in his family, and writes to me to know what consolation there is in “Mormonism”—what consolation there is in the doctrines of the Saints. He acknowledges that the systems of religion by which they are surrounded in the States are entirely inadequate for the purposes for which they are established.

Of course we understand that they are not blest with the same light that we are: in fact, they confess themselves that there is a power and a degree of light in the principles of the Latter-day Saints, so far as known, that is not among the religions of the day. What are the religions of this generation, under many trying circumstances? Why, there is no consolation; all is dread before them; there is an eternity of apparent darkness and woe, whence there is no deliverance, and from which they recoil with horror.

On the other hand, there is not a case comes under our observation of trouble, of suffering, or misfortune, but in the doctrine of Christ there is something to stimulate us, and to encourage our further exertions. This truth is plainly set forth in the doctrines of Christ, that every man shall reap the reward of his works, whether they be good or evil. If a man has not merited an eternity of punishment, there will not be such a punishment awarded to him. This is the hope, this is the consolation of the Saint, in the midst of sadness and despair, that he will eventually be rewarded for all his labors. This is not to be found in the religions of the world, and the consequence is that infidelity is getting a strong hold upon the minds of men. This is being felt at the present time by many of the more enlightened.

I have many times thought that the labors of the Elders were not so productive of good as they might be. We ought to labor more earnestly to prepare the people for the day of calamity that is coming. I believe that we, so far as our relatives are concerned, have no cause of sorrow, if they are honest, though they may not have received the influence of truth; yet the day may come when they will receive the Spirit of God; and if they do not come to these valleys to obey the Gospel, they may come here as to a place of refuge!

My prayer is that we may be faithful, humble, and obedient to that Priesthood and those living oracles which God has placed in our midst, and ever labor for the upbuilding of that kingdom which he has set up, never more to be thrown down.

This is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.