AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY ELDER P. P. PRATT IN THE TABERNACLE,GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, MARCH 27TH, 1853.
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Brethren and Sisters-My feelings are with those who have spoken, decidedlyand firmly so. You have heard with reference to the experience of the past.I have had an opportunity to obtain experience in the past, and to observeas much perhaps as any one individual now living, as it regards the Churchof the Saints in this age.
And I bear testimony, not only by the Holy Spirit, but by personal observation,memory, experience, and knowledge, that what has been said is true, strictlyspeaking, in all its bearings, in regard to the result of apostacy, as itrelates to persecutions, breaking up, robbing, plundering, suffering, andmartyrdom in this world.
The subject that has been presented here by President Young, I haverevolved over in my own mind, and reflected upon it in its order. I rememberwell several scenes, and the places, he referred to; and I do not know ofone single persecution, of any magnitude, that brought trouble and generaldistress upon the people of God in this age, that was not brought aboutdirectly by means of those that went out from ourselves, who professed tobe of us, if I may except the first trouble in Jackson County, Missouri.I lived there at that time, and I do not personally know, that apostates,or unlawful conduct on the part of those professing to be Saints, was theparticular agent of bringing about that persecution. I do not know, so faras my own acquaintance with the circumstances is concerned, but that maybe an exception. I do not recollect but what the world there, without aidfrom apostates, arose up and did what they did.
(Mr. Pratt's mind was refreshed by a person in the stand, that therewas an apostate who wrote a book previous to that persecution.) I now recollectthere were some writers, among which was a Mr. Booth, that had been ordainedto the Priesthood in this Church. He published things well calculated tobring on persecution. There might have been others also.
But I was speaking of personal actors, there, in the county. It wasnot then, as generally is the case, or as it has been since, aided by thosefrom among ourselves. In all the general persecutions, from that time tothe present, I do not recollect of a single instance, that the general stormwas not brought about by men from among ourselves, professing the name,membership, and Priesthood of the Latter-day Saints, traitors to the causethat they professed to believe. This was the direct means of the suffering,and the breaking up, of the community in Kirtland; of the breaking up ofthe community in, and the expulsion of them from, Missouri. It was the directmeans of this last persecution which led to the martyrdom of the Prophet,and the destruction of many others; the plundering of millions, the burningof our Temple, and our migration to this country. We came here for peace.We are now in a place where the extended desert, and snow clad mountains,widely intervene on every side between us and our neighbors, that they maynot tread on our toes, and that we may not tread on theirs. We know wholed us here. It was not only the Almighty God, by His matchless providence,but by His servant-he that stands at the head of this people, and thosethat were with him. These were they that led us here-that so counselledand arranged and organized our local matters, that we have been sustainedhere, and have been fed, clothed, sheltered, and preserved. We have obtainedour local, political rights and privileges, and have been enabled to preservethem inviolate in the face of all the opposition, lies, and slanders, whichhave been so industriously circulated.
Many of us here, as well as many who sleep in the dust, have been wornout in industriously accumulating property, making homes, and being deprivedof them by violence and robbery. We have spent our lives in making homesteads,fencing, improving, cultivating, &c., without enjoying the fruits ofour labors.
Sooner than be subjected to a repetition of these wrongs, I, for one,would rather march out to-day and be shot down. These are my feelings, andhave been for some time. Talk about liberty of conscience! Have not menliberty of conscience here? Yes. The Presbyterians, Methodists, Quakers,&c., have here the liberty to worship God in their own way, and so hasevery man in the world. People have the privilege of apostatizing from thisChurch, and of worshipping devils, snakes, toads, or geese, if they please,and only let their neighbors alone. But they have not the privilege to disturbthe peace, nor to endanger life or liberty; that is the idea. If they willtake that privilege, I need not repeat their doom, it has been told heretoday, they have been faithfully warned.
Why is it that these apostates wish to cram down people's stomachs thatwhich they loathe? That which they have no wish either to hear, think about,or digest? If the people of a neighborhood, ward, or city, wish to speak,hear, or worship, or to discuss any subject, they have public and privatebuildings, school houses, churches, or assembly rooms in abundance. Why,then, are our streets disturbed by tumults, railings, slanderous, abusiveand treasonable language, under the name of preaching? If the city, or alarge portion of its citizens, wish to discuss any general principle, hereis the Tabernacle, and yonder is the State-House, or the Theatre-all ownedby the people, and under their control. Where is the need, then, of preachingin the streets. But where is the city or community to be found, who wishto discuss that which they already know and understand? As to this man,or rather "thing," called Gladden Bishop, and his pretended visionsand revelations, I know him of old. I knew him in Ohio, some eighteen ortwenty years ago. I remember his name. My memory is poor in names, manyof you know; but when there is something associated with a name, that stampsit strongly on my mind, I am not apt to forget it. I scarcely ever heardthat name in my life, that it was not associated with some imposition orfalsehood in the name of the Lord. If he was tried before the Councils ofthe Church, he would confess that he had lied, in pretending to visions,angels, and revelations, and ask forgiveness. If he was excommunicated,he would join again, &c.
I never heard of him in any other light, but as a man or a "thing"that crept in from time to time among the Saints, with attempts to deceivethe people with one imposition or another.
His difficulty all the time was, that the people would not be deceivedby him. I will not put him on a level with other apostates. Where can wefind one of them that has not had some influence? I know of no one thathad not some followers for awhile, although none could keep them; but Inever knew Gladden Bishop to gain a single follower among his personal acquaintance.He was disfellowshipped, and received on his professions of repentance,so often, that the church at length refused to admit him any more as a member.These apostates talk of proof! Have we not proved Joseph Smith to be a Prophet-arestorer, standing at the head of this dispensation? Have we not provedthe Priesthood which he placed upon others by the command of God?
I see no ground, then, to prove or to investigate the calling of anapostate, who has always been trying to impose upon this people. It is toolate in the day for us to stop to inquire whether such and outcast has thetruth.
We have truths already developed, unfulfilled by us-unacted upon. Thereare more truths poured out from the eternal fountain, already, than ourminds can contain, or than we have places and preparations to carry out.And yet we are called upon to prove-what? Whether an egg that was knownto be rotten fifteen years ago, has really improved by reason of age!!
"You are going to be destroyed," say they, "destructionawaits this City!" Well! What if we are? We are as able to be destroyedas any people living. What care we whether we are destroyed or not? Theseold tabernacles will die of themselves, if let alone.
We have nothing to fear on that head, for we are as well prepared todie as to live. One thing we have heard to-day, and I am glad to hear it.We shall not be destroyed in the old way-as we have been heretofore. Weshall have a change in the manner, at least. We shall probably be destroyedstanding, this time, and not in a sitting or lying position. We can dieas well as others who are not as well prepared! I am glad that while wedo live we shall not submit to be yoked or saddled like a dumb ass. We shallnot stand still to see men, women, and children murdered, robbed, plundered,and driven any more, as in the States heretofore. Nor does God require itat our hands. That is the best news we have heard to-day.
You may say, Wait till an enemy forms a league with others for yourdestruction. We would do this, if we did not know the spirit that actuatesour enemies. Ignorant of this, we might sit down and wait till men did actuallycut our throats, in order to prove them. But if you will manifest to mea spirit in any person, I will tell you where that spirit leads, and socan President Young and his Counsellors, and every true-hearted Saint whohas experience in the operations of spiritual powers. We will try to actin time, and not suffer the spirit of destruction to ripen in our midst.
It is not enough for people to have liberty to worship according tosectarianism, Judaism, heathenism, and everything else, but they wish theliberty to stab you to the heart.
It is policy not to wait till you are killed, but act on the defensivewhile you still live. I have said enough on this subject.
I rejoice in living with this people. As brother Kimball said, thiswas his heaven. It is mine. There might be a better people, but we can'tfind them-they are not known upon the earth, in mortal flesh. If we finda better people we shall have to wait till people grow better.
If we should find a better people before ourselves are grown better,we could not live among them, and that would be the hell of it. We havefound a people as good as we are, and we are agreed to live together. Thelight of truth has united us, and the spirit has baptized us into a degreeof oneness. The world thinks we are one in the highest sense of the term;but God sees that there is much room for us to improve in oneness. Whereshall we begin to improve? I don't know of anything better calculated toimprove our union than to have some wide meshes in the net, to let thoseslip through who don't wish to be gathered, and to unite with the rest.There is an accumulation here of the good and the bad, the chaff and thewheat, the tares and the good grain, the good and bad fish which the Gospelnet gathers. The only safe way is for the good and bad to be separated.I like to see the roads open, the snow disappear from the kanyons, thatspirits not congenial to the Gospel of peace may go as many roads as thereare points of the compass. Such movements give opportunity for the Saintsto draw the cords of union still closer. May God bless you all. Amen.