AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY PRESIDENT HEBER C. KIMBALL, IN THETABERNACLE, GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, OCT. 9, 1852, AT THE GENERAL CONFERENCE.
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The subject President Young wished me to speak of is in regard to ourtemple, which we shall soon commence to build-what course we shall take,and what kind of materials it shall be built of; whether we shall buildit of the stone that is got in the Red Bute Kanyon, or of adobies, or ofthe best stone we can find in these mountains. For instance-at Sanpete thereis some splendid stone; and inasmuch as we intend to build a house untothe Lord for Him to accept, for His angels to come to as ministers to giveinstructions, I can feel, myself, as though we are perfectly able to buildone, of the best kind of materials from the foundation to the tip top. Weare able, and we have strength and union, and we have bone, and marrow,and muscle, and we are able to commence it next year.
I merely present these things for the brethren to consider and reflectupon. We can go to work and make an adobie house, and lay the foundationof stone from Red Bute, and then we can plaster it outside, and make itlike the Tithing Office. I would like to see something pretty nice, somethingnoble, and some of the most splendid fonts that were ever erected. I knowfor a certainty that our President is perfectly able to give us the designof this contemplated house, and all other necessary instructions. What weneed is to receive those blessings that we all want, and this must be feltmore especially by those who have come in this present season. These blessingsare just as necessary for those who go South, as for those who go North,it makes no difference. They will all, however, get their blessings, andenjoy their privileges in obtaining those things. We have plenty of time,and there is no particular hurry, but it is for every man to walk up tohis duty in the time being, and then when to-morrow comes, walk up to itto-morrow, and so let us do all we can, for we have got considerable overone thousand years to work, and when we have worked one thousand years therewill be another, and another, and we shall be at work to all eternity. Thereis no end to our work for the living, and for the dead. Let us try and beactive to do whatever we find to do to-day.
Let the brethren go and get farms, and locate themselves, and raisegood fields of grain, that they can bring in the first fruits of the earth.This is what is required to be done at the present time. Take this course,brethren, and then every thing you possess will prosper, and you will beabundantly blessed. It is just as necessary to be engaged in one thing,as it is in another. It takes many kinds of materials to build a house,so it requires all kinds of materials to build another earth like this,it requires the same kinds of materials to make one man as it takes to makeanother. But let us try to temper ourselves according to the Gospel of JesusChrist, and the plan of salvation.
We will bring up a few comparisons. Now supposing brother Tanner goesinto, the shop, to make a scythe, and he takes the materials necessary forthe formation of that scythe, is he dictated to by it, as to how he shallmould it and fashion it? Would you have the scythe rise up and say-BrotherTanner, what do you do so for? Why do you strike me on the back? Well, itis just as ridiculous for you to undertake to dictate to President Young,or those whom he sets to work. It is not for you to dictate to them. Uponthe same principle, supposing I have a lump of clay which I put upon mywheel, out of which clay I want to make a jug; I have to turn it into asmany as 50 or 100 shapes before I get it into a jug. How many shapes doyou suppose you are put into before you become Saints, or before you becomeperfect and sanctified to enter into the celestial glory of God? You havegot to be like that clay in the hands of the potter. Do you not know thatthe Lord directed the Prophet anciently, to go down to the potter's houseto see a miracle on the wheel? Suppose the Potter takes a lump of clay,and putting it on the wheel, goes to work to form it into a vessel, andworks it out this way, and that way, and the other way, but the clay isrefractory and snappish; he still trys [tries] it, but it will break, andsnap, and snarl, and thus the potter will work it and work it until he issatisfied he cannot bring it into the shape he wants, and it mars upon thewheel; he takes his tool, then, and cuts it off the wheel, and throws itinto the mill to be ground over again, until it becomes passive, (don'tyou think you will go to hell if you are not passive?) and after it is groundthere so many days, and it becomes passive, he takes the same lump, andmakes of it a vessel unto honor. Now do you see into that, brethren? I knowthe potters can. I tell you, brethren, if you are not passive you will haveto go into that mill, and perhaps have to grind there one thousand years,and then the Gospel will be offered to you again, and then if you will notaccept of it, and become passive, you will have to go into the mill again,and thus you will have offers of salvation from time to time, until allthe human family, will, except the sons of perdition, are redeemed. Thespirits of men will have the Gospel as we do, and they are to be judgedaccording to men in the flesh. Let us be passive, and take a course thatwill be perfectly submissive.
What need you care where you go if you go according to direction, andwhen you get to Coal Creek, or Iron County, be subject to that man who isplaced there to rule you, just the same as you would be subject to PresidentYoung, if you were here, because that man is delegated by this Conference,and sanctioned by this people, and that man's word is law. And so it iswith the Bishops; they are our fathers, our governors, and we are theirhousehold. It is for them to provide for their household, and watch overthem, and govern and control them; they are potters to mould you, and whenyou are sent forth to the nations of the earth, you go to gather the clay,and bring it here to the great potter, to be ground and moulded until itbecomes passive, and then be taken and formed into vessels, according tothe dictation of the presiding potter. I have to do the work he tells meto do, and you have to do the same, and he has to do the work told him bythe great master potter in heaven and on earth. If brother Brigham tellsme to do a thing, it is the same as though the Lord told me to do it. Thisis the course for you and every other Saint to take, and by your takingthis course, I will tell you, brethren, you are on the top of the heap.We are in the tops of the mountains, and when the stone shall roll downfrom the mountains, it will smash the earth, and break in pieces every thingthat opposes its course; but the stone has to get up there before it canroll down.
We are here in a happy place, in a goodly land, and among as good apeople as ever the Lord suffered to dwell upon the face of the earth. HaveI not a reason to be proud? Yes, I am proud of the religion of Christ, Iam proud of his Elders, his servants, and of his handmaids, and when theydo well I am prouder still. I do not know but I shall get so proud, thatI shall be four or five times prouder than I am now.
I want a vote from the congregation concerning the temple, whether weshall have it built of the stone from Red Bute, or of adobies, or timber,or of the best quality of stone that can be found in the mountains. It isnow open for discussion.
Our temple block is 600 feet square, and according to the number ofpeople that compose the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, weare able to build a temple that size, and do it easier than we built a templeat Kirtland. I put the motion which is before you, that we build a templeof the best materials that can be furnished in the mountains of North America,and that the Presidency dictate where the stone and other materials shallbe obtained; and that the Presidency shall be untrammelled from this timehenceforth and forever. I want every brother, sister, and child to voteone way or the other. All in favour of this motion raise your right hand.(It was unanimous.)