A DISCOURSE DELIVERED BY PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG, AT THESPECIAL CONFERENCE, IN THE TABERNACLE, GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, AUGUST 14,1853
1:264
I am disposed this morning to give my testimony to this congregationupon the subject of true riches. Wealth and poverty are much talked of byall people. The subject was tolerably well discussed yesterday, and accordingto my understanding, the most that I have heard said upon that point hasbeen on the negative of the question.
If you wish me to take a text, I will take the Scriptures of the Oldand New Testaments, referring, if you please, to both text and context,and let the people distribute, or apply them according to their own pleasure.I will, however, use one passage of Scripture as a text, that was used yesterday.Jesus said to his disciples, to them it was given to know the mysteriesof the kingdom of heaven, but to them that were without, it was not given.If we were to examine the subject closely, we should learn that a very scantyportion of the things of the kingdom were ever revealed, even to the disciples.If we were prepared to gaze upon the mysteries of the kingdom, as they arewith God, we should then know that only very small portion of them has beenhanded out here and there. God, by His Spirit, has revealed many thingsto His people, but, in almost all cases, He has straightway shut up thevision of the mind. He will let His servants gaze upon eternal things fora moment, but straightway the vision is closed, and they are left as theywere, that they may learn to act by faith, or as the Apostle has it, notwalking by sight, but by faith.
In viewing this subject, permit me to preach what I have to preach,without framing or systematising my address. When I have endeavored to addressa congregation, I have almost always felt a repugnance in my heart to thepractice of premeditation, or of pre-constructing a discourse to deliverto the people, but let me ask God my heavenly Father, in the name of JesusChrist, to give me His Spirit, and put into my heart the things He wishesme to speak whether they be for better or worse. These have been my privatefeelings, as a general thing. I would ask our Father in heaven, in the nameof Jesus Christ, to pour His Spirit upon each one of us this morning, thatwe might speak and hear with an understanding heart, that a hint, a keyword, or a short sentence pertaining to the things of God, might open thevision of our minds, so that we might comprehend the things of eternity,and rejoice exceedingly therein.
In the first place, suppose we commence by examining the principlesthat have been laid before us this Conference, taking up the negative ofthe question; suppose, in our social capacity here, we have a system thatfeeds the hungry, clothes the naked, administers to the widow and the fatherless,so that we can say of a truth, as they did in the days of the Apostles,we have no poor among us. Would it establish the principle that we are rich?To me it would establish no more than a good wholesome principle upon whichthe wicked may act, as well as the righteous-a principle upon which theworld ought to act, by the moral obligations they are under to stretch outthe arm of charity to every person, to fill up their days with industry,prudence, and faithfulness, procuring means to sustain themselves, and toadminister to the wants of those who are unable to administer to themselves.To me, I say, this principle manifests no more than a moral obligation underwhich all are placed. Though some may think it a decided mark of Christianity,that it is a proof of deep piety, and bespeaks the character of Saints,and all this, if we scan the subject closely, it amounts to nothing morethan a moral obligation all are under to each other.
Again, we call up the question of riches, wealth. We may behold oneupon the right, that commands his thousands of gold and silver, which hehas treasured up; he has houses and lands to occupy, goods and chattelsto fill his store-houses, cattle to cover his fields, and servants to obeyhis commands; we call such an individual rich, wealthy, but when we takeinto consideration the "true riches" spoken of in this book (theBible), they are not riches. We may behold another upon the left, reigningas a monarch; the gold, and the silver, yea all the treasures of the kingdomover which he reigns are at his command; and all his subjects are fullydisposed to do the will of their sovereign. He reigns, he rules, he governs,and controls, and there are none to gainsay, none to offer a single wordof opposition, his word is the law, his commands are supreme, he rides inhis richly-adorned chariots, and wearshis crown of gold, set with the mostprecious stones. He sets up one, and drags down another. Those who havein the least incurred his displeasure, he condemns to the block, and heexalts others to sudden wealth and power. This monarch reigns for a day,a month, a year, or for half a century, according to the will of Him bywhom kings sway the scepter of power; and the world say he is a rich man,a powerful and wealthy man. But this is not riches according to the sayingof the Saviour in the New Testament.
Suppose we could heap to ourselves the treasures of the earth, as wasmentioned yesterday; suppose we could load our wagons with the purest ofgold; with it we could open our commercial business on an extensive scale,we could build our temples and mansions; macadamise our streets, beautifyour gardens, and make these valleys as it were like the Garden of Eden,but would it prove we were actually rich? It would not. As it was said yesterday,and justly, too, we might be brought into circumstances, in the midst ofthis supposed wealth, to be glad to give a barrel of gold for as much flour.In such a circumstance, of what benefit to us would be this wealth, so called?Would not the idea which the wicked, and, I may say, with some propriety,the Saints, have of wealth vanish like smoke, and should we not find ourselvespoor indeed? If we possessed mountains of gold, should we not perish withoutbread, without something to feed the body? Most assuredly. Though an individual,or a nation of people, could command their millions of millions of goldand silver, houses, lands, goods, and chattels, horses and chariots, crowns,and thrones, or even the products of the soil-the wheat, the fine flour,the oil, and the wine, and all the precious metals of the earth in abundance-thoughthey were flooded with all these good things, yet if the Almighty shouldwithdraw His hand, they would be smitten with the mildew, and disappear;their wealth would become the most abject poverty. The possession of thesethings is not wealth to me. Not that I would cast them away as a thing ofnaught, or look upon the good things of this earth, and the riches of theworld, as things of naught, but they are not the true riches, the pearlof great price spoken of in the Scriptures, when a man found which, he soldall he had to purchase; they do not belong to those principles couched inthe saying of our Lord, touching the mysteries of the kingdom. The richesof this world are nothing more than a stepping stone, or necessary meanswhereby people may obtain the true riches-by which they can sustain themselvesuntil they can procure the true riches of the kingdom of God. As such theyought to be looked upon and handled. "Seek first the kingdom of God.""Seek FIRST" that durable object. "Seek FIRST" the righteousnessthat will never betray you. Obtain "FIRST" the prize that willnot forsake you. Procure to yourselves "FIRST" of all, that whichwill endure through time, and through all the eternities that will be. "SeekFIRST the kingdom of God, and its righteousness," and let the goldand silver, the houses, the lands, the horses, the chariots, the crowns,the thrones, and the dominions of this world be dead to you, as it is necessaryyou should secure for yourselves eternal riches that will never forsakeyou in time nor in all eternity.
The negative of the question is present with the people. If they beginto seek the kingdom of heaven, if they set out to glorify God in their soulsand bodies, which are His, how quick their feelings and desires, how soontheir natural propensities cling with greater pertinacity to the thingsthat are perishable. On the right hand and on the left we see persons whosetrust is wholly in the riches of this world; they say, "I have gatheredto myself substance, if you rob me of it you rob me of my all. I have myflocks and herds around me, if you take these from me all is gone."Those men or women to whom this will apply have not eternal riches abidingin them. Their minds are set upon the things of this world, upon a shadow,upon the substance that passes away, like the shadow of morn, or like themorning dew upon the flowers. They are like a thing of naught to those whounderstand the things of the kingdom of God. They are to be used, but notabused. They are to be handled with discretion, and looked upon in theirtrue light, without any lustful desires, as the means to feed, clothe, andmake us comfortable, that we may be prepared to secure to ourselves eternalriches.
Suppose we should remain here to discuss the subject, for days, months,and years, and scan it with a scrutinizing examination, in the end of allour labor we should find that the things of this world called riches, arein reality not riches. We should find they are like miracles to the ignorant,mere phenomena to the inhabitants of the earth; to-day they are, to-morrowthey are not; they were, but now they are gone, it is not known where. Theearthly king upon his throne, who reigns triumphantly over his subjects,is blasted, with all his kingdom, and brought to naught at one breath ofHim who possesses true riches. Let Him who possesses the true riches sayto the elements around that kingdom, "produce no wheat, nor oil, norwine, but let there be a famine upon that people," in such a circumstancewhere is the wealth of that king, his power, his grandeur, and his crown?There is no bread, no oil, there are no flocks, no herds, for they haveperished upon the plains, his wheat is blasted, and all his crops are mildewed.What good does his wealth do him? His subjects are lying all around himlifeless for want of bread; he may cry to them, but in vain; his wealth,power, and influence have vanished, they are swept away like the flimsyfabric of a cobweb.
Again, the rich merchant, or private individuals, may have millionsof gold and silver deposited, hid in the ground, or elsewhere, perhaps,and this is their god. Should the Lord Almighty say, as he did in the daysof the Nephites, Let their substance become slippery, let it disappear thatthey cannot find it again; it is gone, and they may hunt for it in vain.Or let it be deposited in a bank, the first they know, the bank is broken,their substance is gone, and they are left in perfect beggary. To possessgold and silver, or earthly power and wealth, is not riches to me, but itis the negative of the question.
There are hundreds of people in these valleys, who never owned a cowin the world, until they came here, but now they have got a few cows andsheep around them, a yoke of oxen, and a horse to ride upon, they feel tobe personages of far greater importance than Jesus Christ was, when he rodeinto Jerusalem upon an ass's colt. They become puffed up in pride, and selfishness,and their minds become attached to the things of this world. They becomecovetous, which makes them idolators. Their substance engrosses so muchof their attention, they forget their prayers, and forget to attend theassemblies of the Saints, for they must see to their land, or to their cropsthat are suffering, until by and bye the grasshoppers come like a cloud,and cut away the bread from their mouth, introducing famine and distress,to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God. Or the Indians willcome, and drive off their cattle; where then is their wealth in their grain,and in their cattle? Are these things riches? No. They are the things ofthis world, made to decay, to perish, or to be decomposed, and thus passaway.
Were we to spend the period of our lives and try to trace the historyof mankind upon this world, from the beginning to the present time, by referringto the lives of kings, rulers, governors, and potentates; to the wealth,magnificence, and power of nations; also to the poverty, wretchedness, war,bloodshed, and distress there have been among the inhabitants of the earth,it could not all be told, but I have noticed some few of the items whichI call the negative of the question. To possess this world's goods is notin reality wealth, it is not riches, it is nothing more nor less than thatwhich is common to all men, to the just and the unjust, to the Saint andto the sinner. The sun rises upon the evil and the good; the Lord sendsHis rain upon the just and upon the unjust; this is manifest before oureyes, and in our daily experience. Old King Solomon, the wise man, says,the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither richesto men of wisdom. The truth of this saying comes within our daily observation.Those whom we consider swift are not always the ones that gain the masteryin the race, but those who are considered not so fleet, or not fleet atall, often gain the prize. It is, I may say, the unseen hand of Providence,that over-ruling power that controls the destinies of men and nations, thatso ordains these things. The weak, trembling, and feeble, are the ones frequentlywho gain the battle; and the ignorant, foolish, and unwise will blunderinto wealth. This is all before us, it is the common lot of man, in short,I may say, it is the philosophical providence of a philosophical world.
Suppose we look for a short time after the true riches-after the pearlof great price. In doing this were I to systematize, I would say, let usleave this subject, which is the negative of the question, and take up another,entirely different. We would have to take up the subject of salvation tothe human family, calling up the characters who have officiated in thisgreat work, and have brought forth redemption, and placed it before theworld, putting it within the reach of every individual of the sons and daughtersof Adam and Eve. Yet it is all the same subject.
Where shall we direct our course to find true riches? Who is there thatpossesses them? Were we to admit scriptural testimony, I could refer youto the Bible, where we read of people exhibiting a power that gave theirbeholders satisfactory proof of their possessing the true riches. The richesof the world are natural, and common to the human family, but who governsand controls them? Who holds the destiny of the wealth of the nations inhis hand? Do the kings, rulers, governors, or the inhabitants of the earthgenerally? No, not one of them, by any means. Have there ever been personsupon the earth who have exhibited the principles of true riches? Yes. TheBible tells us who they are, and delineates the principles of true riches.
Again, here is the philosophical world, the terra firma on which wetread. Here is the atmosphere which the wise men of the world tell us itis surrounded with, which is congenial to the constitution of the vegetableand animal world, it is the air we breathe. Philosophers tell us that theterra firma on which we walk is surrounded with it 40 miles high from thesurface of the earth. It revolves in this subtle element, which is a combinationof other elements. This is a philosophical world. What then are the resultsof the philosophical world? Why, if you were to put wheat in the groundthat has been well tilled, it would grow, and bring an increase to repaythe husbandman for his labor. If you plant potatoes in the ground the philosophyof the earth is, it will bring forth potatoes. If you plant corn, corn willbe produced in abundance, and this will apply to all the grain, and vegetables,and products of this earth.
What is there here, in the valleys of these mountains? Why, the samethat was centuries ago. As I told my brethren six years ago, I said, thereare here wheat, corn, potatoes, buckwheat, beets, parsnips, carrots, cabbage,onions, apples, peaches, plums, pears, and fruits of every description andkind. They are all in the philosophical world-in the air we breath, andin the water we drink; it needs nothing more than philosophical applicationsto bring them forth. The most delicate silks, the finest linen, and finecloth of every description, that were ever produced upon the earth, areright here in this valley, and it requires nothing more than a philosophicalapplication to bring them forth to administer to our wants. What more isthere here! When we first came into this valley we had no knowledge thatour brethren could find gold in California, or perhaps we might have beendigging gold over there at this time; but our thoughts were occupied withhow we should get our wives and children here; we were thinking about wheat,potatoes, water melons, peaches, apples, plums, &c. But allow me totell you, that gold and silver, platina, zinc, copper, lead, and every elementthat there is in any part of the earth, can be found here; and all thatis required, when we need them, is a philosophical application to make themsubservient to our wants.
Here we pause, and think-"What! is there gold here, silver here?Are the finest and most beautiful silks that were ever made, to be foundhere? Yes. Is there fine linen here? Yes, and the finest broad-cloths, andshawls and dresses of every description. We are walking over them, drinkingthem, and breathing them every day we live. They are here with us, and wecan make ourselves rich, for all these things are within our reach. Whathinders us from being truly rich? This is the point. I will tell you whenyou and I may consider ourselves truly rich-When we can speak to the earth-tothe native elements in boundless space, and say to them-"Be ye organized,and planted here, or there, and stay until I command you hence;" whenat our command the gold is hid so that no man can find it, any more thanthey could in California until within a few years back.
Again, we have a little absolute truth still nearer, and which comesunder our own knowledge. There is the Sweet Water that runs into the Platteriver, that this people have passed by for years. There have been no painsspared to find gold on that stream and its tributaries, but it could notbe seen, and yet of late an abundance of it has been discovered, rangingover a district of country from the South Platte to the South Pass. Thereare men present here to-day, I have no doubt, who have it in their pockets,or in their wagons. There are as good prospects for gold there, as thereever were in California. How is this? Why He that hath all power and alltrue riches in His possession, has said, "Let that sleep, let it beout of sight to this people, until I say the word; I organized the elements,and control them, and place them where I please." when He says, "Letit be found;" it is right there on the top of the earth. Where wasit before? I do not know; it was out of sight. In the very place where menhave gone from this valley, to my knowledge, and hunted weeks and weeksfor gold, and could not find it, there is plenty of it now. When you andI can say, "Let there be gold in this valley," and turn roundagain, and command it to disappear, that it is not to be found; when wecan call gold and silver together from the eternity of matter in the immensityof space, and all the other precious metals, and command them to remainor to move at our pleasure; when we can say to the native element, "Bethou combined, and produce those commodities necessary for the use and sustenanceof man, and to make this earth beautiful and glorious, and prepare it forthe habitation of the sanctified;" then we shall be in possession oftrue riches. This is true riches to me, and nothing short of it constitutesthem. When I have gold and silver in my possession, which a thief may steal,or friends borrow, and never pay me back again, or which may take the wingsof the morning, and I behold it no more, I only possess the negative ofthe true riches. When the riches of this world leave me, I cannot say-"Gold,return thou to my chest." I cannot say to the gold I pick up out ofthe earth, "Be thou separated from every particle of dross, and letme see the pure virgin gold." I cannot do that without submitting toa tedious process of chemical action.
All those who wish to possess true riches, desire the riches that willendure. Then look at the subject of salvation, where you will find trueriches. They are to be found in the principles of the Gospel of salvation,and are not to be found anywhere else. With whom abide eternally the trueriches? With that God whom we serve, who holds all things in His hands,that we know anything of; He is the first and the last, the Alpha and theOmega, the beginning and the end, who at one survey looks upon all the workmanshipof His hands; who has the words of eternal life, and holds the hearts ofthe children of men in His hand, and turns them whithersoever He will, evenas the rivers of waters are turned; who commands the earth to perform itsrevolutions, or stand still, at His pleasure; who has given the sun, theplanets, the earths, and far distant systems their orbits, their times,and their seasons; whose commands they all obey. With Him abide the trueriches.
I will now notice the character who exhibited the power of true richeson the earth, though he himself was in a state of abject poverty, to allhuman appearance, for he was made poor that we might be made rich, and hedescended below all things that he might ascend above all things. When theonly begotten Son of God was upon the earth, he understood the nature ofthese elements, how they were brought together to make this world and allthings that are thereon, for he helped to make them. He had the power oforganizing, what we would call, in a miraculous manner. That which to himwas no miracle, is called miraculous by the inhabitants of the earth. Onone occasion he commanded a sufficient amount of bread to be formed to feedhis disciples and the multitude. It was in the air, in the water, and inthe earth they walked upon. He, unperceived by his disciples and the multitude,spoke to the native elements, and brought forth bread. He had the power.We have not that power, but are under the necessity of producing bread accordingto a systematic plan. We are obliged to till the ground, and sow wheat,in order to obtain wheat. But when we possess the true riches, we shallbe able to call forth the bread from the native element, like as Jesus Christdid. Everything that is good for man, is there. Jesus said to his disciples,Make the multitude sit down, and divide them into companies, and take thisbread and break it, and distribute it among them. They did not know butthat it was the few loaves and fishes that fed the whole of them as theyate. The truth is, he called forth bread from the native elements. Is thatmystery to you? Did you never think of it before? How do you suppose hefed them, he did not feed them upon nothing at all, but they ate bread andfish, substantial bread and fish! until they were satisfied. This the Saviourcalled from the surrounding elements; he was quite capable of doing it,because he had the keys and power of true riches, if any man possess which,he is rich in time, and in eternity both.
Again, the Saviour changed water into wine, in the same manner, by commandingthe elements. Can that be done by chemical process. I admit it can by thepersons who understand the process; and that men can make bread also. Asquick as I admit that the history Moses gives of himself is true, I cannothave any question in the world but what in ancient days they understoodin a measure how to command the elements. The magicians of Egypt were instructedin things pertaining to true riches, and had obtained keys and powers enoughto produce a bogus in opposition to the true coin, as it were, and thusthey deceived the king and the people. They could cause frogs to come uponthe land, as well as Moses could. They could turn the waters of Egypt intoblood, and in many more things compete with Moses. There was one thing,however, they could not do, though they produced a very good bogus, butit was not quite the true coin. When they threw their staffs on the floorbefore the king, they could not swallow the staff of Moses, but the Staffof Moses swallowed the staffs of the magicians. I have no doubt that mencan perform many such wonders by the principles of natural philosophy.
Again, they can deceive the inhabitants of the earth, and make thembelieve that things were done, which in reality were not. If there werenot a true coin in existence, how could there be a bogus produced? The truecoin is what we are after, the true riches. We are seeking to be made richin the power of God, so as to be able to control the elements, and say-"Letthere be light," and there is light; "Let there be water,"and there is water; "Let this or that come," and it cometh; bythe power that is within us to command the elements; and they obey, justas they did the Saviour when he changed the water into wine, or made breadto feed the multitudes.
What shall we say? Do the things of this world, in their present state,offer unto us true riches? I say they are not riches, in the true senseof the word; there is no such thing as a man being truly rich until he haspower over death, hell, the grave, and him that hath the power of death,which is the devil. For what are the riches, the wealth possessed by theinhabitants of the earth? Why, they are a phantom, a mere shadow, a bubbleon the wave, that bursts with the least breath of air. Suppose I possessedmillions on millions of wealth of every description I could think of orask for, and I took a sudden pain in my head, which threw me entirely outof my mind, and baffled the skill of the most eminent physicians, what goodwould that money do me, in the absence of the power to say to that pain,"Depart?" But suppose I possessed power to say to the pain, "Gothou to the land from whence thou camest;" and say, "Come, health,and give strength to my body;" and when I want death, to say, "Comeyou, for I have claim upon you, a right, a guarantee deed, for this bodymust be dissolved;" says death, "I want it, to prey upon;"but again I can say to death, "Depart from me, thou canst not touchme;" would I not be rich indeed. How is it now? Let the slightest accidentcome upon one of the human family, and they are no more. Do we then possesstrue riches in this state? We do not.
What shall we do to secure the true riches? "Seek first the kingdomof God, and its righteousness." Lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven,where moth cannot eat, rust corrode, nor thieves break through and stealthem. If we find the pearl of great price, go and sell all we have to purchaseit, and secure to ourselves the friendship of God, and our Elder BrotherJesus Christ, and walk humbly before God, and obey those whom He has toldus to obey, all the days of our lives, and He will say, "These aremy friends, and I will withhold nothing from them."
And is it indeed possible that we can come into that power, while weare in this mortality, to say to death, "Touch me not?" Were itpossible, I for one do not want it, I would not accept it were it offeredto me. If the Lord Almighty proffered to revoke the decree, "Dust thouart, and to dust thou shalt return," and say to me, "You can livefor ever as you are;" I should say, "Father, I want to ask youa few questions upon this point. Shall I still be subject to the tooth-ache,to the head-ache, to the chills and fever, and to all the diseases incidentto the mortal body?" "O yes, but you can live, and never die.""Then I would have you, Father, to let the old decree stand good; Ifind no fault with your offer, it may be a good one; but I have the promiseof receiving my body again-of this body coming up in the morning of theresurrection, and being re-united with the spirit, and being filled withthe principles of immortality and eternal life. Thank you, Father, I wouldrather take a new body, and then I shall get a good set of new teeth. Mysight, too, is failing; if I want to read, I cannot do it without usingglasses; and if I wish to walk a few miles, I cannot do it without makingmyself sick; if I wish to go out on a journey, I am under the necessityof taking the utmost care of myself for fear of injuring my health; butwhen I get a new body, this will not be so; I shall be out of the reachof him that hath the power of death in his hands, for Jesus Christ willconquer that foe, and I shall receive a new body, which will be filled witheternal life, health, and beauty."
What more? Why, to him that overcometh shall be glory, immortality,and eternal life. What more? Jesus says, as it was said yesterday, Exceptye are one, ye are not mine. Again, he says, I pray thee, Father, to makethese, my disciples, one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, thatthey also may be one in us, I in them, and thou in me, that they may bemade perfect in one. This is a curiosity that ranks among the mysteriesthat the people do not understand. The Father and I are one, you disciplesand I are one; it is quite a curiosity, but it is as true as it is curious.It is nothing more than a key-word to exaltation, glory, power, and excellency,by which principalities, kingdoms, dominions, and eternal lives will surroundus.
That will give you true riches, and nothing else will. The only trueriches in existence are for you and I to secure for ourselves a holy resurrection;then we have command of the gold and the silver, and can place it wherewe please, and in whose hands we please. We can place it here and there,where it can be found, and in abundance, when we say the word. We can saythen to the flies, and to the grasshoppers, "Be ye extinct," andit will be so; and again say, "Go ye, and make a work of devastation,"and at our word clouds of them darken the sun and cover the ground, thecrops are destroyed in a day. We can then say to the hail-storm, "Staythou thy rage, and hurt not the fields and fruit trees of the servants ofGod;" and we are obeyed. On the other hand, when they need a littlechastisement, we can say to the rain, to the lightnings, and to the thunders,"Chasten ye the people;" and the elements are at once in a stateof agitation, and they are chastened by the destruction of their crops,and cities are swallowed up in the yawning earthquake, when God can beartheir wickedness no longer. He does not want to slay His children who loveand serve him, He is not a hard master, nor a severe Father, but when Hechastens, it is because He wishes to bring His children to understanding,that they may know where the true riches are, and what are the true richesof eternity, and rejoice with Him in His presence, being made equal withHim.
These are some of my reflections upon true riches. Why will the Latter-daySaints wander off after the things of this world? But are they not good?We cannot do very well without them, for we are of the world, we are inthe world, we partake of the elements of which it is composed; it is ourmother earth, we are composed of the same native material. It is all good,the air, the water, the gold and silver; the wheat, the fine flour, andthe cattle upon a thousand hills are all good; but, why do men set theirhearts upon them in their present organized state? Why not lay a sure foundationto control them hereafter? Why do we not keep it continually before us thatall flesh is grass; it is today, and to-morrow it is not; it is like theflower of the grass when it is cut down, it withers, and is no more? Whydo the children of men set their hearts upon earthly things? They are tobe used, but not to the abusing of yourselves. They are to be used to makeus comfortable. Suppose all the good things of this world should be givento us, the gold and the silver, the cattle and the horses, and all the flocksof a thousand hills; it would be for the express purpose of building mansionsand temples, of feeding the poor that cannot feed themselves, of succouringthe tried and the tempted, of sending Elders to preach the Gospel from nationto nation, from island to island, and of gathering Israel from the fourquarters of the globe. But that moment that men seek to build up themselves,in preference to the kingdom of God, and seek to hoard up riches, whilethe widow and the fatherless, the sick and afflicted, around them, are inpoverty and want, it proves that their hearts are weaned from their God;and their riches will perish in their fingers, and they with them.
Where are the true riches-the pearl of great price? They are here. Howcan we secure them? By being obedient, for the willing and obedient willeat the good of the land by and bye; but those who heap to themselves riches,and set their hearts upon them, where will they be by and bye? There aremen in our midst who will quarrel for five dollars, and have their trialsbefore Bishops and other tribunals if it costs all they possess. They say,"I will have my rights." They tell about their rights, when theyknow nothing about rights; in this they are governed solely by the influenceof former traditions. Why do they not say, "I will satisfy my hellishwill, if it destroys me for time and all eternity." If they would saythat, they would say the truth. If a man says "It is my right to havethis or that," he knows nothing about rights, so never say anythingmore about rights. But if you can find one individual who knows what rightis, ask him, and then say, "That is right, and I will do it."Take that course, and rejoice that you have found somebody to tell you whatright is. When my heart trembles with rage, and my nervous system becomesirritated to knock down and kill, it is for me to say, Brigham, hold on,you should not do this. Do you wish me to tell you what right is? I willpoint out the way if you will walk in it. If your neighbor or your brothershould sue you at the law for your coat, give it to him, and your cloakalso, and not turn round and say, "It is my right; are you going torob me?" The instructions of the Saviour of the world, which I havequoted, are right; and I could prove it so by philosophical reasoning, andmake you believe it, and you would be satisfied it is the best course youcould pursue. I will give you the key to it, which is this-it gives youan influence you never can obtain by contending for your rights. You say,"Take it, it is no matter whether it is my right or not." If aman asks you to go with him one mile, go two, and then you can say, "Youonly asked me to go one mile, but I have gone two." That is the counselJesus Christ gave. If you sit down and calmly reason the case, you cannotbut discover that it gives you an influence over that man, which you couldnot gain by contending with him in anger. All the power which is gainedby contending with people is usurped power.
The power which belongs to the true riches is gained by pursuing a righteouscourse, by maintaining an upright deportment towards all men, and especiallytowards the household of faith, yielding to each other, giving freely ofthat which the Lord has given to you, thus you can secure to yourselveseternal riches; and gain influence and power over all your friends, as wellas your enemies. "If you want anything I have, here, take it, and Iwill have influence and power over you;" this is a key word to gainthe true riches; that is the amount of it.
I want to hint at the negative of the question again. I have, from timeto time, said many things to you in this tabernacle, and so have my brethren,and the people are much inclined for the mysteries of the kingdom. I cantell you what they are, in some degree. The idea appears very foolish tome when we are talking about it, but we are obliged to use the English languageas it is, which is scarcely a similitude of what we want. Again it is firstrate to communicate our ideas, and good to enable us to talk one way, andmean another, when we have a disposition to do so. Brother Hyde preachedus a good discourse on mystery yesterday.
What is a mystery? We do not know, it is beyond our comprehension. Whenwe talk about mystery, we talk about eternal obscurity; for that which isknown, ceases to be a mystery; and all that is known, we may know as weprogress in the scale of intelligence. That which is eternally beyond thecomprehension of all our intelligence is mystery, yet this word is usedby the translators of the Bible. They write about mystery, and talk aboutmystery; what are they talking about? I do not know what they mean, norwhat they wish to convey by that word, and they do not know themselves.This language is made use of in the Bible, because they have nothing better.Things transpire almost every day in our lives which we class under theterm mystery, for want of a better term. What does it mean, in reality?Why, nothing at all. But for the accommodation of those who speak the Englishlanguage, we will continue to use the term, and proceed to examine the negativeof true riches.
Here are the earth and the inhabitants upon its face, organized forthe express purpose of a glorious resurrection. The terra firma on whichwe walk, and from which we gain our bread, is looking forth for the morningof the resurrection, and will get a resurrection, and be cleansed from thefilthiness that has gone forth out of her. This is Bible doctrine. Whatfilthiness has gone forth out of her? You and I, and all the inhabitantsof the earth; the human body, and all earthly bodies, both animal and vegetable;are composed of the native element that we breathe, that we drink, and thatwe walk upon; we till the earth for our bread, which is one of the materialsof which your body is composed, it comes forth from the native elementsinto an organized state; what for? To be exalted, to get a glorious resurrection.We are of the earth, earthy, and not only will the portion of mother earthwhich composes these bodies get a resurrection, but the earth itself. Ithas already had a baptism. You who have read the Bible must know that thatis Bible doctrine. What does it matter if it is not stated in the same wordsthat I use, it is none the less true that it was baptized for the remissionof sins. The Lord said, "I will deluge (or immerse) the earth in waterfor the remission of the sins of the people;" or if you will allowme to express myself in a familiar style, to kill all the vermin that werenitting, and breeding, and polluting its body; it was cleansed of its filthiness;and soaked in the water, as long as some of our people ought to soak. TheLord baptized the earth for the remission of sins, and it has been oncecleansed from the filthiness that has gone out of it, which was in the inhabitantswho dwelt upon its face.
The earth is organized for a glorious resurrection, and life and deathare set before the people, true riches and false riches; and the whole worldare gone after the false riches; after that which is not life, after decomposition,after that which perishes, and passes away like the twilight of evening.The Lord has set before the inhabitants of the earth, true riches, fromthe days of Adam until now. In olden times, in the ages we call "thedark ages of the world," men could talk to the Lord face to face, andHe looked like another man. When He had a mind to do so, He could walk intothe assemblies of the people, and none of them would know him, only theyknew He was a stranger that had visited their meeting. He understands thedifference between true riches and the bogus which passed current in thedays of Pharaoh in Egypt. We see the bogus power again exhibited in thedays of Saul the king of Israel, by the witch of Endor, who, at the requestof Saul, brought forth the spirit of Samuel, or some other spirit. Theyunderstood the principles of life, for the Lord had set life and death beforethem, true riches and false riches, or in other words, composition and decomposition,and the laws, principles, and powers of the eternal world; and the peopleof the early ages of this world understood them.
The people in this age, are like the old miser, whose latter end wasdrawing nigh; he had saved a good purse of gold, but he was blind and couldnot see it, so he requested the attendants to bring him the gold that hemight put his hand on it; when he laid his hand upon it, he could go tosleep. He possessed the negative of true riches. Again, they are like theman who found a lump of gold which weighed 100 pounds, the last that washeard of him was, he was sitting upon it, offering a great price to thepassers by for something to eat, and swearing that if he had to starve todeath, he would stick by the gold, and die a rich man. If he had understoodthe principles of life-the principles of true riches, he could have commandedthat gold in California, in England, or anywhere else but he had no powerover it, and died like a fool, no doubt. What good was his gold to him?He had not the power of endless life in him, and he will be decomposed,and the particles which compose his body and spirit will return to theirnative element. I told you some time ago what would become of such men.But I will quote the Scriptures on this point, and you can make what youplease of it. Jesus says, he will DESTROY death and him that hath the powerof it. What can you make of this but decomposition, the returning of theorganized particles to their native element, after suffering the wrath ofGod until the time appointed. That appears a mystery, but the principlehas been in existence from all eternity, only it is something you have notknown or thought of. When the elements in an organized form do not fillthe end of their creation, they are thrown back again, like brother Kimball'sold pottery ware, to be ground up, and made over again. All I have to sayabout it is what Jesus says-I will destroy Death, and him that hath thepower of it, which is the devil. And if he ever makes "a full end ofthe wicked," what else can he do than entirely disorganize them, andreduce them to their native element? Here are some of the mysteries of thekingdom.
On the other hand, let us take the affirmative of the question; andinquire what is life and salvation? It is to take that course wherein wecan abide for ever and ever, and be exalted to thrones, kingdoms, governments,dominions, and have full power to control the elements, according to ourpleasure to all eternity; the one is life, and the other is death, whichis nothing more or less than the decomposition of organized native element.There can be no such thing as power to annihilate element. There is oneeternity of element, which can be organized or disorganized, composed ordecomposed; it may be put into this shape or into that, according to thewill of the intelligence that commands it, but there is no such thing puttingit entirely out of existence.
I never studied philosophy to any great extent, but on one occasionI had a kind of a confab with Professor Orson Pratt, who endeavoured toprove that there was empty space, I supposed there was no such thing. Hethought he had proved it; but I thought he had not proved a word of it,and told him the idea was folly. After hearing a good many arguments fromhim, and other men, his colleagues in learning, I wished them to tell mewhere empty space was situated, that I might tell the wicked, who wish tohide themselves from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, whereto go, for they will then be where God is not, if they can find empty space.To argue such a question as that, would be, to confute my own argumentsin favor of other truths I have advocated, and oppose my own system of faith.We believe that God is round about all things, above all things, in allthings, and through all things. To tell about empty space is to tell ofa space where God is not, and where the wicked might safely hide from Hispresence. There is no such thing as empty space.
Remember, that true riches-life, happiness, and salvation, is to securefor ourselves a part in the first resurrection, where we are out of thereach of death, and him that hath the power of it; then we are exalted tothrones, and have power to organize element. Yes, they that are faithful,and that overcome, shall be crowned with crowns of eternal glory. They shallsee the time when their cities shall be paved with gold; for there is noend to the precious metals, they are in the native element, and there isan eternity of it. If you want a world of the most precious substance, youwill have nothing to do but say the word, and it is done. You can macadamizestreets with it, and beautify and make glorious the temples. We can thensay to the elements, "Produce ye the best oranges, lemons, apples,figs, grapes, and every other good fruit." I presume we do not drawa single breath that there are not particles of these things mingled init. But we have not the knowledge now to organize them at our pleasure.Until we have that power we are not fully in possession of the true riches,which is the affirmative of the question, and the negative of the questionis no riches at all in reality.
Well, brethren, I think I have stood out first rate. When I rose I didnot think I could speak over ten minutes. May the Lord God bless you, andhave mercy upon the world, and upon this people, that we may be saved inHis kingdom. Amen.