A DISCOURSE BY PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG, DELIVERED IN THETABERNACLE, GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, AUGUST 1, 1852.
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As there is still a little time which may be occupied to our benefitthis morning, I arise to improve it.
These are happy days to the Saints, and we should rejoice in them; theyare the best days we ever saw; and in the midst of the sorrows and afflictionsof this life, its trials and temptations, the buffetings of Satan, the weaknessof the flesh, and the power of death which is sown in it, there is no necessityfor any mortal man to live a single day without rejoicing, and being filledwith gladness. I allude to the Saints, who have the privilege of receivingthe Spirit of truth, and have been acquainted with the laws of the new covenant.There is no necessity of one of these passing a day without enjoying allthe blessings his capacities are capable of receiving. Yet it is necessarythat we should be tried, tempted, and buffeted, to make us feel the weaknessesof this mortal flesh. We all feel them; our systems are full of them, fromthe crown of the head to the soles of the feet; still, in the midst of allthese weaknesses and frailties of human nature, it is the privilege of everyperson who has come to the knowledge of the truth, to rejoice in God, therock of his salvation, all the day long. We rejoice because the Lord isours, because we are sown in weakness for the express purpose of attainingto greater power and perfection. In every thing the Saints may rejoice-inpersecution, because it is necessary to purge them, and prepare the wickedfor their doom; in sickness and in pain, though they are hard to bear, becausewe are thereby made acquainted with pain, with sorrow, and with every afflictionthat mortals can endure, for by contrast all things are demonstrated toour senses. We have reason to rejoice exceedingly that faith is in the world,that the Lord reigns, and does His pleasure among the inhabitants of theearth. Do you ask if I rejoice because the Devil has the advantage overthe inhabitants of the earth, and has afflicted mankind? I most assuredlyanswer in the affirmative; I rejoice in this as much as in anything else.I rejoice because I am afflicted. I rejoice because I am poor. I rejoicebecause I am cast down. Why? Because I shall be lifted up again. I rejoicethat I am poor, because I shall be made rich; that I am afflicted, becauseI shall be comforted, and prepared to enjoy the felicity of perfect happiness,for it is impossible to properly appreciate happiness, except by enduringthe opposite.
I was glad to hear brother Babbit speak this morning. He wondered whyhe had been called to the stand to speak, and could not conceive of anyother reason, except it was that the people might know whether he was inthe faith or not. He guessed pretty nigh right. He has been gone some time,and travels to and fro in the earth, playing into law up to the eyes, minglingwith the bustle of the wicked world. Has he got any faith? We think he has.I wanted to hear him speak, and to know what his feelings were, and if theroot of the matter was in him; so we had him come before the public congregation,to exhibit it there. My reasons for pursuing such a course are known tomyself; but one thing is certain, if we magnify our calling as Elders inIsrael, we are the saviors of the children of men, instead of being theirdestroyers. We were ordained to save the people, and to save them in themanner the Lord has pointed out. The Savior came not to call the righteous,but sinners to repentance; and we preach to the people, and call upon themto be saved-not the righteous, but we call upon sinners; for those thatare well, need no physician, but they that are sick. With those who aresaved already, we have nothing to do. But it is those who are in sin andtransgression, who are in darkness and in weakness, those who are wraptup in the superstitions and false traditions of the nations that have livedand passed away, whom we must plead with and try to save; and if they beginto see, continue to anoint their eyes with truth, that they may see clearly;and put them in every possible condition we can place them in, to encouragethem to call upon the Lord, and trust in Him alone; for those who will trustin the Lord will be made strong.
As for the weaknesses of human nature, we have plenty of them; weaknessand sin are with us constantly; they are sown in the mortal body, and extendfrom the crown of the head to the soles of the feet. We need not go to ourneighbors for sin, to palliate all our crimes, for we ourselves have plentyof it; we need not crave weakness from our fellow man, we have our own shareof it; it is for us to trust in the Lord, and endeavor to deliver ourselvesfrom the effects of sin, plead with every person to take the same course,and propose and plan every possible means to become friends of God, thatwe may thereby become friends of sinners, and receive a great reward ina day to come.
I am satisfied with the remarks of brother Babbit; and if we sum themall up, and make a close calculation upon the whole, looking over the livesof Prophets, Patriarchs, and Apostles; not overlooking the circumstanceof Peter denying his Lord, or any of the old ancients faltering in theirsteps, transgressing, falling into weaknesses, turning away from the commandmentsof the Lord, or being overtaken in any fault whatever-sum up the whole,and add the weaknesses and sins of modern Prophets, Apostles, and Saints;then sum up all the weaknesses and sins of mankind, and bring them together,and you will find that it will never justify you nor me one moment in doinga wrong thing, in forsaking the Lord, and serving the devil, or any of hisemissaries. Consequently, I feel to urge upon every person who has namedthe name of Christ, the necessity of his being faithful to the requirementsof his religion, and of shunning all evil, as quick as he becomes acquaintedwith the principle by which he can discriminate between good and evil; andcleave unto the good, follow after it, pray for it, and cling to it by dayand by night, if he wants to enjoy the blessings of a celestial kingdom.I wish this for myself and for my brethren. Never think that the Lord willpermit you to commit a little sin here, and a little sin there; that Hewill permit you to lie a little, serve yourselves or somebody else a little,besides Him, because you have faith, and are a professed friend of God,and have a desire to see His kingdom prevail, thinking you will be savedat last. This throws a person, at least, upon the ground where he is liableto be overthrown by the enemy. It is a risky position to stand in, to saythe least of it, for a Saint of God to say he can serve himself, or theenemy, or anything else in this world, for gold; those who do it, standupon slippery ground, and if they are saved at all, it will be by the skinof their teeth; so I will not justify any person in pursuing such a course.Brother Babbit has to law it here, and law it there; though he may not feeljustified in doing so, I rejoice to hear him declare that the root of thematter is in him. Would I not rather see him an almighty man before God,thundering out the truths of eternity, and living in the flame of revelation,than see him engaged in the paltry business of pettifogging? I thank theLord for all the good and for all the faith there is in him. Brother Babbitis near to my heart, for notwithstanding all the faults of the brethren,I love them-the old, middle aged, and young; if they have a particle oflove in them for the truth, they are near to my heart. I wish to bind themto the Lord, and to His cause upon the earth, that they may secure to themselvessalvation.
I am happy, and am made glad this day. If you wish to know what I thinkof brother Babbit, I will tell you. If we could keep him here a few months,and in our councils a few years, I think that he would despise litigationas he would the gates of hell. If we had him here, we would wrap him upin the Spirit and power of God, and send him to preach glad tidings to thenations of the earth, instead of his being engaged in the low and beggarlybusiness of pettifogging. If he would dwell among us, doubtless he woulddespise it, for it is from hell, and it will go there.
We have heard good remarks, but let me forewarn you again, that theElders in Israel need never flatter themselves that they can serve the devil,because they think the root of the matter is in them, for before they areaware, they will be led captive by him, and he will lead them down to hell.That is my exhortation, not only to the Elders in Israel, but to all Saints.
There is one thing in the sayings of brother Babbit, which I will referto, in relation to the loyalty of this people. I am at the defiance of therulers of the greatest nation on the earth, with the United States all puttogether, to produce a more loyal people than the Latter-day Saints. Havethey, as a people, broken any law? No, they have not. Have the United States?Yes! they have trampled the Constitution under their feet with impunity,and ridden recklessly over all law, to persecute and drive this people.Admit, for argument's sake, that the "Mormon" Elders have morewives than one, yet our enemies never have proved it. If I had forty wivesin the United States, they did not know it, and could not substantiate it,neither did I ask any lawyer, judge, or magistrate for them. I live abovethe law, and so do this people. Do the laws of the United States requireus to crouch and bow down to the miserable wretches who violate them? No.The broad law of the whole earth is that every person has the right to enjoyevery mortal blessing, so far as he does not infringe upon the rights andprivileges of others. It is also according to the acts of every legislativebody throughout the Union, to enjoy all that you are capable of enjoying;but you are forbidden to infringe upon the rights, property, wife, or anythingin the possession of your neighbor. I defy all the world to prove that wehave infringed upon that law. You may circumscribe the whole earth, andpass through every Christian nation, so called, and what do you find? Ifyou tell them a "Mormon" has two wives, they are shocked; andcall it dreadful blasphemy; if you whisper such a thing into the ears ofa Gentile who takes a fresh woman every night, he is thunderstruck withthe enormity of the crime. The vile practice of violating female virtuewith impunity is customary among the professed Christian nations of theworld; this is therefore no marvel to them, but they are struck with amazementwhen they are told a man may have more lawful wives than one! What do youthink of a woman having more husbands than one? This is not known to thelaw, yet it is done in the night, and considered by the majority of mankindto be all right. There are certain governments in the world, that give womenlicense to open their doors and windows to carry on this abominable practice,under the cover of night. Five years ago the census of New York gave 15,000prostitutes in that city. Is that law? Is that good order? Look at yourConstitution, look at the Federal law, look at every wholesome principle,and they tell you that death is at your doors, corruption in your streets,and hell is all open, and gaping wide to inclose you in its fiery vortex.To talk about law and good order while such things exist, makes me righteouslyangry. Talk not to me about law.
Suppose that the things they are pleased to say about this people aretrue, do you suppose I care about it? I do not, for I ask no odds of them.This people have treated them kindly. Did we not pay for our land honorablywhen we settled in Missouri and other places? We have paid them millionsof dollars for land, of which we have been basely robbed; and shall I crouchdown, and say I dare not speak of it? I would rather have my head severedfrom my body in this room, than be compelled to be silent on this matter.I am a green mountain boy, I was born in the State of Vermont, and pleadfor my rights, and the rights of this people, upon the broad Constitutionof the United States, which we shall certainly maintain, in spite of thepoor, rotten, political curses that pretend to enforce the Constitution.I ask no odds of them. I will feed them, if they come hungry to my door,for they are flesh of my flesh. The King upon the throne, and the Presidentin his chair, are the same to me as these poor emigrants, who are lyingaround my doors-when they are hungry I feed them; when they are sick, Inurse them; the same as I would the President of the United States, or anyof the kings of Europe, unless they were better men.
As for the pride that is in the world, I walk over it, it is beneathme. To see men who are called gentlemen of character, sense, taste, andability, who pass through this city, and come bending with their recommendation,saying, "Governor Young this," and "Governor Young that"-itmakes me feel to loathe such hypocritical show, in my heart. I shall notsay all I think about it. If they would come to me, and say, "Brigham,how are you?" or, "I want to speak to you, &c.," witha good honest heart in them, instead of, "Governor Young," "GovernorYoung," in a canting tone, with hearts as black and deceitful as hell,they would command that esteem from me which is due to an honest man.
A blackleg is a polished rascal. If you go to the polished circles ofsociety, you will find the greatest scape-graces and pickpockets concealedunder the most polished gentlemen in appearance. A man never can be a polishedscoundrel, until he can figure in polished society. It proves the truthof the saying, that it takes all the revelations of God, and every goodprinciple in the world, to make a man perfectly ripe for hell.
You will not see in the nature of a man who has a soul in him, and whois filled with the Holy Ghost, a disposition to bow and scrape to everyblackguard that may come in the shape and address of a gentleman. But ifyou are thirsty, hungry, or destitute, I will assist you. How many haveI helped away to California, and given them bread and meat, notwithstandingthey wanted to go to the devil; this made no difference to me; I have helpedthem, and told them to go, if they wished to. There is no tyranny here,but perfect liberty, which is a boon held sacred to all men. They have aright to come and go as they please. I do not ask you to be a "Mormon."Can you point out one person who has entreated any of the emigrants to become"Mormons," since they came into our midst? Since their arrivalhere, we have been kind and hospitable to them, and have not cared whetherthey have been "Mormons" or Methodists. They can come and hearpreaching, if they think proper; but we shall never put them to any troublebecause they are not "Mormons."
You may say you do not believe in God. Well, it is your privilege tobelieve as you like; you can believe in the Methodists' God, that has neitherbody, parts, nor passions (which amounts to nothing at all), if you please.
But one may say, "I belong to the holy Catholic Church." Youhave a right to belong to what Church you please. Another may say he believesin and worships a white dog, for he has lived with the nations who havea tradition teaching them to do so. It is all right; you are as welcometo worship a white dog as the God I do, if it is your wish. I am perfectlywilling you should serve the kind of a god you choose, or no god at all;and that you should enjoy all that is for you to enjoy.
There are some things, however, I am not willing you should do. Forinstance, I am not willing you should steal the money out of my pocket,and then cry, "Bad dog;" and get somebody to kill me. I am notwilling you should enter my house to defile my bed, or endeavor to bringdeath upon an innocent people. I am not willing you should drive me andmy brethren from our houses and farms, as has been the case in former times.There are scores of thousands, I may say hundreds of thousands, of acresof land in the United States, for which we have paid money, but which wecannot possess. I am not willing you should drive your cattle into my cornfield, which has been done before my eyes, by men who have thought, "Youare only poor damned Mormons anyhow, and we'll tread you down." I amwilling every man should worship God as he pleases, and be happy. But themeasure that has been meted to this people, will be measured to that people;and it will be heaped up, pressed down, and running over; and then as muchagain thrown in; all this good measure I am willing they should have whenthe Lord will. I shall not exult in the miseries that will come upon them,but weep over them; whereas I have seen a mob with their rifles pointedat me by hundreds, and could not be moved to tears, but, I felt like Danielof old, "I will worship my God, and pray with my windows open, if mylife should be the penalty." I would not be afraid if the whole artilleryof the United States, with the best engineers that could be raised to manageit, were arrayed against me for righteousness' sake, knowing that the Godof heaven, in whom I trust, would not suffer a ball to touch me, if it wasHis will that I should yet live. This I have felt time and time again.
I do not desire to harass the feelings of the people by reiteratingthe past, but if you want these things buried up, treat us like men andhuman beings, and they will be forgotten, but if you still want to probeus with the hot iron of persecution, probe on.
We came here ourselves, unassisted by any power, but that of God, andwalked through the Indian tribes as independent as I am this day. We dugour way through the kanyons, and made the roads to this place; while atthe same time five hundred of our most energetic men were fighting the battlesof the United States in Mexico.
When our women and children were left on the banks of the Missouri,in a helpless condition, I said to one of the United States officers, whohad been threatening those who were left behind-"While I am gone tofind a home for my family, if you meddle with them, or insult them in theleast, by the Gods of Eternity I will be on your track." And had theirthreats been executed, I would have slain them, even though I should havehad to go into the heart of Washington city to do it. Says he, "Mr.Young, you talk strangely." "Well," I said, "let myfamily alone;" for they wanted to persuade them back to the other sideof the river, to afflict them still more.
Five hundred of our best men were then in the United States' army, traversingthe sandy deserts and scorching plains of the South, without shoes to theirfeet, or clothes to cover them.
There are scores in this congregation who can prove this declaration.On one occasion they travelled day and night for ninety miles, through thescorching sands, without one drop of water. And now, as payment for thisarduous service, they try to taunt us by saying-"We don't want to giveyou Mormons anything." I care not if you should never give us one dime.
Now let me tell you the great killing story-"Governor Young hassixteen wives, and fourteen babies." Now they did not see that sight;but the circumstance was as follows. I took some of my neighbors into thelarge carriage, and rode down to father Chase's, to eat water melons. Whendriving out of the gate in the evening, brother Babbit walks up, and I invitedhim into the carriage, and he rode up into the city with me, and I supposehe told the United States' officers. That I believe is the way the storyof sixteen wives and fourteen children first came into circulation. Butthis does not begin to be the extent of my possessions, for I am enlargingon the right hand and on the left, and shall soon be able, Abraham like,to muster the strength of my house, and take my rights, asking no favorsof Judges or Secretaries.
Do you think we shall all die in Utah? If so, why have we not died erethis, when we dwelt in the midst of a people that cherished hostile feelingsagainst the Latter-day Saints? Who delivered Joseph Smith from the handsof his enemies to the day of his death? It was God; though he was broughtto the brink of death time and time again, and, to all human appearance;could not be delivered, and there was no probability of his being saved.When he was in jail in Missouri, and no person expected that he would everescape from their hands, I had the faith of Abraham, and told the brethren,"As the Lord God liveth, he shall come out of their hands." Thoughhe had prophesied that he would not live to be forty years of age, yet weall cherished hopes that that would be a false prophecy, and we should keephim for ever with us; we thought our faith would outreach it, but we heremistaken-he at last fell a martyr to his religion. I said, "It is allright; now the testimony is in full force; he has sealed it with his blood,and that makes it valid."
I would be happy, exceedingly happy, to let our past experience andafflictions sleep for ever; but the Lord will not suffer me to let themsleep. I would be willing to forget them, but I cannot. The Lord will neversuffer this people to dwindle down, and be hid up in a corner; it cannotbe; neither does He want any person to help them but Himself. Satan andthe Lord never can shake hands, and He will let the nation know it; forHe has got servants who will do His righteous will, and that faithfully.I would rather be chopped to pieces at night, and resurrected in the morning,each day throughout a period of threescore years and ten, than be deprivedof speaking freely, or be afraid of doing so. I will speak for my rights.I would just as soon tell a government officer of his meanness and filthyconduct, as I would any other person; they are all alike to God, and tothose who know His will.
I have studied the law, and say again, I defy the united authoritiesof the earth to shew where this people have not been loyal, wherein theyhave not proved loyal, in Germany, in France, in England, or in the UnitedStates; for they are the best people upon the face of the earth to observethe law and keep order. I want to live perfectly above the law, and makeit my servant, instead of its being my master. That is the way to live;to be humble before God, and observe the laws; for there is no necessityof breaking the laws in America, in keeping the commandments of God. Whenthe law is our master, the yoke is hard to bear; but when it is our servant,it works easy; whereas, if it be our master, we are continually compelledand driven by it.
There is not a single constitution of any single state, much less theconstitution of the Federal Government, that hinders a man from having twowives; and I defy all the lawyers of the United States to prove the contrary.
Let the past experience be buried in the land of forgetfulness, if theLord will; but if this is done at all, it will be by showing kindness towardsus in the future. If they wish us to forget the past, let them cease tomake and circulate falsehoods about us, and let all the good people of theGovernment say-"Let us do this people good for the future, and nottry to crush them down all the day long by continuing to persecute them."
If we are a company of poor, ignorant, deluded creatures, why do notthey show us a better example? Why not send the money to pay the expensesof our legislature, and the expenses of the expeditions against the Indians,as they do to other territories? Their present course towards us, put inlanguage, is, we will squeeze them still, and dig out their eyes if it bepossible." While they, continue to pursue that course towards us, weshall continue to tell them of it. It makes me think of what an old farmersaid in Boston, who had been in the habit of paying his merchant's billsvery punctually, but, from some cause, he did not continue to meet his paymentsas usual. The merchant sent for him, and said-"I have always foundyou to be a very honest man, why do you now lie to me?" The farmerreplied,-"Because I am pinched." The merchant asked-"Howhard should an honest man be pinched to make him lie?" The farmer replied-"Justpinch him till he lies." "They want to pinch us till we are ledto do something to bring the whole nation down upon us, according to theplan of old Tom Benton, but, gentlemen, this cannot be done, for there isa God in Heaven, and He rules, thank His Holy Name; and we will be wiseenough to keep His commandments, that we may be saved. Amen.