AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY PRESIDENT H. C. KIMBALL, IN THETABERNACLE, GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, JULY 11, 1852.
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I have been much interested with the principles that have been laid beforeus by brother Daniel Tyler. He is a man with whom I have been acquaintedfor many years, and I know him to be a good man. I can say truly that Ihave heard the Gospel presented before us this morning, as it is recordedin the New Testament.
You know that it is generally understood, and perhaps by many of thestrangers who are present to-day, that we do not believe the Bible. Thatis a great mistake: we do believe it. I can say, as one of the Apostlesof old said, and it is my advice and instruction to you-prove all things,and try all things, and hold fast to that which is good. As he exhortedyou to prove these things, to investigate them, and reflect upon them, andprove the truth of that which is called "Mormonism," let me tellyou, gentlemen, the day will come, if you don't do it, you will be sorry.Why? Because there is a future day that will determine these things.
It will be but a few years, perhaps not to exceed fifty, that not a personhere this day will then be upon the earth. You will go into the world ofspirits, to try the realities of another state of existence. What we haveto do we must do in this state of existence, while in our tabernacles offlesh; and if we make good use of our lives, and of our bodies, and of ourtalents, it will be well with us; but if we do not, we have to give an accountof the deeds done in the body. These bodies are given to you by the sameBeing that gave to me my body, and they are committed to you as a stewardshipby that God who placed us here; and you have got to give an account of yourstewardship, and the course you take. If you permit that tabernacle to becomepolluted, and if your spirit suffers your body to be contaminated with sinand corruption, you will have to make an atonement for it before you canget your redemption worked out. Gentlemen, mark it, for it is even so.
This is the Gospel which has been taught to us to-day, in a plain andsimple manner, and in that simplicity that it was taught by Jesus Christand his Apostles, and by many others who were ordained by them. The peopleprofess to believe the Bible; the whole Christian world profess to believethat book-to believe that it is the Bible, but do they believe what is inthat Bible? If they do, they don't practise it. How many of you, my brethrenand fellow travellers to eternity, how many times have you said in yourday, and in your generation, and in your family circles, "If I couldsee one man practise that religion that was taught by Jesus and his Apostles,I would be a Saint." I said it many times before I ever heard of "Mormonism,"and sought for these things, and wished for them, and prayed for them accordingto the knowledge I then had. But what did I know about God, or about theGospel, by what I heard from the pulpits of the day?
I have been at the Methodists' meeting many a time, and have followedup their protracted meetings, and sought for religion; and when people wereconverted to the faith of Methodism, I have seen the priest go to the waterbecause some wished to be baptized in the water, but not because it wasat all necessary. One would say, I want to be sprinkled; another, I wantto have the water poured upon me; and another, I want to be plunged. Allright, says the minister, either of these is just as necessary as the other,for none of them are essential to salvation; we only attend to them to satisfythe candidate. Suppose the laws of the United States were made upon thisprinciple, just to suit everybody's fancy and notions, making laws for everyone to do just as he pleased-what kind of laws would they be? What wouldyou think of such a law-making department? Would you sustain it? Would yousend it to a man, as a delegate, to represent your case, to make wholesomelaws that would give every man his rights and privileges? I would not havesuch a law, but I would cast it out with those who made it.
God has one mode of saving men and women, and you cannot be saved uponany other principle than that which Jesus Christ taught, and I know it.I can say to this congregation, and to every other, which thing I have saidin the United States and in Great Britain-except you receive the words ofJesus Christ, and those that are ordained and sent forth by him, you arejust as sure of damnation as you are sure of dying, and I know it. Thesethings are plain, and the Gospel that brother Daniel has spoken has beenrevealed in these last times. That light that was once extinguished by wickednesshas been lit up again. The ancient Gospel is again revealed, and the Priesthoodof the Son of God, and the Latter-day Saints have this power, and you cannothelp yourselves. That is why we are here to-day, that is the reason whyI am here to-day, in a land of peace and plenty, and a healthy location,with my brethren who have come here to find a good home. Don't you findthe people here peaceable, and kind, and affectionate, attending to theirown business? Did you ever find a more peaceable place in your life, inthe United States, or in England, or in any part of the world, than this?No, I defy you to find any more peaceable place than this. The reason weare here in these silent valleys is, because we could not have the privilegeof worshipping God according to His requirements in our native country.Some of you may say, "I can scarcely believe that;" but, as sureas you live, I have been robbed and broken up six times before I came here,and was forced to leave my habitation, and my substance. It is there now,and they are welcome to it. I am not the only person who has suffered so,by a great many; all because of my religion. We are looked upon as the worstkind of beings on the earth. Did you ever think of a wicked thing but whatit was placed upon us.
Joseph Smith and his brother were killed in Carthage jail. Joseph Smithwas a Prophet of God, and I know it. I am not testifying to this becauseI have believed it so long, but I knew it twenty years ago, just as wellas I do now, and have testified of it to the nations of the earth. And whatwill be the consequences of this testimony? They that believe and are baptizedshall be saved, and they shall receive the Holy Ghost under the hands ofthose who have due authority to confer that blessing; and if they go forwardand are baptized with full purpose of heart, believing with all their soul,obeying the Gospel, being buried with Christ by baptism, they shall obtainthe Holy Ghost.
On the day of Pentecost, when Peter proclaimed the Gospel, about 3000souls were added to the Church that day. How long did it take them to repent?No longer than they were willing to believe, and put away their sins, witha determination to forsake them, and not sin again.
I rejoice that I live in this day and age of the world; I rejoice thatI have passed through what I have for the Gospel's sake; but will it comparewith what men passed through in the days of Jesus, who was hung upon a crossfor his religion? He expired upon Calvary for his religion; they killedhim as a false prophet, and even those of his own household did not believein him; they also slew his Apostles, and those who believed in them. Don'tyou suppose it was as degrading to them to believe in Jesus Christ, as forus to believe that Joseph Smith was a Prophet? He was a Prophet, and Jesuswas the Son of God; and Hyrum Smith was a Patriarch, and a son of God, andI bear witness of it unto all men. Many feel to damn the "Mormons,"and call them everything that is evil-does it harm us? Does it affect oursalvation in the least? No! The more patiently we bear it, the greater willbe our glory and exaltation. It is because of our religion that the peopleare in trouble.
In the United States they are troubled about it; in Great Britain, France,and Denmark, they are troubled about it. The priests of the day are stoutlycrying, false Prophet, and delusion; and the invisible world are rapping,muttering, and peeping, and they are finding fault. They are at a loss toknow what can be the matter. The invisible world are in trouble; they areknocking, and rapping and muttering; and the people are inquiring of themto know concerning the things of God, and there is not a soul of them cantell them anything about the end of the world. They are in a dreadful situation;and in the city of Rochester, near where I used to live, the last informationI received from there, there were 135 spiritual writers in that city. Ihave a brother-in-law there, who is a Presbyterian priest: he couldn't inquireof God about future things, so he inquired of the spirits; but they couldnot tell him anything about the dead nor the living. They are just aboutas intelligent in their revelations as this world are in theirs. They areall in commotion-what is going to be done? I will tell you-God is goingto make a short work upon the earth, and the invisible world are troubledabout it. You do not doubt that, gentlemen; you who come from the UnitedStates can see that it is so; and the people are troubled in New York, andin many of the other States, so that they-cannot rest, no not a day. Theyare in confusion, and so disspirited they know not what to do. The ideastrikes me that the day of the Lord is approaching, and nearer than youthink it is. You are here in quest of gold, but there is something hereworth more than the glittering jewels of the earth. I say, let me serveGod, and keep His commandments, and you may have the gold, and all the richesand wealth of the earth in welcome; I care nothing about it; for all youcan take with you, when you leave this earth, is not much.
A dream that my own daughter had lately, comes forcibly to my mind. Iwill relate it. She dreamed that she was driven, and those that were withher, but they had a great many fine things in the earth, in the shape offurniture, gold and silver, and every thing else; and she suffered in herfeelings, because she was under the necessity of leaving all, and couldnot take anything out of the world with her. Finally she was permitted totake a white dress. I said to her, that is all we can take, in our shroudwe shall be laid in the silent tomb. Naked we came into the world, and nakedwe shall go out of it, for dust we are, and unto dust we shall return. Canyou help yourselves? If you can, you have more power than I have. I expectto be laid low, with all the human family, as was the Son of God, and Icannot help myself. I know your feelings; I have seen the day when I lovedgold, and silver, and fine carriages, and fine horses, and the good thingsof this world; but I have lost those feelings, and may God ever continueto separate them from me, as far as the east is from the west; and let myaffections be upon Him, and His kingdom, until I breathe my last breath.I know if I never go to the United States again, or to Great Britain, myskirts are clear from the blood of this generation. I have received nothingbut ill wages for my labor from them; and if ever a man did his duty, Ihave done it to this generation. I have told you the truth; and whetheryou are in hell or in Heaven you shall know that "Mormonism" istrue, and what I and my brethren have told you this day is the Gospel ofsalvation. So may God have mercy upon you, and save you in His kingdom.Amen.