Show DISCOURSE ey by president toung young tabernacle tatem Tater oacie oacle february 1856 REPORTED BY 0 D watta vve ave behave have just jus theard heard testimony concerning the tiie religion that we have embraced the extent of knowledge incorporated within the tile sal sai salvation ration extended to the children n of men will vastly exceed the researches of the human famil family yand and when they have passed tile the vail they nill then understand that they have but just commenced to learn larn bry bro morrial morlex morley says lie never expects to be too old to learn leim I 1 believe belleve that thit doctrine that which Is to be learned in the eternities of the gods pertains to life and that ilia liia is exhibited to the human family inaho degree which they are capacitated to receive it that they may be taught as we wa teach our children that tile tiie they y may learn the girst first rudiments of eternal lives could we live lire to the age oga of or and eat the fruits which the earth would produce in it her strength as di dil dil I adam and eve before the transgression and spend our lives in searching after the principles of eternal life we would find when ihen one eternity had pissed p pissed hesed to us that we had mon been but abut cil ell children ildren lidren thus far babies just commencing to learn the things which pertain to tila ilia eter bilies of the tho gods we ight ask when shall we cease to learn 1 I 1 will give you my opinion about it never never if we continue to learn earn all that we can pertaining to the salvation which is purchased pu and presented to us through the son of god is there a time when wilen a person will cease to learn yes ye when wilen he bl e has sinned against god the father jebus ses gus christ the tile son and the holy ghost gods minister when wilen lie has las denied deni i ed the tile lord defied him and committed the sin that in the ilia bible bibie 13 is r M d the unpardonable sin the sin against the toly gh st thit is the tho time when a person wil will cease to learn and from that time forth will descend in ignorance forgetting that which they formerly knew and decreasing until they eburn to the tho native element whether it be le in one th thou thon 0 U band cand or in one million year or during as many et atles as 3 QU on can count they willoease will cease to tit rease crease but must decrease until they return to the native element these I liese ilese are the tile only 0 aly characters who w h will ever cease celse to learn both in time and eternity A number of items occupy my mind pertain to ipg to tho the saints I 1 may fay fray a great many more th than I 1 could tell in one day in one month or in one liow clow year ear those who wiio are well acquainted with anet ne know something of the action of my mind fo ro explain it let me say to you yon if you wish to eli eil ell fell me a long story one chatwill th that atwill will take you two yours jours to got through with a key cy word will at mes mee give mean me an understanding of f all you could say ay in that long time all who wilo are acquainted with wilh me ilia know this bring any business matter before me and the brethren with whom I 1 am as ted in bus bur business iness transactions know that I 1 need but hat a word to know the nature of it so it is with wilh regard to my preaching to the people if I 1 conid could put into them the same spirit and understanding which I 1 have they could see and understand der stand things without a long detail of explanation but this iq not the casa case with u ith all the thi people therefore I 1 am in a manner minner min ner ncr compelled to use the time I 1 do la in speaking to them thein upon the various subjects at least so oar far as I 1 can ca ti possibly spare it if I 1 were disposed to I 1 coula couk train nays lf 6 get pet up here and take a text and aud explain it and dwell upon one little it itani enli just BS as ione lone iong long as any other mail man but what is the tiie use of it upon unon poll this irin ariu principle ciple it would take us more eternities than we hall shall eversee oversee ever see bee to learn what we have haie to tn learn consequently when I 1 speak isseak to you I 1 speak the few words I 1 have to say as I 1 already have upon the subject of intelligence mid tind learning we shall shail never cease to learn unis we apostatize from the religion of jesus christ then we cease to increase und and will continue to decrease and aud decompose until we return to our native element call can you understand that it is a subject worthy the attention rf cf the eminent divines of chrit christendom endom and they tiley may search in into to it until they are tired and aud still sti know comparatively little about it while I 1 preach it to you iiii in a few words worda I 1 will here introduce a subject that we all should be acquainted with I 1 allude to morality have you been taught morality moral moyal ityl ye every one or y ou not to louse use profane la laii lail guage to bo be honest in ail all your dealings to be courteous to all nt at bornn homm and abroad and to be strictly u aright I 1 on ali all occasions all this you have bee been n taught from yonn our youth many t think hink that all which was taught laught them by til lly their air fat fathers h ers and mothers school teachers and priests ought to be removed laid aside dispensed i with and that they should b gin anew to learn every principle of civilization this is a great mistake I 1 make these remarks because I 1 have heard elders preach that there was as not a sectarian llad priest diesti not a man livi living ng upon the ilia earth or that llad lived upon it neither a reformer nor a professed chr stian from the time the priesthood was taken from the tile earth until joseph smith came came but what went straight to hell fire when he ile died yes I 1 hive heard them preach just as absurdly as that I 1 hive heard many say eay I 1 will vill dispense with thi this thih and I 1 will dispense with that arid and many of our elders eiders actually dispense with praying and say it is a nothing but a sectarian notion were you taught by your fathers to topran y yes but that is 13 a sec notion were you taught no noo to lie yes but that was a sectarian notion were you taught not to pilfer yes but we think we wont say it aloud it is nothing but a sectarian notion and we have to learn every tiling thing over again this is a mistaken idea there is only one thing which the people lack on oil this point in it order that their traditions and a ill former education may do them good and that Is to know how to 0 o sever the good from the bad how low to assimilate to themselves every good trait rait of character they have seen in their fathers and mothers mot mol liers teachers teaches tea chrs and and every gord thing tint that lia ha been taught hem them from their youth and hw to gather lo 10 themselves every every good principle they ba hae bae e been in arl alj and store storo that up as their individual property yand and then thon dispense with every erroneous idea and every inconsistency consi tency dlila amny things which have been taught us in our childhood or in our early lives are truly inconsistent lay them aside and cb cige chaire alre alve to the traditions which actually actu aly bly tend to virtue holiness chastity lovel loveliness h ien Irn duen dues honesty and truthfulness in every llesi repe ct and gather all ail st i ll 11 the tile good into our own store house and let each one say that belongs to me roe some imagine that they must begin and unlearn the file whole of thir th ir former education but I 1 cay say say cling ti t all the good that you have le aried leaned aid and discard the bad tah tit leads me into a field the tile gate to which I 1 wish to have closed up locked up I 1 and passed by I 1 do not ani to say any thing about it I 1 will say this much however if there are not all kinds of fish in in this gospel net I 1 should like to see seethe the kind that is not in it and I 1 think that woud bo be something new under un d er the sun bull treasure up in your hearts that which tends to virtue you say 1 I want an all explanation upon virtue I 1 wish I 1 could so give it to you that you could understand it when I 1 am done doue talking I 1 will do my best to do so learn the will of god keep lis bis his its commandments and do his will and you will be a virtuous person can you understand that if you can know the will win of or god and do it you will bp a virtuous person you is siy sly ty perhaps I 1 should be led to do that which 11 contrary to I 1 0 my former traditions and to do that which is really wrong no malter matter anything about t eliat at if you can know the them will of god and do it you will be a virtuous person and will receive knowledge k bowled upon knowledge and wisdom upon wis wisdom d a and go d you will increase in understanding in falth faith and in the light of eternity and know how to discriminate between the right and the wrong I 1 know the people sav say that they do not understand thud that they do not know low what the lord requires of them I 1 say keep the commandments of the tile lord we ve we were r taught that tile the commandments of the lo 10 lord r d were tills this that and the other in oar our former lives but when we can know and understand by the revelations of Jesus christ the will of our father in heaven and do lis his its will he lie will make us pure and holy and nd fit for the society of angels and himself liim seif self will we not be virtuous then yes ves in the highest sense many say 1 11 I dont know nw the will of the lord I 1 wish whit I 1 did dia I 1 do really wish I 1 knew what tile the lord requires of me but I 1 do not know ahad do not know how to find out I 1 will now refer you to the scripture where it reads that we shall chall be judged according to the deeds done in in the body if I 1 do not know the will ill lii of my father and what he requires of me in a certain tran transaction suction if I 1 ask him to give ne me wisdom concerning any requirement in life lire or in regard to my own course or that of my roy friends my family my children or those that I 1 preside over and get no answer from him and then do the very best that my judgment will teach me he is bound and honor that transaction and he will do so to all intents and purposes I 1 have often reflected with regard to people knowing the mind and will of the lord by revelation aly thoughts turn within me in a moment in my roy reflections upon what has hitherto been and that which actually now ames comes before me roe concerning the saints in tile the last days and in the former days for instance jesus when upon tile the earth called twelve men to be witnesses that he lie was the christ then there were a great many others who be lieveld that fact but he lie showed to those twelve men things that he be showed to none else lie he convinced them in a degree that lie lle h convinced no other person that is in some sollie instances my mind then tilen reflects iu in a moment did jesus jesua have the power to make his liis disciples be a a that he was the son of god by raising tiie hie dedd by laying hands on the sick by walking on oil water by multiplying the tile particles of or bread and fish set at before the tiie multitude or beany by any other miracle did he lie convince and prove to twelve men that lie was the christ li by the llie miracles lie performed lie he did not ile he did id not convince them by one or all of the acts which were called miracle miracles s that lie he performed upon tile llie earth I 1 know that many think that they are a great proof that it is astonishing tint that people will ill not believe when they te read ad over tile the history aid ard miracles per pet performed formed in the days of jesus aus ans his hia apostles Apo stes let me tell you that if his ilia apostles were here in this our oun day traveling through the country raising tile tiie dead laying g hands on the sick casing casting out devils walking a g upon the water or doing whatever they might be ile able to perform it would all be no proof to the ilia people that they were sent of god I 1 know that some of you till think nalls nalis this is strange strang e and if so I 1 have strange views upon these subjects it is no proof to me it is no proof to auy any person p e r 0 n else and often serves to throw tilrow persons r relying e 1 I 1 n ollit into temptation and to cast them r still till further into darkness have you yon finy any proof of this titis yes right here liere it in our midst men who have professedly seen the most known and undertook under tood tile most in tills this church and who have testified in the presence of large congregations in the name of israels god goi that they tiley have seen jesus etc llave bave been the ilia very men who have left this kingdom before others who wiio had to live by faith I 1 have a witness right t before me and I 1 am fearful every time that a man or woman vroman comes to me and relates dilates great visions saying 1 11 I have had llad a vision all an angel came and told me thus and so the visions of eternity were opened and I 1 saw thus and so 0 o I 1 saw my destiny I 1 saw what the brethren would do with me I 1 foresaw this and that look cut for that man or womans comans going to the devil I 1 I 1 ask is there a reason for men and being exposed more constantly and more powerfully to the power of the enemy by having visions than by not having them there is and it is simply this tills god never nevet bestons bestows Te be tows stows upon ill lil liis people or upon an individual superior blessin s without a severe trial to prove them to prove 1 rove that individual or that people to see whether whet lier ller they will keep their covenants with ith him and keep in in remembrance what he has shown them then the greater the vision the tile greater ili iii tile llie display of the power of 0 the enemy tind and when wilen such individuals are off their guard they tiley are left to 0 o themselves as jesus was for this express purpose the tiie father withdrew liis ilia spirit from his son at the time he lie was to crucified jesus had been with his liis father Fat lier ller talked with him dwelt it iu his liis bosom arld and knew all about heaven about theearta thee thele arti about the tile transgression of man and what would redeem the people and that lie was the he character who was to redeem the sons fons of earth and the ilia earth itself from all sin that had come upon it tile the glit eglit knowledge power and elory with which lie he was clothed were v ere far barabo abo a or exceeded that shat of all others who had been hern upon the earth after the he adil fil consequently ht t tile the very ma moment ment at the hour when the crisis crisis came for him to up ins his life the father withdrew librn min sif sir withdrew ill lih spirit and cast cost a vail vall over him birn that is what made him film sweat blood if he bad hud had the power of god upon I lim bim lim im lie he would not have sweat blood but all was withdrawn fr amm m him and avail a vail vall was cast over him and he lie then plead with the father not to forsake him no INTO says the father you must have your trial triai as well as others so when individuals are blessed with visions vision revelations and great manifestation manifestations look out tempted then the devil is nigh you yoa and und you will be tempted iu in proportion to the vision re revelation or manifestation you have received r ece ived hence thousands of when they are ot oft their guard give way to tile the severe temptations which come upon them and arid behold they are gone you will recollect that I 1 have often told you that miracles would not save a person ard I 1 say eay that they never should if I 1 were to see a man come in in here this day and say 1 I am the ireat one |