Show 1 REMARKS by EW eldir john jo taylor ta alor in tae the th hade nade GS L city elty april ath 1866 i f G D WATT w A s gjoa grod good hon bon for for fon the the saints to meet together i it is 19 good to reflect upon the work dorkof bf god it is good to be in in possession on of his blessings it is a great privilege to td enjoy the light of eternal truth and to be delivered from the da darkness rYness the error the confusion and the iniquity that prevails generally throughout the world there are ate but very few lew afen meu men in the world ohp can realize the blessings bi essing which we enjoy ebbo unless their minds are enlightened by the spirit of the living god gad there are in fact comparatively few among the saints who realize their true position abid who ean eau compre comprehend helm heiO correctly the blessI blessings and privilege that they trey th they ay are in ah possession of forli yein iLin dan gan only grasp graap these things as they are the spirit of truth by the spirit of reve revelation by the holy ghost which has been imparted to the saints by the laying on of hands and through gli their obedience to the principles of df the everlasting gospel if if men are in the dark in relation to 0 any of these principles it is because they do not live their religion because they do not walk accor according dilg to that light which has been given to them because as we have heard here they do not pray sufficiently they do not deny themselves of evil and cleave close enough to the principles of eternal truth the gospel is caleu caleau calculated ted to lead us on from truth to hand from int intelligence intelligent elligen ce until that scripture will be fulfilled which declares that we shall see bee as ag we are seen and know as we ahre are known until one will not have to say to another knowle know ye the lord but all sh shall all ail klont kno wim ulm him from the least unto the greatest until the light and intelli In tellin i gence genee of god shall beam forth lupori all and all shall bask in the sunlight of eternal truth a fk P N 1 tit fit is a blessing to have the pilVi lege of meeting g tog together ether in ili our general conference confer fer ence where the authorities of the church can assemble from different parts of the territory and of theearta the earth to learn the law of god godi to transact business pertaining to his church and kingdom and to build up and establish righteousness od ori the earth We ve cannot realize the extent of the blessings that we enjoy weare situated differently from any other people under the face of the heavens there bisno is no people 1 no nogo government yern vern ment no kingdom kingdo mno no nation no assembly of people civil religious reile relie ious lous no or otherwise that enjoy the b blessings ess that we are in possession of this day for whilst others are groping in the dark and laboring in state stata a of uncertainty certainty iii in relation to the position that they whether political or religious lousi we are free from any surmises or doubts concerning these matters As it regards our political status we are well acquainted with that we know the destiny of this church and kingdom we know the position that we occupy y towards god and towards the world we know that the lord will accomplish his own purposes and having this knowledge we rest rot perfectly aas easy in in relation to the result we know stat that the kingdom of god which is established among us will continue to spread increase and extend until it covers the earth and we know that all the plotting and machinations and designs and com corn 1 bi nations of men and devils will not be able to stop it in its progress but as it has begun to roll forth its speed will continue to accelerate until it has accomplished complis hed all for which it is designed of god and until the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our god and his ch chhist christ rist and he shall reign with u universal ni versal empire over this eth earth and to him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess therefore we have no trembling ho no feeling of fear TIO no anxiety or care as to the result all that we have to eare care about in re relation lation to these matters is thab that we wb individually and collectively do our duty that we maintain our integrity before god that we honor our priesthood and our calling that we nye pursue a course that ahall shall at all times omes receive the smiles and approbation of the most high and then as to the result we care nob not lon for we know amon what the result will be i As it regards our religious status we feel just the same in relation to that for everything is connected with our religion and our out god we ve aro are not in ln debated to ati any church in exis existence nce nee for the posit position ibn which we 1 nor fot of we are in of ol we have no need to trace our authority through the popes ropes or through any othe othi armed er medium vm we cd eare care re nothing about them we do not need either to go to the roman or to the tho greek church to find out whether we are right or of wrong where our religion rell reli gioli commenced and whether we are placed on the right or on the wrong foundation we are not under the necessity of sedr bedr searching ching ehing the jewish records or any other records in relation to these matters we are not indebted to any filly of the schools abada systems of divinity or theology arany or any of the religious systems extant nor to any of the heathen nations there is no nation people kingdom govern ment en no religious or political authority of an any kind that is ot of ah an earthly nature t that at we e have to go to in relation to this matter we disclaim the whole of them claim no annuity tb to any of them are not of them nor from them ana and consequently quent ly so far as they are concerned I 1 we are perfectly independent cf t them hells our religion came from god it is a re rei i from the most high it is that everlasting gospel which jphn jqhn saw an angel bring tobe preached in all the earth and to every people nation kin ared dred and tongue crying with ji L loud voice fear gou god and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment is come then god is the author of our religion he has revealed it from the heavens he has sent his holy angels for thal that that a purpose who communicated it to J jo seph smith and others waving having B re rei rel e stored the everlasting gospel he has s f sent lii iti forth to all the world and those 5 e mentho men who have delivered that gospel to t u us havo have received if it by revelation directly efrom god and have been ordained by that authority if god has not spoken if the heavens have not hot been opened if the angels of god have not appeared j then we have no religion it is all a farce for as I 1 have said before I 1 we claim no kindred no afien affinity ity or relationship tion ship with them god forbid that we should we do not want it this then is the platform we stand upon this is tha posit position lon ion that we occupy before god for this is 18 gods work that we are aie engaged in if he has given any authority in ift the last days to mankind we are in possession of that authority and if ir ile he As has northen not then we averno au authora thore thorf thorl ty noia nor any ya true yio ylo Tio rany bany tru hope I 1 s shall shail 11 not this morning enter into all the arguments concerning these matters all that I 1 can say to you is what paul said in his day ye are his witnesses of these things and so is the holy ghost whom whon god hath given to them that obey him brethren is your religion true and do you knowlt know it voices yes inep ye you know and realize it it is written ii in living indelible characters on your hearts which nothing can cah lre Jre remove move ve we are witnesses of the truth of god and the revelations which he has given to his people in these last days well neu veu then we are not concerned about what the nations of the world can do against it for they will crumble and totter and throne thrones will swill be bd cast down as itis it is written in the tho scriptures the erd bra empires pires of the earth may be dissolved and und all the nations may crumble to pieces and wars and pestilence and famine may stalk through the earth this is not our affair the they are not our nations they are n not Gols gods gols nations religionists may squat squabble and contend and quarrel reli and live in difficulty doubt and uncertainty in relation to their aff affairs airs but that is iff none of our business it is entirely their own affair there may be written upon the whole world religious and political mene mene up harsin thou art weighed iii the tha balances and art found wanting what is that to us it is none of our affair we are not associated with them our interest is not bound up with them they have nothing which we can sustain in relation to all of these matters we feel perfectly easy if war goes forth and desolates the nations if confusion exist among religious denominations and if they should continue to accas act as they are doin doln doing like perfect fools it is their own business the pope may tremble on hl his throne and be afraid that france or some othen other power powen will not sustain nhim him it is not our affair we feel perfectly easy and tranquil all is rig right ht with us for we are in the hands of god and it his business to take care of his saints therefore we feel perfectly easy quie quiet t and peaceable in relation to all these matters would they try to injure ure us yes they never tried anything eiseg else eise and we are not indebted to them for anything which we benj oy did any of them help heip us along in our religious matters who are we indebted to in this world Is there a religious society under th the e heavens that we indebted ara to for an any y ideas or intelligence which we poss possess es s noti Koti Is there any priest in christendom that has helped us forward in the least in our religious career not one you b cannot a hnot find and one are we indebted to any body for our political status we ve are not who is there that helps us there has never been a man yet yett who dared at any time to advocate our principles and rights in the legislative halls of this or any other othen nation thero there dashever has ha never neven beena man who has had the honesty and truthfulness and integrity to do it they dare not do it because it is unpopular we dare ad adi i our principles and god dare help us and if we enjoy any rights and aud lege sand peace if there are any blessing ings of any kind that we enjoy we derive them from our heavenly father and we are not indebted to any power government rule or authority religious political or otherwise throughout th the whole of this habitable globe for any blessin blessings s or privileges we enjoy excepting sometimes by a little persecution they help us to be a little more united all and we do not thank them for this for it does not come with their gaoa the irlies shrill make the truth of god abound to his glory all right they will lie on because they are of their father the devil and his work they will do he was a liar from the beginning he is the father of lies and they are his lil ili dren lidren therefore in relation m to all of ese icse matters we feel perfectly easy I 1 was vas asked tb the dother aher day if I 1 would ike to go and bear testimony before the ourt 0 in relation to whether polygamy was I 1 a religious ordinance or not I 1 answered n yes if they subpoena me they h have not done it yet and I 1 do not know whether they will or not I 1 am hm quite willing to go and testify to that matter any time I 1 think awill I 1 will testify to you here to begin with there is nothing that I 1 know of or am ae acquainted quain ted with in this world but what is a part of my religion and mixed up with it it is all religion with me I 1 was told that the parties desired to know whether or no I 1 believed that polygamy was a religious ordinance or institution if this question had been put to me I 1 should have been inclined to ask iho the tho parties what they understood by the word religion because if I 1 could not A W W find out vie 1 reli rell religion gl 0 n was of bf courso cour courser ser sef 1 l could uld riot 0 o t tell teil 01 1 whether 1 I in their estimation had any or not this consideration led me to a few reflections in relation to this matter I 1 had recourse to some of our dictionaries to find out what popular lexicographers sald said about it I 1 referred to the standard landard works of several different nations which I 1 find to be as follows r webster american religion includes a belief in the revelation of his gods will to man and in mans obligation to obey his command worcester prominent a romi nent ame Amb american amerlean rican 1 an acknowledgment of our obligation to god as our creator 2 A particular system of faith or worship we speak of the greek hindmo jewish christian and Maho religion johnson english religion a system of faith falth faith falth and worship 11 dictionary of the french academy la cloyance cro yance huellon que gue ion lon a de la divinity divi divin nite itel et ie cuite euite quon quion lui rend ei conse quence fol foi cloyance cro ero yance tha the belief we have in god and his worship faith belief german dictionary or by dr N N W IS leissner a standard standard work in germany religion glaube faith persuasion here then we have the opinion of four of the great leading nations of the earth as expressed by their acknowledged standard stan daid works on what they consider to be the meaning of the word religion the german has it faith persuasion the french faith belief faith in god and his worship the english abys anz anT telof faith and worship these three are very similar next we have Web webster ster stef american which is our acknowledged standard andee and he says I 1 religion Be ligion includes a belief in the revelations of gods will to man and in manyo manlo mans obligation to obey his commands this is indeed very pointed andia and if this definition be correct it w would ouid necessarily lead us to enquire aa as did paul of old whether is it better to obey mail man or god jud goye worcester another prominent american lexicographer speaks of I 1 I 1 religion as an acknowledgment of god as our creator and a particular system of faith or worship here he agrees with the french german and t english hythen he then quotes from froni a prominent work we speak of the greek hindmo jewish christian and Maho medar religions he might very properly hane have add added ed mormon faith belief and worship seem toi to be the prominent idea advanced with the addition of our popular lexicographer walker who adisto the faith in god that it musj must 4 be in the revelations of his will to cidh man and in nidas mans obligations to obey his commands having nova now found out what the deanin meaning of religion Is we sh shall shallie allbe ailbe be the better prepared to inquire whether a plurality of wives or as it is sometimes called polygamy is a part of our religious faith or not the constitution of the united states says that I 1 congress shall sake make no law respect ingan establishment ofte of ligion religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof I 1 have thought of the law which congress has made in relation to polygamy the question however necessarily arises is it constitutional for congress to interfere with religious matters with the establishment of rell reil religion loni ioni or orthe the free exercise thereof T the e constitution says no then is polygamy a religious question oris or is it not asat Is it a marriage ceremony or is it not marriage is received by the greek church as a solemn adoleen sacrament of the church the roman noman catholic church arid the church of england also admit marriage to be a religious |