Show TO THE SAINTS the disciples came unto jesus saying who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the mid them and said verily I 1 say unto you except ye be converter converted and become as little children ye shall not bof enter into the kingdom of heaven and whomsoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child the same is greatest in the kin kingdom adom of heaven I 1 it would seem as though this short sermon of the rss ought ough tto to be sufficient to put every spirit of contention about size in the kingdom of god forever at rest and it most certainly would if saints would give heed unto it and practice the precepts therein inculcated but such is the tendency of mans nature to aspire afeei something great noble au sublime blime and lof lofty ty that the saints of often ten overlook and ferjet faget or neglect to give heed to those simple principles which tend directly and india estly to the highest state of exaltation glory and honor which they are aie I 1 capable of attaining unto just as the wicked forget neglect and despise the first simple principles of the gospel by which alone they can attain to the smallest J approximation toward the least advancement in th path to celestial glory the self esteem the would do something myself to I 1 merit glov glory and work out my own salvation prevents the wicked from working after gods pattern cronl from sul submitting witting to his simple foolish ordinances as some say such as being bufred ed in water to wash away sins aud and other like things as simple and his I 1 same baine self esteem this would voul do something i myself ysela which remains more or less with most or all the 1 saints being e yet imperfect through the vanity unto I 1 which they are subject leads them many times to forget that obedience is better than sacrifice and that to hearken unto and keep the precepts of jesus is is more acceptable to their heavenly father than the sacrifice of the fattest rams hence they neglect the words of the savior and the sayings and writings of his apostles and prophets and before they are aware of their true situations and the operations of their own minds they are starting or are ready to start stait off on some new business new schemes ot of ag I 1 g kandize I 1 rilent ment some speculation not required of them by which chith they hope and expect to exalt themselves equal to or above their brethren we will suppose a few examples to illustrate I 1 bese these was ideas the ready writer and i is S counseller counselled coun selled to go into the office and assist in keeping f records of the be church he receives the counsel gladly enters upon and is faithful in the duties of iris cil calling ling and for a while is happy that he be has found the business that lie wanted that he has ever 11 beeri accustomed to that he be is familiar with and by 1 which he can call procure his daily bread and the com forts of life soon he discovers that some of his brethren are in foreign lands preaching the gospel and their names are published abroad as performing i mg e J j some great work while he remains in the alfice to y I 1 write from morning till night and his name is un cnown in the world and among 0 the saints till lie he 1 ne begins gins to query with himself why may not I 1 go on oil a I 1 I 1 mission i and have a name among my brethren the I 1 is advised to labor on oil the public littries li he tries etries I 1 it for a little season till he forms an acquaint inie with the business of the place and begins to think that other mechanics off the public works are jetti getting ig better wages al and 1 id more clothes than liim him 4 or ok coarse consequently they are getting gelting a ahead af pf him aud why cannot he do as well for him bev df as they are the bishop perhaps in his contemplations con siders that I 1 he is only a temporal servant servant only hand r I 1 aini ine a few afew bushels of corn potatoes wheat it vegetables vegetable or a few pounds of meat and such simple things 1 jastad just to feed the woi workmen kmen which any body else could I 1 do doust au at a as well while his bis brethren the high priests I 1 are 1 raad presiding over churches churche and conferences t a names are becoming great in the eyes of the faithful and wh why y cant I 1 do as they do and get a aade too the printer thinks he can make money t I 1 ia A little lettle baster faster by turning farmer farmery the farmer thinks 1 nexina nexia a do a little better by becoming mechanic and 1 many of all trades and professions think there is a 1 chance of getting rich quicker and preparing them 1 1 selves for foreign missions sooner by becoming 11 speculators wholesale or retail no ijo matter how bow if they I 1 jeaa only bereacy be ready foursome for some foreign or exalted station that hat will give them a name and prepare them for I 1 I 1 exaltations kingdoms and never sending i I 1 the various professions mentioned are sufficient 0 to o illustrate every variety of trade and occupation bleie t i 4 1 9 a nong tv ng the saints and every one can make tile the application all these men these different professions occupation and callings have been counselled counseller coun selled to at I 1 their own business that which they have been trained and accustomed to lo as much as the ready writer and to perfect themselves in their several t callings cali to the utmost of their abilities for of all places places that ever were on the earth zion must be the most beautiful inasmuch as the glory of the latter latler 1 I house bouse is to exceed that of the former and consequently the he very best the most alst perfect of workmen will I 1 I 1 bg required to accomplish the work we are aware that in former days when help was X scarce and food wanting W all were conn scaled to provide or farm for themselves but those times have long since gone by for two years past there has been grain to support the people and give t mechanics an opportunity of attending to their several callings callin 9 s I 1 tut but they have been doing so well at farming f arming I 1 ahey they could bot break off of many of them till recently I 1 I 1 consequently eon mechanical interest so far as the community is concerned has been at a low ebb hard to I 1 I 1 be had and dearly to be paid for but when grain 1 became plenty and dropped to an appropriate price the mechanics were ready to turn to their trades but were they willing to fall in their prices with willi the fall of grain did they do it if if they did not why not because they wanted the extra toive to give them a I 1 little advantage over their brethren bre hren they had been farmers with the farmers and now I 1 is is the time for them to raise a little and this would 1 1 be one step towards a foreign 0 mis siosi all those whom we haye referred to like good saints saint keeping the langdom Jang kirg dom doln of god in view all the time so far as I 1 possible by neglecting a little counsel now and thena then liu to get all possible to help build it up but why do saints do thus because when they acme e ome I 1 out ot ft waters w at e rs of baptism for the remission t of leir alus haying baVin gr entered the water under the express covenant that they will borwn torsa fc all for christ Chri sl 1 they beave a part of the kingdom mer der the water r and brang up a part of self and when they bring a p part ol 01 se are obliged to leave a part of or the I 1 kingdom of gol goj for the two are not agreed and they I 1 cannot bab A km glom divided against itself cannot prosper man jean divided against himself pro I 1 or cabbe lightly be called a saint yet many such I 1 I 1 wo wao are called saints who are trying to r kingdom of god with one hand band land and work wilh the lae other as though they hey wre war trying to geum themselves under the require L I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 1 1 ment of not letting their left lef t hand know what their right hand doel b the covering of which is good in its place but such know not when or how to use it hence their works are all manifest to their brethren while they suppose they are hid and no one them but the more man tries bies to act the hypocrite and screen himself from the eyes of god and his brethren if he profess prof ess to be a saint the more he is disposed dispi sed by all but says one anil and another and another I 1 had no disposition to run away from counsel I 1 meant to do what was right and if I 1 have done wrong I 1 am sorry I 1 did as the president told me some time and I 1 did not get on quite so fast as I 1 thought I 1 ought to and I 1 thought the president did not quite understand my situation he appeared to be full of business and 1 I had not time to explain all I 1 wished and if he had known the whole I 1 thought he would have given a little different counsel 1 and I 1 had a good chance to exchange my property and go into other business and I 1 wanted to put myself in a situation where I 1 could do more towards building up the kingdom and as that is the lie great object for which we should live and act I 1 thought there would be no objections and I 1 made the exchange and I 1 am ruined for the p po perty I 1 exchanged for is good fur nothing and I 1 dont know how I 1 am to pay my tithing what shall 1109 I 1 do have you not done as you pleased yes I 1 did as I 1 thought best well go on and aid continue to do as you think best but I 1 want counsel I 1 want to know what to do do anjou think best besl and this is all the counsel the saints may expect after ahey h have disobeyed counsel once until they have shown by a long course of years that they are tired of their tolly folly and will obey cotui counsel sel when it is given and il if would be well for the saints to remember that their servants the hie servants of their heavenly father are not to be mocked in these things has god nothing not liing to do for his bis saints but to stand from morning to night and from night to morning day after day and year after year to repeat the same things to them today to day that he told them yesterday and if lie has not wherefore should his servants who are sent by him are guided by his arp are doing tho same things he would do if he were present but if his kingdom on the earth is progressive if there is something new to be done every day and 11 no 0 child of tile the kingdom should wait for a repetition of a cor command miland why wait a repe tilon from the servants of your heavenly father who are but dust like yourselves and wear them out with useless repetitious repetitions petit ious and que queries n i s before their days are hulf half spent do the saints comprehend all these things lings ti il if not we will suppose you have a son who is arriving at the years of understanding capable of wielding the hoe spade rake ac and you set apart ten rods ill u your garden and tell him son that is your in heri talice here are seeds tools ac raise all you can from that piece of laud land oud and do what you please with it you are welcome to the whole only give me one tenth of what you raise and the son goes to work diligently raises a good crop and when fall fail comes your son is missing you feel anxious about him inquire after him but ho he is gone no one to give you particulars the most you know is he raised a good crop as you told him but where is it bye and bye the son returns 0 my son I 1 am glad to see you where have you been this long lime and why have you not told me all about it I 1 have been to california I 1 have not written to you because things did not nogo go a as I 1 expected and I 1 was ashamed of my adventures for you told me I 1 should prosper if I 1 would take good care of the ten tell rods you gave me to till and I 1 did prosper and raised a good crop and a traveler told me if I 1 would give him the crop I 1 raised ho would give me in exchange a lot in california worth ten timos times as much and I 1 thought though tI I 1 should then be able to give you not only the tenth you required of me but a hundred times as much and I 1 exchanged with him and went to see my lot in ill california I 1 did not ask you father if I 1 should go for you was very full of business and I 1 thought I 1 would no not t trouble you bulgo but go and sell my lot in call cali fornia and return and give you one hundred per cent instead of ten which you required and I 1 thought that would make all amends for my disobedience and help advance sotir your property and kingdom and I 1 should get a blessing from you even for my disobedience for I 1 recollect you required of me not to leave your enclosures without your permission I 1 I 1 found tile the lot in california but it was half lial tinder funder water and could be sold for but a little and on my way home I 1 met with some gentlemen who gave a treat and I 1 was obliged to return the compliment which with one or two little speculations I 1 entered into hoping to gain what I 1 had lest I 1 spent my last sixpence just able to got home and here I 1 am in rags I 1 nothing to lo pay my tenth I 1 was 0 give of what I 1 had bad raised on the land you yon gave me and what can call I 1 do poor souls what can I 1 do how many saints have felt just so saints do you understand this if you do not hundreds of those who have professed to be saints understand it and are now weltering under the curse of apostasy apo stacy for the same or like things lings ti because they were too proud to return to their fathers house and rather eat of the 11 husks too proud to acknowledge their errors to their father or to his servants and willing rather to be damned than make a confession have gone their own way until it was too late they did not return to make their confession and so will the saints do till they learn to follow counsel of whom from their father in the heavens yes and that counsel is through his servants on the earth and has not god as good a light to have servants on earth to do his business for him as you have would you not feel indignant if you had set a man to do a piece of work for you and you had published him as your agent to do that thi thing ng and the people would not receive him as yourself and honor him in hi his place as your representative 9 there is not a wicked nation on earth but what would feel insulted at such a ehg but what would honor the representative of a foreign king unless they were determined on war how much more then the saints do you honor joseph smith as the minister plenipotentiary potent iary speaking after the manner of men to establish gods kingdom on the earth in in these last days if you do you acknowledge god in his place and peter in his place and jesus in liis his place and consequently you must acknowledge B bigham in his place for they are all of one profession prophets seers revelators revelatory and presidents of the church of god ou on the earth or e else ise tl they 1 e y are all byco hypocrites crites impostors and liars from jesus to brigham Brig liam for they all received the ke keys ys of the kingdom the one from tile the 0 ther other from jesus to brigham are you saints and do you acknowledge their authority then submit to their counsel their decisions ci and not think that by running from their counsel to something else you can get greater gain make yourselves ws abigt bigger and build up the kingdom of god faster by what impulse will you do it 0 jo o you suppose there is a greater god than your god who will give you better ideas than the abd of abraham will give his I 1 sei servants Tants if you do y you oil belong not to household of faith and our writings are arc not meant for you we have nothing to do with you you can go your own ways go where you please run your own risks god has nothing to do with you neither have we for to us there is but one living and true god the god of abraham jesus peter joseph and brigham and for him who has got beyond the influence of this god we have no counsel they can |