Show exhortation by ORSON PRATT september 19 1839 1859 REPORTED ny 0 D WATT I 1 have been extremely gratified in the remarks that have been made by brother gates the instructions which he has given cs us have been imparted as I 1 believe by the gift of the holy ghost I 1 feel truly grateful that we live in an age of the world when we can receive instruct instructions ions by the power and wisdom of that spirit which searches all things that spirit that understands all things and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart all other preaching is vain I 1 can say with him that it is one of the greatest pleasures of my life to speak when I 1 can have the spirit of the lord to assist me without it I 1 would rather do the hardest kind of bodily labor Inde indeed edl edi do not think that it is the privilege leg a of any of the servants of god to speak in the name of the lord without that spirit but I 1 have often times thought that no person who was living according to the commandments of god 3 couil coull could rise before a congregation of saints like this before me and open his mouth in humility and simplicity of heart but what the lord would give him something something to say it is the united faith of the people of 0 god through that confidence which they have in the being whom they worship that ile he for their edification and benefit will grant his spirit unto his humble and faithful saints but we often times deprive ourselves of the blessing blessings and enjoyments enjoy ments which we might receive rough through the ithe darkness of our minds through our selfishness through our neglect of beeping keeping the commandments of god through our disobedience and through the abundance of cares and perplexities with which we have to contend in this mortal existence all these thinas things have a tendency more or less to darken ta the understanding and drive away from the heart that peaceable spirit which whispers peace to the minds of the sons and daughters of god I 1 often reflect upon this subject much and inquire in in my ray own mind and try to search out some of the causes of our being so far beneath the privileges which are guaranteed to us in the gospel of jesus christ it is not because the promises of god have failed it is not nob because we are not worshipping wor shipping the same being whom the saints worshipped wor shipped in ancient days it is not because there arc are insurmountable obstacles in our way but the cause lies in our own selves we are the individuals that shut out this light of 0 heaven this light of truth that would otherwise shine upon our understandings standi do you ever compare yourselves with those people that we read of in ancient times that were called the people of god I 1 mean some of the best of them not but that there were individuals who lived then prof essing to be the children of god who were just as imperfect in their ways and doings and conduct as what some of us are but then there were others who lived in ancient times who were far in advance of us the they attained to greater faith and to greater privileges te easthan than what we enjoy where mere is there a servant of god in alf all ali the the church of latter day saints that has en enjoyed jo the same privileges that many of the first of the servants of god did 1800 years ago on tha the eastern continent there are scarcely any have we beheld jesus face to face havene have we conversed with him as Pet erJames and john johr and the others of the twelve did in that day and age of the world no we have not there may have been some few exceptions have we attained even to the blessings of the lesser priesthood to say nothing bothin about bout the higher blessings of the greater priesthood priesthood what are the blessings promised to the lesser priesthood they are not only to hold authority and administer in the name of the lord in temporal temi loral toral thin gsand minister administer ai in certain outward ordinances but there are privileges that the lesser priesthood enjoy for ex ceding thoa temporal administrations they were ave the privilege of conversing with angels did you ever reflector reflect or realize how great a privilege this is J Is it not a great privilege to go before the th lord and receive the ministration of angels angoli and instructions from their mouths with ie regard ardt to what should be spoken to the people but bub u a ery very few of t the he lesser priesthood icho sit under the sound of my voice or who are to be be found upon the whole earth have attained to this privilege if the lesser priesthood havo hava not attained to it let us inquire concerning those that hold still higher authority concerning 11 ng the elders seventies high priests the twelve tielve the various bishops and the various authorities and presiding elders over different branches and sett settlements settlement lemen ts have they everi even attained to the blessings of the lesser priesthood no with the exception of a very few individuals who may have come up to their privileges who mav may may have had the visions of eternity opened to ta them and may inky havo have conversed with angels and received instructions with regard to their callings and duties and what they shall say to the people but with the exception of these few indi individuals 1 vi duals the others are away in the back gro grounds ands and when we come to speak of the higher privileges leges beyond that of receiving D the a amin isira uon 01 angels anghis you can scarcely nna a man in all the latter day kingdom that has come up to them I 1 have not I 1 speak it to my shame and I 1 speak it as brother gates spoke concerning himself with shame that I 1 have not attained to the privileges that pertain to the higher priesthood what are thee these privileges they are plainly laid down in the word of god those holding 0 that priesthood have the privilege not only of receive receiving 1 the ministration of an anels angels els eis but to have th the beav heavens opened to them them and to behold the face of god 14 now tow no man without the spirit of the lord resting upon him to quicken him in body and mind can an have th this is g great reat and exalted privilege to behold the fa face ee of god the father who is in the heavens but a few have attained to this great and exalted privilege are there not some reasons some causes have we not been members of this church some of us for sixteen I 1 eighteen or twenty years and arld some of us hive five and almost thirty years it will be twenty nine years tomor to mor moi row since I 1 was baptized into this church and I 1 feel ashamed that I 1 have not made greater D reat progress in tho th things of the kingdom 0 god when compared with the promises thai have been made to us u notwithstanding all thi this when I 1 reflect upon lipon the a advancement adv which vac hwe we have havi made compa compared red with our former mier ignorance I 1 can truly truty say bak say sax that the contrast is very great we have learned many things pertaining to the first principle 3 9 of our religion and pertaining to the first principles 0 our conduct as saints of the most high and we have learned this lesson very thoroughly 0 ug hily fily too it is not merely a theoretical lesson but we have learned it practically many of us have learned to be subject to every word that proceeds from the mouth of god godbe we have is not only necessary for us to cease from taking the name of the lord our god in vain but to never mention his name only by constraint of his ills spirit we have learned to impose a guard upon our tongues to speak no evil concerning the children of god we have learned not to backbite our neighbors and friends many of us have learned this lesson but not all ali allot of us we have learned also practically the necessity bf ceasing from all light ight mindedness and levity and excessive laughter but there are many man tj I 1 am sorry to say who have not learned the e first principle of this lesson we have learned that we can be cheerful without yielding to much laughter for this is accounted in the revelations of god as sin in the sight of heaven we have learned a great many important principles ri sciples pertaining to family government we V e have learned many important principles pertaining to giving heed to all the counsels of the priesthood that may be imparted unto us from time to timely the voice of the spir it of god we have lear a great measure to discern those who have the spirit and those who have it not when they speak to ta us jn in church or in ward meetings we have learned that our religion consists in doing the things required at our hands instead of hearing in from f om sabbath to sabbath and not doing we have bave learned the necessity of giving the most earnest heed to eyer ever every y counsel and word chic which h the lord our god has given to regulate re gulat our conduct and many of us have learn learned edy also that when the lord sly sli not by command but by theford the word of 0 wisdom and advice that we should give heed to the same in order to enjoy that flow of the spirit of the living god in our hearts which is necessary to pre pare pire us for further blessings but after all learned during the last quarter of a century in this church we have not yet pre pared ourselves sufficiently to receive the great and important blessings I 1 have named per to the two t Priest hoods of the living god when shall we learn this lesson when we have learned to govern ourselves more perfectly than we have hitherto done to guard four sour ourselves selves on the right hand and on the left from the encroachments encroach ments of evil to set a seal upon our mouths and tongues and only to use them according to the principles of eter nal truth according to the mind and will of god when we have learned to do unto others arwe as we would have haxe them do unto us in allchin all ali things and to regulate ourselves not only by tt the written commandments of the most high ailigh god but by the words of wisdom and counsel im im parted to us day by day through his servants when we have learned these there important lessons more perfectly then we may expect the aromise promise of the lord to be more perfectly fulfilled to us and not before I 1 can recollect twenty nine years ago this present autumn that I 1 went into the chamber dt of father whitmore in whose house bouse the lord 1 manifested himself in the organization of this achurch church consisting of six members I 1 went I 1 into that chamber with the prophet joseph smith to inquire of the lord and he received a revelation for my benefit which was writ oen jen ten from the mouth of the prophet by john whitmore one of the witnesses of the book of mormon I 1 was then only about nineteen years of age and was desirous to know what my duty was the lord commanded in this revelation that I 1 should preach his gospel I 1 thought that was a very great and important calling and I 1 felt altogether incompetent unless the lord qualified me by ly his spirit among other things contained in this revelation lation the lord gave me a command in these words therefore lift up thy voice and prophecy and it shall be given by tha power of the holy ghost 22 I 1 thought 0 to myself that unless the lord shall pour out his spirit upon me more fully than anything I 1 ever yet have experienced I 1 never can perform these duties acceptably in his sight to prophecy without the holy ghost tp reveal was something I 1 dare not doi do dor I 1 would rather have had my n head severed from my body than to have been guilty of so great a crime indeed there is one of the most awful denunciations pronounced upon that man who undertakes to prophecy in the name of the lord without th the e holy ghost to inspire him such a man in ancient days was ta tobe be cut off from the midst of israel I 1 felt therefore fhe the he importance of those sayings and truly when I 1 looked at the mar mal magnitude and importance of the command given to tome me to prophecy by the power of the holy ghost I 1 felt oftentimes to tremble and shrink for fear I 1 never should be able to fulfill fulfil and accomplish com so great a work and I 1 recollect another revelation that requires all the servants of god who are sent forth to lift up their voices and preach and prophecy as it shall be given by the spirit of god have we attained to this gift of prophecy 91 as we ought as the r servant er of the living livin god 10 how few of us have obtained a mes t sage beforehand by the spirit of the living s god to deliver to the people peo le as jacob one of the ancient servants of bod god did on the ameri amerl can continent jacob the brother of nephi came into the temple to preach to the people a nd declared to t th thim em that tile tiie th eLord lord had bad prey previously revealed to him what he should say to them ile he went and inquired of the lord and he refe fefe revealed aled his mind and will and thus jacob found out what was wanted for the people he understood their condition and what sins abey they had committed before the most high and he knew how to reprove them because god had visited him by the spirit of revelation how many of us have gone forth and received our errand from the lord by the voice of the spirit of revelation before we have ventured before the people to teach the ahn things s of the kingdom of god although I 1 ha have e often prayed and sought earnestly and humbly that I 1 might be assisted to preach to the people and to say something to benefit them yet I 1 have not by my earnestness and diligence and faith been able to obtain those revelations and visions that belong to the high priesthood and to the apostleship that I 1 might know what to preach to the people pepie to the extent of our privileges for their edification yet I 1 do know the ard lord has blessed me and m my brethren and given us a portion of hi his s S spirit pir i ry and our hearts have been dictated as I 1 believe by the spirit of wisdom and counsel and the things of the kingdom of god have been made known to us in the very moment and we have been able to speak to them but not in that power and demonstration that that thai belongs to the priesthood of the living god I 1 recollect reading in the prophecy I 1 of enoch that he after having battered gathered gatT ered together his eople people from the different parts of the earth the same as we are doing commenced preaching righteousness to them ile he built up the city called zion and the lord revealed himself to enoch and be he saw him face to face god walked and talked with him and he dwelt in the midst of the city of zion for the space of three hundred and sixty five fire years and then god took enoch city people and all to heaven I 1 recollect reading of enochs having gathered his people and an that their enemies came up against them to battle what kind of weapons did enoch use to destroy his h is enemies it says and ho he enoch the word of the lord and the earth trembled and the mountains fled according to his command and the rivers of wate water r were turned out of their course and the roar of the lions was heard beard out of the wilderness and all nations feared greatly so powerful was the word of enoch and so geat was the power of language which god had given him 2 that was the power given to that priesthood and authority which were conferred upon enoch in the early ages of the world it is also your privilege ye servants of the il living iving i god to obtain by faith the same blessin blessings and a the same power that when you shall shai I 1 asan be e appointed upon foreign missions you can open your mouths by the power of the same spirit that rested upon enoch that you can teach them what they shall do but prophecy to the people eople and tell them what shall be in the fulp future re tell them of the judgments and calamities that shall overtake the wicked it is is your |