Show LECTURE I 1 by elder orson hyde tabernacle oct 6 1854 6 p m I 1 BELOVED frix FRIENDS mm AND BaETH Rg J it appears to have men fallen to my lot to be ba your speaker at this time and to call your attention to a subject that was proposed in ia the former part of the day I 1 at the time I 1 gave out oat the appointment for foi this evenings meeting my eye was fixed upon another person to deliver the lecture I 1 shall try to do tile subject as good justice bastice as my abilities aided by the faith of the saints and the spirit of god may enable me to do I 1 desire not only your I 1 candid and undivided attention but I 1 trust I 1 shall also have your prayers that the lord may inspire with those arguments and reasons that are well pleasing in ill his sight that I 1 may may acquit myself before him if it may not be mk mf good fortune to acquit myself so amply before I 1 you as my heart I 1 would desire de 91 ire while reflecting upon the subject of this even bugs led lecture those words occurred to my mind which our savior snake to the jews who considered ther themselves selves righteous and looked upon others with distrust and disdain in short who looked upon others as sinners sinners to reprove them he said yo ye are they which justify yourselves before I 1 men but 1 your hearts for that which 0 s highly esteemed beford men is an abomination iu in the sight of god I 1 do not know that I 1 shall confine myself to this text particularly altho I 1 have repeated these words for the text yet a text is not the I 1 guide at all times limes for the servant of god it is the letter that kelleth kil leth we read but it is the spirit that life the spirit of the almighty is the agent by which his servants should ever be led the words contained in this bible are merely a history of what I 1 is s gone bot b by ay it t was never givon given to guide tile servant of in atle LA I 1 pursue any more more than ther the words and commandments of god given to a generation under one set of circumstances circumstance would woul dserve serve for another geiber generation under another set of circumstances there must be something to suggest or to draw forth the command to answer the circumstance under which we are placed at the time it is so with the servants of god there is a spirit that is ever ready and points out under varied and conflicting circumstances the very course which the servants i of god should pursue the bible is not a sufficient gulda guide it is only the history of the people who lived 1800 years ago 1 the history of ou our church in this day presents r the scenes and fransa transactions egions of this people the revelations and words of god to them but butia if an all I 1 individual li hundred or eighteen hundred years hence under diff different I 1 rent cli circumstances c n litanies were I 1 i to adopt th the history 1 of 16 tah people for guide in I 1 all things he would not find it sufficient to answer r tile the circumstances surrounding killeL him im I 1 hence it is the letter that th kid and the spirit I 1 in the 1 l light ht of that celestial agent I 1 ever hope to walk walka A hope that it may be not I 1 only my helm ald ad guide but yours also all the labyrinths ind and windings in dingi dribis of this mortal life I 1 until we attain a standing upon ground eel celestial estial I 1 have heard it sometimes by individuals 1 I who were not identified or connected I 1 with our chu chiren reli that tai if they I 1 could only babou be convinced that polygamy Y vio would aid become i IMor cormons mormons mons abonce at once c jo do you relieve believe ha libl ac certainly I 1 d do 0 says sa yi the inquirer I 1 dad D 1 j father abraham and aha adi ancient patriarchs ha in this refat relation loi and practise this doctrine doa doo taine trine I 1 you sw they did thena then if what they practised practiced is is true you are bound to become own hypothesis and reab reasons ons but ge gentlemen bem if iku I 1 ew that that was aaa the I 1 all convincing 0 rt g I 1 arg argument and if 4 that ads the pall doat doc doctrines trinel n a that tha alone influenced you to 6 become eie oma a mormon I 1 should at once say let me never baptize such a person let jet me never be the her agent to brin bring such stich a person in into the chu church ach and kingdom of r 6 god bd i god despises efrein character who woula enter I 1 his church for no other purpose than to criminally indulge iris natural propensities then gentlemen do do hot indulge the expectation if you should be convinced by the arguments I 1 may ad duce in favor of the doctrine of polygamy as it is called that that will prove a sufficient clent groundwork for your faith but where to Is tile the ground upon which to base your faith where shall you go to find fiad out mormonism Mor monis from the foundation to io the topstone top stone from the root mt to the uttermost osti branch in the tree begin at the beginning if men wish to accomplish any they must begin jat at the beginning begin Pingy of that work not inta ina the middle of it or at the end I 1 mus begin it at the beginning and f I 1 kaow that the first stone is laid upon a permanent foundation I 1 can then with safety add another to that already alivado laid but jf if I 1 cannot lay the first stone upon ground that tha it is solid if I 1 cannot lay it upon a rock I 1 may despair ia of ever rearing a fabric or superstructure that will racist the rain and winds that may be hurled buried against it bythe by the power of nature ve must begin at the beginning and not content aur selves b by y grasping at that which may be beautiful in illustration filice and enlist our attention and begin to build upon at it as a foundation in such a case we may have hare bran branches chest but s we do not bear the I 1 root I 1 know that doctrine is made the subject of 1 a great deal of ridicule I 1 know that the world at large who profess process to be piou or it not pious morally upright they kupon loo it as a damning sin in ac s abstain a stain upon the tha bright brisbi escutcheon scat cheon of their co country antry here bere in afie alie averyheart very heart of the united states stat territory surrounded by tall mountains they consider co it a dark spot in tile the count rys history tor Y 31 lan of tile the great politicians of the day I 1 view it ia in this point paint of light religionists are stilt still more scrupulous ulous thy they regard it as au an zenlous hen lou lous and damning sin I 1 always consider it my duty under up der proper cir t 0 give ive a reason of the hope that is in me with meekness wee fuess ang and four fear and if I 1 have im abbed a principle and a am m unable to defend it upon the principles of truth justice equity and true philosophy phil 1 by I 1 should sho tild consider I 1 was walking in a fhe e dark I 1 f Wb whenever ellever truth is manifested by revelation to the servants of god it never cames comes without a reason forit for it when the light of revelation bursts upon tho the mind it not only unfolds one principle but many for instance to illustrate this idea sup suppose liase this room were in total dark darkness dess and we were seated as aa we now are if a brilliant light were introduced in the midst of the room it would enable us to see not only one person but the whole multitude I 1 1 so it is with the light of revelation when it burst into the human mind it not fiot only reveals one prin principle but casts a halo of light upon all connected with i it L an individual thus thug favored walks in the light of Jehova hs countenance I 1 have a desire that idalis in this light we mey walk and he whose eye is single says the savior his whole body shall be bullof full of light and there is no daran darkness ess in ill olin him nor occa occasion sioW of it stumbling what is the condition of the world at large both religious and political who regard us as being beik in ill the depths of sin iniquity and transgression ion what are their customs go if you please 84 to the large cities in every nation and clime I 1 have visited many of them in the four quarters of the earth and in the islands of the sea I 1 save have had some little experience berlee in relation to these things ti lings so BO far as com common 10 observation could give it to me and I 1 pretty well understand the manner of life of the he world at large A man for instance who has the most riches the man who can command the most wealth 1 I do not say this is the case with all but it is the case cage with the majority they not only have their wives and families with whom they publicly live aud and associate but they also hive have in secret places their stresses mistresses mi whom they maintain not honorably but under tindera a cloak asit as it were when by their illegitimate con connections sections they are likely to increase their race what means do they resort to to save their credit to keep their honor unsullied in tile the eyes of the multitude to cover up up iniquity hide their crimes and smother ta their lr shame A skillful practitioner is employed to destroy the embryo offspring T we is ig murder nor is theedie this thi edie the only in means ika hs used aed kohide to hi hide their shame and save thenis themselves elves from reproach they may be successful in hiding their iniquity from the ibe eye of man but they cannot hide it irom from the eye of the omnipotent jehovah Is there not a day coming when these acts will be searched 0 out ailt and proclaimed abroad and chattoo that too b by y it a m mind ind that penetrates the secret thoughts and ud intents of the hearts of the children of men what is there indeed such a day ap approaching pro aching yes it may be hid for a little season from the view of the wicked but it is steadily approaching and will ill come as a thief in tile the night and those very persons both mate male and fer female nale who often throw out their against the cormons mormons Mor Wor mons motis against 1 their course and manner of life will b be overwhelmed with it then how will apply the words of our text ye are they that justify dustir yourselves before men int but god your hearts for that which is well pleasing in the sight of men is an abomination to god what is well pleasing in the eyes of worldly men men devoid of principle and destitute of the righteousness of god I 1 it t is pleasing to them to hide and smother up anything that would tend to cast reproach and infamy upon their name the blackness of their character they seek to conceal from atom the public gaze and appear good christians and honorable men in s society 0 men of principle virtue and integrity if they can hla hide their shame no matter what the expense or suffer suffering hi cau caused 8 ed 1 in n destroying the embryo coming int into oLing being they care vot not to risk at hr wh ja would become a mother all this is ib well pleasing in I 1 ii the eyes ox of u i men and that their iniquity shou no noisome to light but that that is id well pleasing in ill the sight of men is an abomination in the sight of god I 1 will ien venture to say that yon may inay go into the most populous cities of th world and you will find a considerable sid erable pm pait t of those who give tone to Chr christianity istir as it is in the world standing in these miserable relations ous undercover under cove band in secret these things are true and it is enough to pain the heart of the ud tile the feelings of any ma man n who is the friefeld of suf suffering ering humanity to fo read their history and observe their course I 1 would not folios them in in all their the ir filthy windings were re I 1 ale had I 1 the discerning bye of an angel or of a god J would not wish to follow them up and disclose to you th the corruptions corrupt ions that are practiced practised in the world and ill all under the cloak of popularity shrouded hy by high standing and world 1 ly authority and thus they are protected i w n their N i unlawful relations I 1 I 1 cihi am not disposed to ta charge home upon tipon the lawgivers of our country things filings of this wd kind I 1 will pot not PT presume baw me to do it yet attile at the same asfun 4 time if I 1 can au credit aliey own statements in ill relation to the acts of oda another toti touching ching these matt matters erst it is enough to make the alie nations blush and hide their heads in shame from sac su ch h miserable i MISERABLE corrupt proceedings edinga but we do not wish to sustain our own position upon poll the corruptions corrupt ions of others our own p position a lu as it is in tile the mind and revelations of C god d god ed forbid that our faith should be founded upon bie corruptions corrupt ions of the world our faith is founded upon the purity of the word of life and there let it be grounded oi 11 i I 1 I 1 I 1 well now friends frienda and brethren will you listen to me for a short time and let me conduct you yon as far as I 1 shall be able evea ii I 1 g irrol the volume of inspiration that is universally acknowledged led g ed brutti b by all christendom to be the word of god the truth of df heaven will you listen to some of the sayings contained in that hook book anai thep then say whether we pov possess sess the same game spirit naw now that inspired spir edthe the breasts of the ancients choso whoso history is penned upon these pages judge for yourselves I 1 whether it be so 0 or not tn in the first place then we will look buqo unto abraham our oar father and to sarah who bore us musj for if i we are cerii christs Vs th en we are arb abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise let iet any story be maldof told ofray my father whereby dishonor Is laid to lipi lila char charge ge bi or let any Te ro be cast u upon pon my mother if the feelings of if the loyalty of a son soh towards his bis parents dwells in my bosom I 1 I 1 villre will re sj s at atall all such reproach no matter how sinful ei they might have deen their sins must mait not be portrayed before e me md I 1 look then coto abraham as my father and sarah ei aa my mother who villo bore me how was it then with abraham t he assaid is said to be the the father of the faithful and the g great ret head of the church in the days of the patriarchs tr ia achs and ana the heed head 0 those wilb who have been a dortea dopfel inta theT coTenant of jehovah abrou through h the blood of his bis only begotten for iffe if we are ca then we are abrahams seed stead and heirs according W the promise tf if by the V virtue ir ade of the saviors bloo dour sins aa are washed away we are the children of aoraham abraham wo WB W B hall hail him as s our father and sarah as ou our r mothe rhe is the father f the faith buthe is the father of many nations h show how s asi was it tw with ith ab abraham dr h m did he please god walk before him u uprightly and obtain this testimony that lie he pleased 4 god g and obtain promises comiss that ha no other man has obtained since the days of abraham the son of god excepted jehovah promised that in him and in his seed all the nations of the earth should he be blessed as a a pattern of piety and qs as the great headon the charch because of his faithful uese nese in keeping the commandments ot of jehovah on earth he drew from on high this great gp promise who has lived since that time who has has been een thus blessed I 1 will venture to say any not one 1 then it we are his children will we not do the works work of faithful Afi abraham raham so said the savior who wha ever spoke the truth who ever declared the mind and will of his father in heaven heave tf are we ab abrahams ra ham s are wa we bastards and hot sous sons abat is the question i let us see what abrahams works were I 1 aam bra ham obtained promises what promise haqq I 1 ly 0 obtained W what at promise has the christian wj W S I 1 A obtained obtain i ed why says one tile the bible is all full fall of pio promises made to the people of god long a ago but |