| Show DISCOURSE DI by president Pr eIdent tabernacle vim eil bernac 1 4 april 6 1855 A 7 V ki ported BT BY G twenty five years ago today to day this church was organized with six members more llad tied been baptized by br joseph but he having received a revelation Me lation to organize orga nize the church and only six members being present they were all that were thea incorporated many of the tho faithful brethren and sisters si who embraced the gospel of salvation sali bali atio atlo 11 in the early days of the history of this work have 1 no doubt often looked over the ground this church has traversed and have been enabled to discern the invisible hand of the lord in fit the pre ae ovation tion of this people in lit the various scenes they have passed through many times to all human appearance there was no noa temporal salvation for the saints again those who were not faithful beli bell beholding thin things gsa as tile the natural man beholds them have left the church yes yee scores of them hundreds of them thousands of them both male and female they the y looked at this kingdom and considering ilsio gless giess gress grass upon seemingly natural principles discovered it was best for them to leave it and if possible save their lives those thosa who have been fai fal faithful thul thui can witness this day that those who have boug sought ht to save gave their lives lave lost lest them while widle those who have sought diligently to buildup build up the kingdom of godsho have clung clurg to tile tiie commandments of the lard who wiio have not counted their lives dear to them thein have saved their lives it Is marvelous it is marvelously stra strange rim rip and truly it is a marvelous work and a wonder to of the revelations of jesus christ when hin they reflect upon the history of this thit people in lit their travels and progress and it has been a i ronder wonder to all who have been acquainted with it those thos who were wera acquainted with the rise of the lives and acts of the few who then believed the tiie gospel gospels and with the lives and nef acts ot vf many who surrounded them discovered beit belt that the powers of tuf darkness the powers of lilie illie the enemy of all ight were leveled a against g aidt the tiie few who belItA believed ved red in lit the book of mor mon roon and who believed that joseph smith was a prophet whether the tho they y were six in number or 9 gix six 1 X times six or whether there was but one it ina de no diffie difference rence just as soon as the book of mor mormon rion riou was declared to 16 the people peoples or to a neigh i iid and rid proclaimed to be the history of the aborigines of our don con country efty and to contain tile the will of god to the peo lo 10 formerly and that the tha lord lesus jesus appeared tippe 1 ared to the llie inhabitants of this continent alid and revealed to them the gospel that the kingdom of god was built tip up here that tile tho lama laman bho were erea a revenant ro re of the house of or israel and tiit tilt that the set time lima had come for the lord to favor zion and gather israel at that very time on that t h t very tery uy day the powers of darkness were arrajj arrayed against I 1 the prophet against the book of mormon 1 slid and those who beli belloi believed eved oved ed it to ba be what it purported to be has nas spirit of pere persecution cution coaled ceased no not in n tile tue least but it has steadily itea dily dlly increased I 1 was oine olne what acquainted with the corn coming carniol iol loi forth of tha the book of mormon not only through what I 1 read in ille the newspapers but I 1 also aiso iso heard a great mally many storis stories and report reports 3 which were vero circulated as quick as the book of 1116 marmon rmon was printed and li began au to be scattered abroad then the tho spirit of persecution liers the spirit of death tile spirit of destruction truc tion immediately seemed to enter the hearts of the tie pious priests more particularly than a any auy ily oilier portion of the people they tiley could not bea bear r it hose who professed great faith and great piety and believed in lit the blessings of banc sane arid and professedly believed in the minis minis te lenng ring of angel angels and la in the vie gift girt of tile the holy ghost and that it was the prin lege lega 10 of christi christl afis atis to enjoy the gifts girts and graces of the spirit now as bell lell f e as in ancient times limes as quick es as tho book of ma marmon was introduced into conversation a spirit would rise an fn n them causing them tn to wish to destroy that b book dook and every person who believed in lit it th they 0 T would fould i say it is from hell liell A t Ts is from the bottomless bot hot to 14 14 pit it is of the tile devil devit and those who in it ought to go to hell bell it is a pity that such a delusion should be permitted to rise riso in our chrisiman chri stran siran country such expressions express lo 10 ns carme carte fromi from the arnou mouths of religious priests from the mouths of leading characters in lit society from those who I 1 professed 11 to hold the keys of salvation and andio audio to teach ae the people the way of life has this spirit ceased no it has i not I 1 of but it ilas ilag lias constantly increased er e ased and to my certain knowledge through th the e visions af pf the spirit of I 1 lie llie lor lord d jesus chri chrtt t I 1 did dil know I 1 did see I 1 did understand before I 1 went into tile the waters of baptism that this spirit of persecution would increase As the tile kingdom of god increased upon the earth so go would the tile power ower of the enemy increase in lit like manner to 10 keep beep pace with it and there never would bo be a i time I 1 except for a short period that this people would won d have rest until israel wal wag fully gathered gat herod herad was iee lee ree deemed and built up and the lord had drawn the dividing line between the righteous and the wicked this church has lived twenty five years year and is not dead yet although a great anany many of its members have haie gone behind the vail those who were firsth firsti baptized into the church have almost entirely left this stage stags of action I 1 presume there is not a single person in this congregation who embraced the book of mormon in lit the fall of 1829 or in the illi fore part of the tho year 1830 the prophet prophets his father and his brothers except one are gone behind the vail I 1 suppose that martin harris and Jozeph josephs ls mother are livin living but oliver cowdery ha has s gone to his long iong di most of the tilo witnesses of tho iho book of mormon have died and I 1 know of but very bev few in these valleys who embraced the faith of the gospel in the early days of the rise of or this chu church reh when I 1 call to mind mina the multitudes with whom I 1 have havo been acquainted in this kingdom and few there are who have stood firm arid liow liv many have apostatized I 1 oft off often at first th think triet it i s strange but again olain it is 13 no marvel re as I 1 do that every person who lives in this lk 4 church must be faithful faitha 1 te they y annot cannot r runby n by 1 sight sights but must actually e exercise x ercile faith falth in the L lord ord i jerus christ in order to enjoy enjoy the light odthe holy ghost when they neglect this the tilo spirit of the world w orld orid takes possession posse ision islon of them andl andi they become cold and fruitless and pine pino away into darkness and epi spiritual ritual death and filially finally leave mav us will this continue yes perhaps there are many who are afe astonished to see people apostatize but it really la Is no marvel it is no astonishment at all if you wish vish to know the tho reason why they apostatize it is because tiley neglect their duty lose the spirit of the lord and the spirit of the holy gospel that they received when they the first embraced it many receive the gospel because they tiley know it is true they are bre convinced in heir judgment that it is is true strobe argument overpowers them and they are ration ully compelled to admit the gospel to be true upon fair reasoning re they yield ta to it and obey its first principles but bever seek to be eu lightened enlightened by the pov er of the holy ghost such ones frequently step out of the dav way was say they mormonism is true but I 1 am not going to stand it I 1 am not going to abide vere temporal loss toss I 1 am not vot going to f lere and have my rights trampled upon I 1 am lot not going to be checked in my cal cay carreer reer ido not wish to be trammeled in jn my do dol gs but bitt I 1 want my liberty perfectly still I 1 be believe li it to tobe be true with rith all my heart well krisht rig lit upon these statements statement sK if s kmen only believe Morn mord to be tru true all ail and d that too no stronger than the thoy they dotsey doth ey are wyt ll 11 so far ahead in this particular part cular oular aa as the devils in fit leh bel ieh it for iley ilex they jiey both believe and mild i know lwow diat that bhat the tile gospel is t true ue they believe belleve and know that jesus is the arist christ they believe in lit the old olland and new testament api apa in i the book of Mor monand know that they are true true they kaow know when a true prophet comes forth upon the tho earth if they tiley did not they would not raise up persecution against him not only believing but knowing that thal tiia tira the hie gospel is true they are arrael jn in opposition to the truth and lay every plan and sch elile eilie that it 13 passable pos sable for devils to invent anye n t to overthrow the kingdom of god pu oil earth thai thal they may retain possession of t lie lle world I 1 still longer wil wll there still bp acosta cy yes breth brethren rel I 1 and sisters bisters you may expect that people will colpe colpo into the church and then then apostatize you may expect that some people ill lii run wellbor alfor welt well for a se season on and then fall out on t by ilfe iffe 1 r le way for example take tae the tile parable arable of tha the wea went out to sow and find w when heil bell lie sowed bowed some sonie seeds felt fell hy liy tho way wiy sade bade ide and paid tho iho fowls came camo and devur devoured ed them up some ell fell upon stony places here they tiny had not lucli earth carth and forthwith they tiley sprung pr alrig up licause because they had no deepness of earell and when the sun rose up they were wera scorched nor ched and beci beca q I 1 hadano had no root roots they withered away and srm som som A lell leil cli iii fell among ta thorns orns and the thorns sprung upland choked the in but other feli fell into good ground and brought forth fruit pruit I 1 some somo an hu cidred to I 1 d some sixty fold some thirty fot fol P when the seed falls into good ground jilia akes root toot un and I 1 brings forth fruit surl suoi su individual 1 wi ill 11 be faithful to the tiie end the seed that fills ahe athe way ilde fide sides for want of root cannot ahe scorching sun surl of persecution ta those to a wh e represented by tile tha seed sq among ki thorns thorps ll 11 ros cannia an endure because 0 of r tile tho cares ot of the world and andee the pride of life the influence and power of the world and alid of the adversary surrounding such indi ladi visuals they are by and by turned away avay and cese cose se to be saints paints cease cesse to servo serve th the ard and turn every one to his ow own it wa way y Is 13 this t 11 is strange toju 7 yes for a moment you say it is ver very y st strange ng P what did you embrace mormonism for apie pie have havo embraced it for far the trullis tri Iri ltha itha lis ils sake ove oye the tile gospel because it is 14 tim the gospel beca be causal P is based upon true principles and beca because I 1 it is the tha only system tern of doctrine revealed reye reve aled to the tho il dren of men that is built upon a sure founds liori they love truth because itis it is truth b bemuse eluse itis light ans ani there is no darkness in it ancl anci fliey tw foai not to come to tile tiie liblit that their deeds may for they vish td adget get rid of their evil deeds they lovo ilvo virtue because it is a holy principle by which the ansela live jive they I 1 love iove iye fye all the gospel p principles r 1 n 1 ibee a lusa luse use iusa they are with et all ail and add ct are arb ie foundation lives and will exult the tho faithful to 0 o mappings lap pings and felicity to kingdoms kirg doms of glory and idimar talfey and to all the knowledge 1 hat can ba be enjoyed by the intelligent icings buo inherit eternity il of i it is not abt for me to say how my aboy embrace jhb ahe gospel for tile the sake of nd d fishes but I 1 really think from their many have dive embraced alie gospel to see if it they cannot make mage gain ot of it to fosee josee see if there is ane any lem jem temporal alvan taga in it let this king klog kingdom dom orais or people prosper let iet them be free from persecution at this tilis day dayl i our relatives our former neighbors speak well 01 us and tell the truth with regard to our temporal prosperity as they would of other deop people le and bhae would ba be the tha tte result suit sult thousands woud would professedly embrace he gospel for the advantages to ba be derived to get a good name and to obtain vie the riches liali are of this world and to be perfectly free bom rom restraint let this kingdom presper ili fit inan inar a taani eanner it r that all men will vill viii speak aspea well of it 1 and let thare there be no trials no donelo none to say yon shall be killed you shall be destroyed but let all say peace shall be he etith ith you we wo wili will bless y on gl we will nei nel neighbor with you and hall hail yonas and brethren under such a state of illings bilings ti lings thousands would professedly embrace the tile gospel I 1 for the r ake rake of living in peace and to obtain the 1 riches of this world thousands would professedly embrace the book of mormon and the book of doctrine and covenants fir political advantages for fora a great grent name and to obtain wat they are seeking after continually what Is that to be spoken well of by everybody to obtain power and great influence among men where I 1 fo give may ray own private opinion concerning the matter I 1 cannot say that a great many have come into this church solely for the worldly advantages which they would derive on the tho other hand do aK 11 people this ch church urcil with a pure intention loin goin A ire great mardy maddy mariy etner gospel tb be treb free 1 from the iron ironi hand sf oppression r 4 un under d er which they are labo laboring bing Fing continually continual lk kriam year to year in ser ker ervile vilo chains toiling tolling tote toge 11 morsel mormel of bread to subsist upon they are arb re ground down i and afflicted their wages are cut down to the last penny they can live upon when they know that must labor or die thousands are in this pitiable con condition didon and would embrace anything I 1 do not care what under the heavens was preached to them ahem yon you nav nay go a ani and pre preach ph the doctrines of universalism of y or of any other belief in lit tile the world you may boil boll them down and wet get their very es and with it tell those alib are 0 pre pressed ased and home borne down by tile the rich brid and the great I you vou shall be delivered from your factories you s liall hall make mako your escape from ybur your shops of or toil oll oil we are preaching 1113 this ills to the poor now embree embrace em brae brab brne our system and our you shall shill be ue delivered from front this iron iran hand liand of oppression we wilt will take you to a land 0 tl plenty enty to a it land of freedom where you can enjoy your rights and be tit lit essed blessed nile have the privilege |
