Show DISCOURSE BT BY PRESIDENT TOUNG young dowery LOWERY juie juhe 15 isad 1856 REPORTED BY GIO CEO GI glo O D WATT I 1 will read a revelation printed in the book of doctrine and covenants co enacts and given in zion in august 1831 it was given guen in independence jackson county missouri I 1 think during the first time gime that joseph was in that land the president read the revelation section 18 I 1 do not anticipate in the few remarks that I 1 shall make throwing any particular light upon this re revelation elation especially to those who are acquainted with the circumstances under which it was given when revelations are given through an individual appointed to receive them they are given en to the understandings of the people aie lie these revelations after a lapse of years become mystified to those who were not personally acquainted with the circumstances at the time they were given the revelation that I 1 have hive been reading may be aa as in to td our children in a thousand or fifteen hundred years ears from now in case the world continues in the tha same degree of enlightenment that it lids has for tor a few ages past as the revelations contained in the 01 old oid anu and and new testaments are to this generation and it would be commented upon with the same scrutiny and accuracy and men would study year after year and aud fret themselves almost to death to find out the m mysterious meaning of the revelation given to us their forefathers forefather fore fathel s this revelation is as plain and clear to the understandings gg of tin ill 8 who know the circumstances staf ices that called it forth as it would be for you 0 u to understand me should I 1 talk about making a canal to bring the waters of big cottonwood to this city for irrigating our gardens and the farming lands it is plain and easy to 0 be understood it is familiar to us who were in that country at the time we know all about it but a portion of this congregation have not been personally acquainted with the thie early ex experience ermence and travels of this church and with thi the sayings and doings of the prophet joseph and it may be that they do not fully tully understand tM what this revelation really does mean they do not actually know that there is such euch a place as independence in jackson county missouri they have heard of it and may have an idea that it is situated in the regions where angels langels dwell the revelation which I 1 have read was perfectly plain and could be beadil readily understood by all the brethren then in jaclson jacison jackson county missouri and in kirtland ohio as easily as you can understand me when I 1 talk about di digging canals building dwellings tabernacles temples les ies and arid storehouses store houses or when I 1 talk about drawing ME sand and clay burning lime etc Is it strange or is it not strange to people endowed with wisdom that the inhabitants of the earth be clouded as they are should hae have such revelation revelations a given to them Is it strange or is it not strange that they all bil should 0 uld reject them would this be a hard question for the congregation gre gation to answer looking at these things after the manner of the wisdom widd orn of the world we say that it would be very strange indeed as a certain professor would say it would be passing strange it would be strange indeed should people receive such guch ideas upon such subjects as revelations ic ve from god from the supreme of the universe the great elvheim El the creator and upholder of all khints things who ullo is enthroned in eternity in glory and ald ar in power yet who condescends to talk about abdat such matters as building in storehouses store houses sending bending men to do this or mitat that to go to this or that thab land to gather up money for tor this or that purpose and very many would exclaim llo 0 it is money money I 1 money that has been the cry continually from the enemies of the kingdom of god you know thit that was the cry in the days ays of joseph 0 he is after money you yon can see this in all his re i de elat lations ions lons money money money mone he be want wants to get your money ile he pretends it is is going into the hands of the bishop to purchase lands but when aben hs he gets hold of it you yon do not rot get it again it is money money money all the time the commands to go and buy this or that farm to build houses sell out a farm afarin here and rent one there take a mission to preach the gospel Rs el to the world gather money to purchase lands langsand and divide with the poor brethren are all familiar talk with us easy to be understood and without mystery when joseph received this revelation it was as plain to the understanding of the saints as freiny are my instructions when telling you yon what to d dd said to the people through joseph you yott ina must keep the law here and be careful to Cof your bins sins occasionally a mans name would be mentioned and lie he might be pointed out oct as a pattern for the rest do you repent of your sins if you do not you will bd b overcome by the enemy lie ile said to the tiie people repent of your sins and keep the 14 law D or louvill you will vill hae have no inheritance in this t enon S 0 many nany diany who are here now owned farms there aniline owned large tracts of land have ilav e of them no now you have not vo pi nession lands but you m bybe n R owners of those pu ou arel area agrenot 1 ot the thre mr re arc are many in this congregation who ewt i the right of the soil there that is to say inthe government of thel the united states could or would give any rito it the tha j n lord said repent of your sins or you cn T ip tay here and an d receive your inheritance adaa addA and ana this fils land will not be given to the saints until they they are scourged urged and driven from city lo 10 city this thi 1 s is plain and every person can understand de der tand stand i it As there are persons named in the revelation which I 1 have read to whom I 1 wish to refer more particularly I 1 will again read a portion of it now as I 1 concerning my servant E edward dward partridge this land is the land of bf his residence and those ham he has appointed for his counselors co ans uns elofs and also algo the land of the residence of him whom I 1 have appointed to keep my storehouse store house wherefore let them bring their fd milies families to this landa land as they shall coun j sel between themselves thim tham selves and me for behold it is not meet that I 1 should command in all things for he that ahat is compelled in all things the same is a slothful and not a wise servant 2 wherefore he receive th no reward here are two characters pointed out br partridge and another whose N hose name is not mentioned here but whose name was gilbert and who was a appointed apoi anted keeper of the storehouse store house you can cau understand what this plain revelation meant and jt it will come home to your comprehension for behold it is not meet that I 1 should command in all things for he that is compelled in all things the same is a slothful and ahl and not a wise servant those men whose names are mentioned were considered to be as holy I 1 mal may may mar say as any men in the world I 1 an am a witness so far as this is concerned that the persons whose nimes names names are mentioned and many others of the first elders of t the h church were looked upon almost as angels ahmels 1 they were looked upon b by y the young me members ibbers i as bein being so filled wit with lit th the e spirit irit and power of god teso that t we were ha hardly adl y worthy orthy to converse with them you he hear ar the names of bishop partridge of br IV IV phelps who is now sitting in this stand of parly P pratt of david whitmer of oliver cowdery and the names of many others of the first elders who had been bem up to zion and I 1 declare to you that brethren in other parts of the land those who had not seen thle persons nam edfelt that should they come into their presence they would have to pull or orr opt their air shoes as the ground would be so holy u upon I 1 onu which they trod do cotil you now know what distance and age gage accomplish p lish they produce in people the most reverential verent ial lal awe that can be imagined when we reflect and rightly understand we learn how easy of comprehension the gospel is how plain it is in its plan in every part art an and principle fitted perfectly to the ca capacity acety of inan mankind kind insomuch that when it is introduced among the lovers of truth it appears very easy and very plain and anti how very ready the honest are to receive it but send it abroad and give ive it antibu antiquity I 1 it and it is at once clothed with with mystery T this ilis ills llis is the case wi with thill all ail the ancient revelations those which were received and understood by the ancients are shrouded in mystery and uncertainty to this generation and men are employed plo pio d to reveal the meaning leahing of the ancient scriptures e rid rie res the T people eople on every hand are inquiring what noes does this scripture mean aril arii and arlt how shall we understand this or thae that passage now I 1 wish my brethren and sisters for us to understand things precisely as th they eyare are and not as the flitting c changing anding imagination of the human mind ma may v frame them the bible is just as plain and easy of comprehension as the revelation which 1 I have just read to you if you understand the spirit of god the spirit of revelation a and id know how the gs gospel of salvation is adapted to the capacity of weak man if isyou you could see things as they are you would know that the whole plan of salva saava tion and all the revelations ever given to man on the earth are as plain as would be the remarks of an elder were he to stand here and talk about our every day business I 1 want you to understand this that you may know how to understand understandingly understandings ingi read the bible and the revelations de livereT deliverer delivered to you in in your yur own generation and how to honor your religion and your god when men you read the revelations or when you hear the will of the lord concerning you for your own sakes never receive that with a doubtful heart this is a matter that I 1 have frequently impressed upon the people here I 1 have exhorted them from year to year upon thih very point and have asked why do you receive the counsel of god with doubtful hearts when you are taught the way of life lire and salvation when things are made so bo plain and easy to you that you cannot misunderstand them why do you admit of such unbelief in your hearts and feelings as to say this or that is beneath the notice of the almighty ani and say that he does not deal in such simple small and every day affairs why say we want to hear from the stand concerning concerning the dyste mysteries ofisa the eternal mysteries of the kingdom of god that which we have never heard I 1 lini might asay say to such 0 fools and slow siow of heart to to believe belleve all that the prophets have spoken Is it a mystery to you sisters how to knit a stocking 4 you all answer no not at all but brin bring an individual from a world where they neve never rhad lad stockings and it is as much of a mystery to that per person son as any thing fou you you vou have ever thought of could be to you because beca becz puse Cuse he would be perfectly ignorant of all id ideas eais pertaining to that art you may nay now rov be inclined to say 10 0 this ii too s simpie simple and childlike we wish to hear the mysteries of the he kingdoms of the tiie gods who have existed from eternity and of all the kingdoms in which they will dwellie dwell we desire to have these things portrayed to our understandings Y allow me to inform you yon that you are in the midst of it all ali c now that you are in just as good a kingdom as you will ever attain to from now to all eternity unless you yu make i yourselves 0 ur selves by the grace of god by the will of yf god by the eternal priesthood of god which is a code of laws perfectly calculated to j govern and control eternal matter if ir you and lovern I 1 do not b by this means make that better kingdom which whick we anticipate we shall never enjoy it we can only enjoy the kingdom we have labored bored to make if you say that you want i ies les commandments and revelations I 1 reply that scarcely a sabbath passes over your of you who come here without your having the revelations of jesu jesus christ poured u upon on you like water on the ground i why so do you not write them brother brothe brigham I 1 will tell you one reason why I 1 exi hect act that the they will be one of these days clays but 1 expect that you will have them written when god and his faithful servants have suffered 1 enough from the fg ignorance norance foolishness I 1 wicked wickedness nesi nest 3 and slothfulness 1 il u iness of the people from their slowness of heart to believe and from their unrighteous dealing one with adoth 1 er then I 1 expect that there will vill be just revelation enough given and written to cut all ail the j un ungodly off from the church and aal ant send them to it hehl hebl the e reason it is is not given ven now is because of the mercy the Lo lord still sees fit to extend towards them you recollect that last sabbath and arid two weeks ago today to day I 1 told the people that it would be fie for their good to go and arid perform a certain certa in p piece diece alece of work which was just as much revelation to you as would be teachings upon the subject of getting your our endowment it was wa life ilfe and was upon the principles of eternal lives 1 I rec roc recollect 0 tellin telling you vou when you lift your hands to heaven like lik e that raising his hand and say that you will perform thus and so and do not that such a course would damn you as sure as you are now living men and women ought to fulfill all their covenants I 1 exhorted the brethren not to say that they would do the work uni unless ess they thoy intended t to 0 9 go 0 and do it for if they did not I 1 said they w would ouid be cursed I 1 am almost constrained by the power that is within me to draw the dividing line in the midst of this people and to cut many from the church but bud I 1 plead for mercy I 1 have mercy for the people and I 1 ask god to bear wickedness there is in the their ir midst which call can hardly be borne with by the spirit and power of the holy ghost I 1 said two weeks ago today to day that some of you would be cursed but have you ever heard me curse the people you have not though I 1 have to hang as it were we reona on a slender thread of faith to plead with the almighty Almish ty to yet spare the wicked in our midst what hinders them from observing the law of god do 1 I or does any ot other ther person hinder them who hinders you yon from doing a good work 1 I am wearied with seeing the conduct of some of this people their thieving leving tl lying tattling deceiving ce iving running after the gentile spirit after the spirits of this world receiving delusive s trat spirits brits and adhere adhering goz goi to all manner of principles that are not of god what hinders us in living as close to our religion as do the angels angels do not hinder us god certainly does not and we ought to sar bay say to devils ayou yoa you shall not jont but in the midst of this people there is a set of thieves idolaters idol aters drunkards whoremongers and vile persons it may maybe be asked shall we not draw the dividing line 1 soona soon yes some will in due time get line enough to send them to hell liell mariy nally are pleading for revelations do yo yoac a suppose that saints lack revelations they have plenty of them thera and the they are stored in the archives of those who have kave understanding of the principles of tile the priesthood ready to be brought forth as the people |