Show DISCOURSE Disco imsE 1 1 by bir elder amaia lyman nyman tabernacles tabernacle cles cIes sunday su n day dar af afternoon vernoon Ler ier noon nov aa 29 1 1857 REPORTED BY J 1 V lang LONG I 1 can cansay say my brethren and sister in truth irule to my own feelings that I 1 hava been gratified today to day iii lii in what hat bat I 1 hai bai hae e heard 1 have been edified and what is more I 1 feel that there is only one great reason why wily we do not realize more fully folly the alefs ings that would accrue to us if we were sufficiently faithful or as faithful as we might be to the principles inculcated in the remarks that have tave been made and arid that reason is we do not sto ito to the extent that we might live our religion we are not as perfectly united cs we might be I 1 think that this is true it is as certainly true as it is true that if we could keep the he law of god perfect perfectly ly that we would realize a corresponding degree of happiness peace and amft aff action in every ry thing tiling that should be made the subject of e conversation 0 11 v e r or of thou thought lit or that should become a matter of principle with wilh tile the people it is for forus us to cultivate that principle within us that should unite us together that should cause our affections lo 10 be one our feelings to be one our interests to be one for in this is our strength it may be truly said of us as it t is in the world that we are united and they say all the time that whatever our leaders say or propose we all go to work and sustain them therein I 1 would to god that it was true to a greater extent even than that to which our enemies may consider it to be true when we are compared with other communities in the world it might be said of us that we are a united and arid happy people for we enjoy a degree of union and the blessings resulting from that union that other communities do not enjoy but this does not riot show that we do not fail fall far short of the perfect union that should cement tile the saints of the most high together if we could discover and be made sensible of any means by which we could become more perfectly united more perfectly one ilat hat list would he be a matter of importance to us it would be of value to us as it would lay a foundation with us for tor all an increase of our intelligence it would increase our chances of or success our clia cila chances nices rices of victory in the with the enemies of our god with our foes within and arid our foes without if we could but cultivate these principles ath all our hears hearts with all our faith with all our souls then our struggles would be b barely arely begun when we would be able to rejoice iu in the tile enjoyment of victory well says one cir clr if we are influenced by the same spirit if we all do as the spirit dictates will we not doone boone be one if all the people the individuals that compose this community were individually to be operated upon by ibe the spirit of god were all en enlightened by that spirit that reveals the will ol 01 god that makes known his purposes and that imparts to the benighted soul soui az all an understanding ef of the purposes of the almighty P so that we could appreciate them there is is no doubt in my mind but that the people would all see alike and consequently act alike but is this the gase base case with al 4 bur cur car advantages with all the tte tl instructions that have been given with heavens kindness in continued he unremitting stream of n that has been poured out upon us f fora ora score boore of years and ana more hivo we become so enlightened got understanding go so that we ili ill all see alike bilke that we all under understand allce alike we have llave but to look and ana contemplate what we see exhibited around us to become satisfied at once that this his is not the case with us as a people ii it it were so such buch ad ud monitions munitions ions as are called out from the presidency of the church would be uncalled for they would be unnecessary the people would riot riat he admon hied to be more united to ba be more diligent and ami in remembering tile the principles and in practicing the instructions that are from time to time imparted unto them nw while we cannot sufficiently compie compi herd eherd the things of god by the tile spirit of god to siv save bave us horn en error orad ad from mistakes and from disunion what shall we do ilo why let us humbly adopt tile tiie advice or s similar advice to that which is is given bythe ancient apostle to his brethren in ad aid dressing dres them he says we have also a arnole moie mole sure sura woid of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that chineth ill in a dark place until the tile day dawn and the day star arise in your heart hearts 1 now I 1 do not quote hat that scripture to direct vou you you to be overly arlious arx ious to learn all that diat tile the ancient apostles may have said that might be adopted to the tile saints in that time lime and under those circumstances but I 1 want you to act ili in this ss os they were admonished to act set in that thit time and aad if you cannot judge perfectly by lle ile lie the portion of the spirit of god that you possess remember that you bave lave a more sure word of that is imparted unto you from day clay to day from sabbath to sabbath from month to month and arid boin hoin year to year unto which you do well that you yon you give heed and the peati sequel 1 will be nat mat if iou you you give heed unto it that by ey and ba be e tile hie day wil dawn and the day star of experience of heava heaven n and of truth and arid of god will wl 11 arise in your own hearts and tile the fountain of light and ilfe life will become established within you well then than ull uil uncil lii lil this is alie tiie casp adopt the in maxim axim inculcated ia in the tle song of one of our poets i who iv writes rites I 1 well weil mind what brigham says pay attention to the inspiration of the almighty from thode those in ili whom it j lives and arid dwells ir il choul whom it is a living fountain foun lalu lain as it must be in you ili iii individually d before lefore you will be saved raved from sin gin let us remember that if we cannot comprehend by the spirit that is living within us u all the truth ia in relation to what we shoud should do and arid how we should act ns travel tr avel avei alon that we should attend to hein heir instructions arid and do what they say if the they instinct us ils to pray let us pray and if they instruct us what to pray for let ns us pray for that and when wilen the fountain of inspiration s pi ration is us and becomes a living part and parcel of ourselves llen ilen lien then we will know for ourselves and comprehend for ourselves and the president of the C hutch church will not have to sav gay from day to day and from time lime to time lime C wake up from your shig shim bei bel lie he will not have lo 10 te feln telf P us is of our diversity of sentiment and ana feelings T there h ere should exist among emong us a I 1 perfect unanimity of feeling if we wait for the tiie spirit of god to fo do every tiling what are we d doing oin oln the while we are idlis idling away our time we ve are neglecting to u use s e the means placed within our reach for our benefit and improvement god lias has up in his church apostles prophets and teachers for what purpose simply that you might be instructed ted simply that you might be tau taught lit and brought to the knowledge of the truth fruth irutha what truth why the same fame truth tile the apostles and prophets understand the same truths that tile the seventies S ee r ties high priest priests eiders elders and the servants of god comprehend it is 13 to bring you to the same inspiration to tile the knowledge of god which is eternal life this is all the purpose that is to be accomplished in all this labor it is the object of these ordinances the tile institutions of heaven to bring us from our ignorance our want of knowledge our lack of understanding to comprehension P of tile the truth and when we are brought to that point and place no matter if we are counted by thousands and tells lens of thousands the blessi blessings rigs of the gospel are ours if we are united for we all occupy the same ground we understand the same fame truth we are all in the he same relationship with truth ald ard with god which make us one it causes us to feel feet alike to think alike and to act alike if this is the tile case when we pour out our sup to the heavens what will be the character of those supplications ions the they y will all be marked with the same consistency the same bame understanding der of the flie truth will NOR dictate them our will will simply be the will of our president well then what will we pray for we will pray for nothing but what will he the cause of righteousness we will ask for nothing but what i is 9 consistent with the tile principles of truth and our own advancement in tile the comprehension of those principles would won we ask for anything that the heavens would deny no we would not would our prayers ascend up without hindrance yes they hey would for what reason because they were marked with union with truth with consistency and righteousness consequently they must be acceptable unto our heaverd ly father what Is is the reacon reason our prayers are not all answered tile the reason is is simply because we ask for things that our father fattier in his wisdom knows would do us no good they are not answered because we would cause our father fattier to defeat himself if he were obliged to answer all our petitions tit ions all our prayers and supplications ions to have our prayers acceptable they must be consistent we must ask for tothill nothing 9 bilt but w what I 1 lat i is s pleasing in his sight in order that our father may hear bear and answer our prayers and in this way we receive that for which we ask now to gain this point it is desirable de because of oatlie the advantages that we shall hall secure when it is once gaerte gained I 1 1 I ia s it is possible that if may moy be the asse case that ome ma may think there are ollier rot roi tiers of greater importance to us and aud that should possess pbs ess a hiher higher n interest to us than for us simply to become united through tile the truth but if there irany is any tiling of greater importance import duce it is 13 something that tbt I 1 do i not lot kow that I 1 have not learned victory has been promised unto us upon the condition that we do right if thele ar are e any things conn connected with our pre ces that ai aie ale e to some mote more than dually u bally aldi or exciting do not know any good ter aerson 6 oil why they tiley should be EP se for if the work it h which we are ii the work of god as we fee and as the tte tle of us are often saying that we urd ersland it why sauld we be more excited thip thil his year than we wele lat la t year wily should si we e feel liny any more uneasy when there are a few united slates troops in iii the hills than if there were not this 1 is q no less leys te tle work ot of god for them belag there our father is as near to us his care and his protection is as much over us and round about aunt us as its ites it was before and it is is no more so unless ye we get a i litle title closer by obvert ob j n more perg perfectly f atly his hlf leg leq I 1 fearl fear thal thai if he bloods clouds w all dissipated and dod diliver abuy ar vy and anil il it the sunshine of poso puri purl piri tj ai hould uld begin to sl shine chine n hie upon 01 us that some eom would wourl forget god and a ad the tile Us duties futics they owe to him film and arid to one ond another I 1 fear hat that we would forget the sacred obligations which we are under I 1 never have seen any iny time since iliavi I 1 have bave been connected with the church that I 1 felt as much fre freedom donl as much liberty nor ns as much of the tile spirit of truth trueh the blessing of freedom and ard peace that it inspires as I 1 have since I 1 have knoer that our el lemies llave leave been in in our borders th the rea reason on wily why afeei I 1 feel reel this way I 1 suppose i to be af pf tile llie great blessi that are pending at the present time and I 1 suppose that wl cli would be ve a reason for me roe so well bould s ouid he be a riison ritson for the same saine good feelings with all saint if P they tiey possessed the same spirit adl davs one do dodou you think are more eidly holy tijan than the rest of the pe people J do not atio know whether I 1 am or not liot but I 1 am fortunate at an any rate if it il it is any piece of good fortune to feel at ese ease free freb from double from are you yu not troubled N no are olk not mer m er ald aid able aule no I 1 arf arr not troubled troubled nor miserable why B cause I 1 am happy if it the 41 felt so they would not nol ba be very ery maci tro iro ro veil meil about anything Idono I 1 do not tsay say that I 1 iveel feel to pray with any more interest with am any more mord earnestness with wih any more zeal than ahan I 1 did before we beard heard the news that this army was on is its way to utah 1 I am amno no in in my and win because it is aselt a settled led conviction with me that this is the work gorgod and ard I 1 baveno have babeno no idea that there tilene will be any failure no more than llian bat hat that which ii olillie on the part of tile tiie th people the only anxiety that I 1 lave is that I 1 may keep myself firmly bound to mormonism to the cr of tile the kingdom of god and the work of god and if god rol s oil on his liis work as we llave have been told lie lle would durine during d arim I 1 the last few week I 1 we shall eon eor oon see liis his kingdom spread and extend to an s amazing in abing degree I 1 I 1 As the lord has said sa d it is bis his business to provide for his saints I 1 have haie the pro promise inise of being pro provided videl for if I 1 only so conduct myself as aso lo 10 merit the title tide of a saint as to the file way and the means lov lom how iov it is to be accod ils lis hed that is none of my business whatever the lord wants of me he will let me know bebau e if I 1 keep ke ep myself right and straight I 1 shall always be on hand to respond to the directions direction s of ot hose those I 1 that lead me and dictate me and who should direct my movements well then I 1 am happy I 1 am as ea easy eay y in my feelings as I 1 well could be unless I 1 knew something more to feel well about and I 1 expect when I 1 know and understand more that my happiness will be irice increased ased for I 1 expect that I 1 shall understand many thino thing things s that are now no source of joy and pleasure to me m e simply because I 1 know nothing about them but so far as I 1 have a knowledge of truth that truth makes me happi and contented alid and if I 1 can be contented I 1 feel as though I 1 would like to see all the people contented 1 if you cannot feel contented by the spirit that dwells within you all the time adopt tile the old Apo apostles sties maxim we have also a more sure word of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take lake heed as unto a light that chineth in a dark place u until til the day dawn and the day star arise in your lie yie hearts arti artl ad peter 1 c 19 v 0 listen to and atil carry out the instruct instructions i on of br brigham of br heber and of all that speak sneak the tile words of life and salvation lint unto 1 e you if if tha they y tell fell you yoi to 16 go home and arid cultivate culan ate peace in in your family go and ard do it and if they tell abu 5 ou to 0 o go home and cease your stealing go home and be honest and quit your stealing tins this is tile he way to be united and if you will be honest bonest and united you will get the he spirit arit of god and find the more you have of the of gody god the better you jou feel and the better |