Show REMARKS by E elder eider ider lder stout bowery dowery su sunday uday morning april 5 1857 REPORTED ei bt J V LONG 1 Breth brethren renand and ani sisters I 1 have bave been called upon to address you this ni orning and I 1 will say by way of preliminary that I 1 shall speak such stich things as present themselves to my mind I 1 never could sit down study out and make mane up a sermon and then preach it afterwards I 1 was always depend lit cut ent tit upon the holy spirit to dictate dicta tei tet to me suitable things to lay before tile the people and I 1 hope that I 1 may have llave a portion of that spirit at tills this time that I 1 may be enabled to address you jou by tiie the spirit spirl I 1 and aud power of god I 1 always was backward and I 1 had ad a kind of timi lity about me when I 1 attempted to speak to the tiie saints betat but at the samne sarna time there is one thing that I 1 do know that is that every saint can call address adel adil reas a congre gilion to their edification dig dir provided they are filled with the spirit and power of tiie tile almighty unless we come before a congregation of saints filled wilh with tia tha spirit of god we should do better to keep our heats seats than to occupy their time these have always been my feelings upon this subject I 1 always did rejoice ill in the power ol 01 god and I 1 always rejoiced ti that I 1 was numbered among tile the people and saints of the most alost high fligh and that I 1 had a place in their midst I 1 feel febi that it is a bless ing conferred upon ine lne to have hava tile tiie privilege ge of living iving in this day when god has set ill lil liis ills s hantla hanola second nimo time to redeem liis his people when lie has restored h his is pries priesthood chood with ith tile the power ther thereof beof to the children of men mail I 1 consider it an inestimable privilege viege to have llave part in these blessings that I 1 can be numbered with this people the chosen of tile ilia lord this I 1 say I 1 consider tile the greatest blessing that I 1 ever enjoyed tais feeling is always upon ma me and it is my determination so to C conduct myself that I 1 may be ba worthy of these blessings and continue to haye have a part among this people it is a very great privilege to live in great salt lake city f r when I 1 reflect upon past scenes and our former experience say for instance the tile time we lived in missouri and ile ilg lie the dealings of god wit with his people there and again when I 1 think of the days of nauvoo when we were surrounded with gentile powers lowers and influences I 1 repeat when consider the goodness of god to this people in supporting them and delivering them from tile the wicked in enabling them to gather into these valleys of the tiie mountains when I 1 look at these things f I 1 am truly astonished at the blessings of god that have been poured out upon n this ibis people what greater blessings could wo we have whit moie more could coad we have asked lle ile lie file lord for than to have the privilege lega of gathering together and becoming a separate and independent people by ourselves I 1 recollect a good while ago that it used to ba be preached among the saints by the elders that we should ba be driven drive out from among the gentiles ba be driven ill into to the wilderness and settle among the tiie native indians pres kimball you did not believe it then did youa you the tile fulfillment of those predictions ap pears to me like a great many things that I 1 have prayed for for I 1 prayed that we ve might be delivered from the gentile gentilo yoke and I 1 have actually lived to come to the tiie wilderness and to settle down in the midst of the tile Lama and that tco in answer to my prayer prayers there are a great many things which have transpired since wab wal lacame came here which have caused me much mach reflection for in instance stance I 1 have seen elders men mail of influence and ability men who ill in days that are past pas and gone have taught me that the time would come when we would be expelled from the society of the gentiles and be driven into the wilderness I 1 say I 1 have seen some of or them apostatize after fulfilling illing their own predictions they have left the society of tho tile saints Saint said sald aid ald gone among the gentiles with the ilia very fulfillment fulfilment before their eyes this was always a marvelous thing tiling to me I 1 never could fully understand how bov men mail could apostatize with the tiie light of truth before their ests you might ask me whether I 1 could be so fool ish as chave seen other oilier inen men I 1 and whether rj would vo 1 uld so far forget god and this pe people ople opie and whether I 1 would be tried and tempted with such little things as some somo nien tilen n ien len have been I 1 hope I 1 shall not be so easily over overcome corne coine b by our common enemy when I 1 see my prayers answered 1 I feel to rejoice and feel grateful unto my god then when I 1 consider the liability of mortals to err and go astray I 1 realize ilia tile necessity of being careful of myself and I 1 perceive the necessity of a constant watchfulness for it is indispensably necessary that we watch ourselves that weihe weike care of ourselves selves and see that we are not led into temptation but that we live so as to see the llie purposes of god and the prop liec es of his servants fulfilled in in relation to us individually as well as collectively how singular it le is that some of us should be so easily tempted and tried and finally leave tile the cl church 1 soine some persons who ard are convinced of the tile truth of the tiie gospel who testify of it and wiio who appear to it for a season wilt after a while go into darkness dwindle into unbelief and eventually leave the tiie church and declare positively that they did not know anything about the gospel I 1 always feel that it is my duty to look to myself for I 1 do consider there is as much danger of my apostatizing as there is of any of or the tha saints if ever I 1 do get led astray and depart fron from the principles of the tha gospel of salvation it willbe willbo because I 1 bad myself ot from tile tiie path it is not my breth brethren ren who lead me away from the he path of rectitude and duty but it is my own doings I 1 can call testify today to day that 1 do know this to be the work of god I 1 know joseph smith to be a prophet and seer and Brig brigham harn young his lawful successor and I 1 also know that the spirit and power of the ilia most alost high rests upon the authora t ties of this church that they are men mail of god and I 1 likewise kilo the they y are doing his will coll coli continually I 1 know that we live in a day of revelation when the purposes of the lord are plain ly made mada man manifest irest and we have ad an opportunity of doing a part in this work these things I 1 do know and understand for myself whether I 1 ever disgrace the cause of god or depart from the way of life this tilis day I 1 do know that this is the work of god in all times tittles of difficulty when I 1 think and reflect upon the goodness of god to this people I 1 really do not know liow how to contain myself I 1 feel so thankful that we are here in these peaceful vales I 1 do not know of anything better that we could ask for for we enjoy privileges far in advance of tiie tile rest of mankind notwithstanding the blessings we enjoy some men wish to leave and they say it is because they are so tied up there is so 0 o much tyranny and abuse that ti they thes ey really cannot stand it it would seem to be a great pit pity y for any who have been filled with the true light of the gospel to be led into darkness and turn away from tile the plan of sah salvation a some of them may come back again but I 1 freely confess my feelings when I 1 see a man who has lias tasted of tile the powers of tile the world to come and then see him give way to the of darkness and subject himself to the adversary it causes a satis satisfaction fiction in my own breast to see him film go away I 1 consider it a bles bies blessie blessing sim to the cause pres prest ires eim lim kimball ball bali you would help such a man IV would I 1 d you yon u not yes I 1 would and I 1 would sooner see them go than stay sitay A good mormon will go where lie is sent but if lie he is not told to go lie he will stay here if ever I 1 get so far in the dark as to lese lose confidence dence in any of the principles of the church I 1 hope that some of my brethren will be kind enouf ii to give me a rap in ill the right place that peradventure I 1 may be saved from apostasy apo stacy I 1 have but little faith falth ill in those who once turn away from the truth and speak agal oeal against list theloris the Lords anointed thop thou though gh they may come back and be very sincere still it is very difficult for me ilia to place that implicit confidence in them which I 1 conceive we ought to have in fit each other oilier I 1 feel that we never ought to do anything while we dwell upon the earth that w would 0 uld injure or destroy the confidence of our brethren ill in us I 1 would rather have tile the faith falth of the brethren who constitute the house of israel than to have the riches of the ilia whole world if I 1 have your confidence and that confidence is predicated upon my good I 1 am truly rich and I 1 cannot become poor so longas I 1 have the faith and prayers of the tiie saints of god we belive live in a very peculiar age we are connect with a very peculiar dispensation and this tilis is truly a gibat day and all an important age a time when wilen the tiie lord is gathering tile tiie lle ile lie honest in heart from every nation bringing them into these valleys of the mountains where we can bo be separate and apart from the turmoil and troubles of the wicked nations of theearta the earth where we e call can build up the kingdom kindom of our god while the nations are busily engaged in destroying each each eaph other with their wicked and corrupt practices when mien I 1 think of the tile condition of the world and compare it with the we happiness peace and enjoyment of the tiie saint saints I 1 realize that I 1 cannot do the tile subject justice if I 1 attempt to speak upon it still it alloris me pleasure to reflect upon tile the great work atthe of the almighty when I 1 consider how flow we are blest in being here united free from our enemies and liow ilow low the lord has delivered us from them I 1 feel that I 1 cannot be thankful enough to hirn birn for his goodness to us brethren I 1 believe I 1 have said sufficient this morning to show whether my spirit is good or nolad 11 d I 1 feel to say in conclusion that it is in my heart to do good all the day long and I 1 say may the god of israel bless you and me all the tile days of our lives and ind keep us prayerful that we may always walk in wisdoms paths be humble do his will wiil continually and eventually he be prepared for the blessings promised to the people of god which is is my prayer pryer in the name of jesus christ Cl irist amen |