Show REMARKS hy ily president BRIGHAM YOUNG s nox box E euer ida junez juner june r ico ido BT BY OD WATT I 1 am happy brethren and sisters for the privilege of again meeting with you here and speaking to you I 1 hope the spirit of truth dwells within you and that you have received an increase of 0 that spirit since I 1 last saw you the toe mind that is stretched out in searching after the things of god that is searching after wisdom is quick and active and a great many reflections pass and repass and it queries how things are and would like to know much that it does not now know probably we know quite as much as we should at present were I 1 to ask the ques question tiong do each of you live up to all you know do you ma magnify on if y every principle of god and godliness every principle of the holy priesthood as well as you know how dabby day hour by hour and from moment to ino rno moment ment what atwould wh would bedour answer answer do you think that you improve every moment of your time to the best advantage or would you rather be ready to acknowledge that in you come short odthe of the blessings inger of the kno knowledge cledge 0 we are in possession of lb I 1 believe elleve would sayat say at once until we can live nearer to the light and better improve upon the blessings of the knowledge that god has bas bestowed upon asit would probably be better for ds busnot not to know any more of heavenly things 0 s thanks already taught do you know this work which you have embraced comm come commonly only called mormonism to be the gospel of life and salvation if you do you knouft great deal that pertains to principles of life eternal if you do not know this work to be frue rue it is yolar privilege to know it aga ada anat r at aahmes all ali limes you have the privilege 0 of doing as much good od as your hearts can desire jf if you are satisfied that there is such a place as Irela noor En england kniland iland lland without going there that is all ebe ibe knowledge 0 you at present wish on that subject if y you ou are satisfied in your sensitive powers and faculties that god has reve revealed aled the hol hoi holy y priesthood established his kingdom upon the thi earth r restored the fullness by of the gospel and andea abet to his hand to gather the house of Israel this will answer your purpose leaven ose just as well vell as though you went into heaven to see bee for yourselves IE it you believe with all your hearts you are entitled to the blessi blessings figs of the things of the kingdom it is for yourselves to know and judge with regard to enjoying the fruits of the spirit you are pretty well conversant with them q you know pretty well weil when you see those fruits they h ey are aie enumerated in the scripture and more has hag been revealed by the manifestation of the spirit than has yet been written if you are satisfied that dior Alor mormonism monism is true and that you have the enjoyment of the spirit that accompanies the priesthood you can rejoice e evermore I 1 er 0 r pray without ceasing and in everything t h in g give live i th thanks an ks you will overcome every evi evl evil 1 I passion i that tends to bring darkness instead of light hatred batted instead of love which should reign predominant in your bosoms instead of walking in the dark not knowing where you are going or what your lives are for you will walkin the light and rejoice in in our present existence and instead of spreading ihrig sin and iniquity you will do good and spread intelligence among your families and neighbors and throughout your c cities and continue to increase in the wisdom that promotes the happiness of the children of men and causes them to rejoice in and profit by their present existence it is not enough for us to have the good spirit sufficiently to satisfy us that we are prepared to enter into the kim kingdom dom of heaven though this is all that some people desire but that will not answer the purpose of a latter day saint you have the privilege to receive the spirit of the kingdom and to rejoice in that spirit then you have ave the privilege to exercise your faith to live the first principle that pertains to the intelligence god has bestowed upon us is to know how to preserve the present organization with which we are endowed it is mans first duty to his existence existences a knowledge of which would cause him to use all prudent efforts for the preservation of his life on the earth until his bis work here is completed we have formerly been accustomed to hear such expressions as III 1 I feel great con concern cern about my eternal salvation I 1 feel very much troubled today to day very lonely barkand dar kand gloomy I 1 have fearful dreams I 1 want to hear something about my salvation come to the anxious seat come and give all to christ give your soul to christ what shall I 1 do to be saved come forward and we will pray for you give yourselves to christ come and be prayed for and give yourselves wholly unreservedly to the supreme being when shen they do not know where he is what he is is nor what he is doing nor whether he created us ils or not yet at times under that sy system the cloud of gloom of darkness and terror that has rested on their understandings is removed in a greater or less degree and ana they are filled with joy and peace and exclaim 1 I know that my redeem eril ives 11 they do not know where they are from nor what they came to this world to do only as they have been taught by their parents bly my soul rejoices and I 1 am ready to die 13 seems to be the ultimate of their religion we are here to live to spread intelligence and knowledge among the people I 1 am here to school my brethren to teach my family the way of life to propagate my species and to live if in my p power ower until sin iniquity corruption hell the devil bevil and all classes and grades of abominations are driven from the earth that is my religion and the object of my existence we are not here merely to prepare to die dig and then die but we are here to live and build up the kingdom M of god on the earth to promote the priesthood overcome the powers of satan and teach the children of in men en what they are created forbat for hat bat in them is concealed the germ of all intelligence here is the starting point the foundation that is laid in the organization of man for receiving receiving 0 a fullness of eternal knowledge and glory are we to go yonder to obtain it no we are re to promo promote fo e it on this earth our neighbors who have driven us from them wish to civilize us you have bad a little experience inthe lessons of their civilization in the drunkenness quarreling debauchery fighting and tumbling into ditches th they wish to civi civilize ideus us but I 1 do not want to talk taik 7 about it they are to be pitied for they are Ii pening ripening for destruction the latter day saints throughout the valleys in these mountains and throughout the world ought to be kearnin learning what they are on this earth for they are here to increase and multi multiply ay to enlarge to gather the house of israel israel redeem zion build up the zion of our god and to promote that eternal intelligence that dwells with the gods and begin to plant it in this earth and make it take root downward and bring forth fruit upward to the glory of god until every obnoxious principle in the hearts of men is destroyed and the earth returns to its paradisiacal state and the lord comes and dwells with ti eople ae and walks and talks with them a as ne he olied did with father adam that is our business and not to suffer all our energies to be expended in merely preparing to die jesus says lle ile lie that and believeth beli eveth in me shall never die 12 his ills body may be laid away to rest for a short time but he shall not taste of death when his spirit is released from th a 0 mortal tabernacle the body drops back to mother earth but the spirit departs with an assurance thattie that the body will not always remain in inthe the dust the ile body has merely fallen asleep for a while leto tobe bagain again quickened anduri anduly and united lt ed with the spirit to live forever it is recorded you are aware that in informer former days mankind lived to a great age to over nine nino hundred huldred fears years it is written that ma ala thu sela seia lived to the greatest age years and perhaps many others lived to a like age and would not you like to ta live long upon the earth with power to overcome diseases to overcome your enemies to enjoy life to plant ghr gardens dens build cities and adorn and make them beautiful set out shade trees orchards and vineyards make walks parks and ornamental grounds and have schools academies and universities living six seven or eight hundred years and more to enjoy these blessi blessings rigs riga A few thousand years ago mankind outlived many of the present generations could you live to see twenty thirty or more generations come and go see kings icings rise and fall or pass away for many hundred years observe the rise and fall of governments and enjoy all the pleasure and comfort of making a portion of this earth bloom as the garden of eden would you not like it you would for even now you cid cin cling to the earth insomuch that if you thought you was going to die before tomorrow to morrow morning it would be send for the elders run for a doctor and some medicine it is written that in the latter days the age of man shall be as the age of 0 a tree when th the e lord shall brin bring again zion the prophet understood der stood that aaa what had been would be again also that mankind would become blinder an and blinder in their understand understandings ing s and make their days shorter and shorter until they would become almost extin extinct ct and that then the lord would begin to revive revive his S spirit irit and power and priesthood among his children and when ile he could get fret a people that would hearken to his voice he ile would begin to add to their days to their intellect to their stature and to every power and virtue of life ag as at first bestowed upon the human family how are afe aeto we to magnify the priesthood unless we segin b egin to ta perform our part towards bringing to pass this restoration this is a work in which the female portion of the latter day saints can be efficient co laborers lle ize the ile si sisters may inquire what can we do rule your own passions and exercise faith until you can govern and control your appetites instead of drinking tea coffee cottee and hot drinks that is one of the smallest duties 1 can think of permit your bodies to have natural forms also take pains to have the bodies of your daughters grow naturally and teach them what whal aaa t ley aey are made for and that they through faith must overcome every besetting sin and every unholy passion and appetite sisters have faith and begin so far as in your power lo 10 assist in raising a posterity that the lord will delight to own and bless that ther their days may begin to be lengthened and teach them good wholesome and holy principles much can be said in reference to the duties of parents in regald to their posterity it is our duty to approximate in all things toward the day of perfection and to constantly reflect and act upon the best course to pursue for the attainment of that blessing you probably wish to know what I 1 think about the latter day saints in this northern country I 1 think of you as well as ever and a little better I 1 care but little as to the outward appearance if I 1 can know thab that there is at heart a true feeling to do the will of god to be honest before god and with one another and in addressing a congregation though the speaker be unable to say more than half hale a dozen sentences and those awkwardly constructed if his heart is pure before before god those few broken sentences are of more value than the greatest eloquence without the spirit of the lord and of more real worth in the sight of god angels and all good men in pra praying ving though a persons words be few and aa awkwardly expressed if the heart is pure before god that prayer will ava avail ia more than the eloquence of a cicero what does the lord the father of us all care about our mode of expression mankind have fallen into the deep vortex 0 of darkness they know not from whence they came they have sprung from their father god and savior and have all gone butof out of the way the simple simpie honest heart is of more avail with the lord than all the pomp pride splendor and eloquence produced by man when ile he looks upon a heart full of sincerity integrity and childlike child like simplicity he be sees a principle that will endure forever that is the spirit of my own kingdom the spirit I 1 have given to my chil chii children drell be honest I 1 love the latter day saints and think as much of them as I 1 ever did it is three years since I 1 was here and I 1 will tell vou you what I 1 think of some things that have happened in that time I 1 think that those wh who undertook to civilize us have learned that the undertaking did not answer their expectations I 1 also think that some of the brethren have been wild crazy bewildered apparently not knowing their rl hight right ht hands from their left wagons have pa passed ased through greaf great salt lake city with the inscription to cache valley or larson carson we dont care a d n which what does that prove that some are reckless and would just as soon go to hell as to heaven what do they know have they been seen segua jesua do they know that this is the g gospel 0 8 P el of salvation and know their father and god who dwells in eternity dor do they know that they are his offspring no no more than israel did when the prophet said the ox knows its owner and the ass its masters master crib but israel does not know their god such stich is the case with some who call themselves latter day saints their fee feelings linga are 1 I dont know whether carson or caage cache valley is the best place whether I 1 should go to california or to the states to trade traded and they are as ignorant of heavenly things thins a as 3 are oar mules that we hitch to our wagons this is the case with only a very few of the saint saints but there are a few who have sunk into darkness what do you think br brigham of our conduct during the move and ulyier arder the circumstances cum curn stances since that time I 1 think that the very great majority of you have done extremely well weil and I 1 do not think that many moved from here but what were perfectly willing ng to do so A very few say they have been b broken to ie u up p and they do not know what they shall do the great majority say all I 1 as s ri right ht those few do not understand the true pAn principle ciple of increase you may plow sow plant irrigate etc and you have not power and will not have for a long time to produce one kernel of wheat some S 0 me do not seem to realize that the lord gives give s or takes away increases or diminishes at his pleasure after the devil by permission had str aped job of his possess possessions ions lons in a short time the lord blest him with a greatly increased abundance the lord suffered the devil to strip him of what he had blest him with and then increased those blessings t thus it is with his people in all ages the people here are rich look at those who were in in missouri in nauvoo and in winter quarters and there are only a verv very few feir but what are nov now now rov worth more than they ever expected to be the lord has increased our flocks and herds until some are sorry they have so many for the indians and thieves to drive away look at the fields the settlements the good houses and the nume numerous rons rong comforts and conveniences calculated to make home useful and happy throughout the territory you yon ou see a people pepie more industrious than any other othen ier ker people in in the world and one |