Show TO THE SAINTS it 3 on the of january in the tabernacle elder erder orson orbon pratt sen ben addressed the saints and through an oversight a portion of his bis remarks was printed in vol voi ix no 51 of THE DESERET NEWS previous to being carefully revised since then those remarks have been bean examined by br pratt and the council and are now printed as agreed upon by them as follows REMARKS BY ORSON PRATT tabernacle JAN 29 1860 I 1 will read a passage of scripture to be found in isaiah 52 chap 8 verse verae thy watchmen shall lift up the voice with the voice together shall they sing for they shall shail bee see eye to eye when the tha lord shall shail bring again zion I 1 will this thib morning take these words of the a r prophet as a foundation for a few remarks applying them more directly to myself and if they should be applicable to the congregation gre gation gatlon before me I 1 hope that they together w fa myself will be benefited by the same bame it 13 very evident from this passage of holy scriptures that there is a period of time to acme in the last days in which all ail of tho the liders of israel and all ali the watchmen of zion will understand alike see bee alike and have the same views in regard to doctrine and principles and all ail division of sentiment will be entirely done away then that thab scripture will be fulfilled recorded in our lords prayer as he taught his disciples how to pray our father aho vho art in heaven hallowed be aby name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earh as it is done in heaven when I 1 reflect that in heaven there is a perfect union of spirit and feeling among the celestial throng when I 1 reflect that in happy place there is no disunion one with an other no different views but allwill all ail will wiil have the same mind and feeling lii iti regard to tae fae things of god and then reflect that the day is to come when the same order of things is to be established here upon the earth and then ehen look at the present condition of mankind lam iam constrained to acknowledge that thab there must be a great revolution on the tha earth where are there two meni meol abroad in the world that ree see eye to eye that have the same view in regard velard to doctrine and principle that are of fhe the same mind they can scarcely be found 1 doubt whether they can be found in the world how is it among cs the latter day saints one thing is true in regard to some few of m shall shail I 1 say few rew nol no noi l will say many of hem they do actually in the great fundamental principles 0 the doctrine of jesus christ see eye to eye I 1 cannot suppose that n our infancy and childhood we can attain to all ati of this great perfection in a moment and be brought to see and understand alike but ere is one great heavenly standard or principle to which we must all ail come what is that heavenly standard or principle it is the res oration of the holy priesthood the living ora cleg of god to the tha earth and that priesthood dictated governed and directed by the power of revelation through the gift of the holy ghost that is the standard to which all ail the latter day sainta and the kingdom of god must come in order to fulfill the prophecy I 1 have read in your hearing it matters not nou how much information any man may have before b comes into this church it matters not how extensively he may be taught in the arts and sciences of the day dachow how extensively he may be taught inre gard to various branches of learning it matters not how much natural wisdom he may be qualified with it matters not dot whether he has occupied a high station in the eyes of the world or a low one it matters not what his prior condition may have been when he repents before god and enters into a covenant with the father and the son and with his brethren and manifests before them and the whole world that he forsakes the world add and the wisdom thereof that is that which is called wisdom bythe world that he is willing 0 o forsake all ali things which are of the world hat are inconsistent with the character of god his attributes his word and his kingdom atiat very moment he comes to that point and goes forward in baptism he becomes subject to a different power from what he had before been beeh subject to he becomes a tain tarn lain l ain arn authority that is different be becomes subject to an authority which has come from heaven beaven not an authority ordained of mannot an authority which hab has been originated by human wisdom or by the learning of mankind not noi by inspired or uninspired books for books nev r yet bestowed authority whether inspired or uninspired the tha authority of lesus jesus christ sent down from heaven conferred upon man by his holy angels or by those that may have previously received divine authority is the true and only standard here upon the face of our cur earth and to this thib standard all ail people nations add and tongues must come or eventually be taken from the earth for this is the only standard which will endure and thib this is the only authority which is everlasting and eternal and which will endure in time and throughout all ail eternity this brings to my mind a revelation which was given in a general conference on the ad day of january 1831 the church then having been organized about nine months all ail the saints were gathered together from various laule branches that had been established in the house of father whitmer whose sons became conspicuous in this last dispensation as being witnesses oke the book of mormon whose house houge also aiso badame conspicuous as the j place where the jpseph smith rei re iel i many revelations and communications efrom heaven in one smail small room of at log house bouse nearly all ail the latter day saints east of ohio were collected together they desired the prophet of the lord to inquire of god and receive a revelation to guide gulde and instruct the church that were then present br joseph seated himself at the table tabie br sidney rigdon who was at that time lime a member of the church having just arrived from the west where he embraced the gospel through the administration of some of the elders was requested to act as scribe in writing the revelation from the mouth of the prophet yoseph joseph I 1 will read a portion of this revelation and again I 1 bay say unto you let iet every man esteem his brother haying as himself for what man among you yon having twelve sons song and is no respecter of them and they serve berve him obediently and he saith unto the one be thou clothed in robes robbs and add sit bit thou here and to the other be thou clothed in rags and sit bit thou there and upon his bis sons bons and saith baith I 1 am just behold this I 1 have ilven unto you as a parable and it is even as am I 1 say bay unto you be one and ani if ye are not one ye are arc not pot mine this I 1 consider is a very important item behold 1 I say bay unto you be one and if ye are not one ye are not mine this is very pointed plain and definite language that no man can misunderstand upon what principle are we to beope it is by hearkening in all ail things to that eternal and everlasting priesthood which has been conferred upon mortal morial man upon the earth when I 1 say that priesthood I 1 mean the individual who holds the keys thereof he is the standard the living oracle oracie to the church but says one suppose that we hearken to the word of god in the old oid and new testament suppose that we hearken to the word of god in the book of doctrine and co enacts suppose we hearken to the hordof god in the book of mormon and at the we feel disposed in our hearts to lay lax aile the living or aches what then I 1 answer in the first place that the premises are false faise why the very moment that we set aside the living oracles we set aside the revelations of god why because the revelations of god command us plainly that we shall hearken to the living oracles hence if we undertake to follow the written word and at the same bame time do not give libed to the living oracles of god the written word weil will condemn us it shows that we do not fol foi lovit lorit according thour pro bession fes sion slon this thib is what I 1 wish to bring homo to myself as an individual and if the same thing will suit sult any other person in the congregation I 1 hopet hat bat he will take it home to himself but inquire gone aone how is it that you yon are going to apply this to yourself I 1 will wiil tell teil you yon but first let iet me quote from another revelation contained in the book of doctrine and covenants perhaps I 1 had better read the passage which I 1 wish now to bring to your understanding behold there shall bhail be a record kept among you and in it thou bhail shall be called a seer a translator a prophet an apostle of jesus christ an elder eider of the church through the will wili of god the father and the grace of our lord jesus christ being inspired of the holy ghost to lay the foundation thereof and to build it up unto the tha most holy faith falth which church was organized and established in tse tte year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty in the fourth month and in the sixth day of the month chich fa called april wherefore meaning the church thou bhail shall give live heed unto his bis words and commandments which he bhail shall give unto bouas he receive th them walking in all ali holiness before me for his word shall ye receive as if from mine own mouth in all ail patience and faith falth here then we perceive what is binding upon the church of the living god what was binding upon them thirty yearb years ago and what has been binding upon them ever even since bince from the day that it was given until the day the prophet was martyred marty red down until the year 1860 and until the present moment of time all ail this time there have been a kingdom and church of the living god on the earth and a man placed at the head of that church to govern direct counsel preach exhort testify and speak the truth to the people and counsel them in the things pertaining to their duties and pertaining to the kingdom of god let me get back again the great greab subject before me this morning is the wards words I 1 have been repeating before you and how they apply to myself there have been a few things wherein I 1 have done wrong wherein I 1 have hava disobeyed these instructions that are here laid down wherein no doubt I 1 have offended the lord and wherein I 1 have no doubt grieved the feelings of my brethren and inasmuch as I 1 have haye done doubt I 1 have also aiso brought at many times darkness upon my own owr mind I 1 want to make today to day I 1 do not know that brother brigham or any of the rest of uhe the twelve who have come here this morning except brother benson knew of my intentions I 1 did aid tell teli brother benson I 1 thought of making a confession this morning but the others were not aware of this there are a few things which have been a source of sorrow to myself at different times for many years perhaps you may be desirous to know what they are I 1 will tell teil you there are some pointon point of doctrine which I 1 thrown out oat before the people at the time I 1 expressed those views I 1 did most sincerely believe belleve that they were in accordance with the word of god I 1 did most sincerely suppose that I 1 was justifying the truth but I 1 haye since bince learned from my brethren that some of the doctrines I 1 had advanced in the seer at washington were incorrect naturally being of a stubborn disposition and having a kind of a seif self wilf aboulos meland melani i moreover supposing really and sincerely ince rely that I 1 did understand what true doctrine was in relation to those boults I 1 did not feel to the judgment of my brethren but believed they were in error now was this night right no it was not why because the priesthood is the highest and only legitimate authority in the church in these matters how is it about this have we not a right to make up our oun minds in relation to the things recorded in the word of god and speak about them whether the living oracles believe belleve our views or not we have hase not the right because the mind of man is weak one man may make up his mind in this way and adoth er man may make up his mind in another way and a third individual may have his views and thus everyman is left to be his bis own authority and is governed by his own judgment which he takes as his standard do you not perceive that this would in a short time cause a complete disunion and division of sentiment throughout the whole church that would seyer sever fulfill the words of my text would biever bring to pass the sayings of isaiah that their watchmen should litt lift up voice etc in this thing chave sinned and for this I 1 am to make my confession to the saints I 1 ought to have yielded to the views of my brethren I 1 ought to have said sald as jesus did to his father on a certain occasion father thy will be dond done you have made this confession says bays one add and now we want wani to ask you a question on the subject what do you believe concerning those points now 1 will answer in the words of paul 1 I know nothing of myself yet am I 1 not hereby justified but he me is the lord so far as revelation from the heavens is concerned I 1 have had none nohe in relation to those points of doctrine 1 will tell teil you what I 1 have had revealed to me I 1 have had revealed to me that the book of mormon is from god goa I 1 have had revealed to me that the book of doctrine and covenants is also aiso from god I 1 have had revealed to me that this is the church and kingdom of god I 1 have had revealed to me that this is the tho last dispensation of the tha fullness of thesa these things are matters of knowledge with me I 1 know them to be true and I 1 do know about many things in relation to god and to future events but when I 1 reh ref leftt upon the subject I 1 hav very little knowledge concerning many things what do I 1 know for fon instance about much of what is revealed in the last book of the new testament called johns revelations what do I 1 know about much written in the book of daniel some few things are quite plain but bui what do I 1 understand in relation to some bome few of the predictions in the alth chap of Daniel 1 I 1 doubt whether thera there is a person unless he has been favored with direct revelation from heaven who knows but very little about johns revelations what do I 1 know about many things in relation to the celestial kingdom has the celestial kingdom been opened to my mind no have I 1 gazed upon it in vision no have I 1 seen saen god sitting on his throne surrounded by his holy angels no have I 1 knowledge of the laws and order and government and rule ruie which regulate that kingdom no if the revelations seem to apparently i convey this or that idea still I 1 may be entire ly mistaken in regard to the meaning mearing of those revelations there is one thing I 1 will insure injure you of god gol will never reveal any thing to me or to any other man which will come in contact with the views and revelations which he gives to the man who hol hoi Is the keys we never need expect such a thing but inquires on have hava you not felt feit anxious that the church should follow your ideas as laid down in the seer I 1 have not it I 1 had I 1 should haye have preached them I 1 should have tried to reason with bouto con vince you of their apparent truth I 1 have havo always been anxious the church should be governed by him who has the night right to govern it to receive revelations and to give glye counsel for its guidance through whoa whom correct doctrine comes and ig unfolded to the children of cien nien god placed joseph smith at the head 0 this church god has likewise placed brigham young at the head of this church and he has required you and me male mala and female to sus tain those authorities |