| Show by erder elder GEORGE A s ml til TH tabernacle pm p in april G I 1 t REPORTED BY BV G D WATT i I 1 arise before you to offer a few remarks and to preach from a text I 1 do not know that hat you will find it recorded in any particular I 1 1 volume and it is not exactly possible for me rne to tell the chapter and verbe verse but it will be found in the gospel according to saint brigham sectarian religion sectarian god and the democracy of our country corn compared pared together I 1 we find in the methodist discipline that the god worshipped wor shipped by john wesleye We followers was a very hin bin singular illar b bing im without body or parts arts it in the the presbyterians rians 0 fists and other denomie denominations actions it is declared that he has neither body parts parti nor passions assions assigns as tins this is john knobs old platform 1 never wab was easery very mch much posted in these syb rya terms items of piety but I 1 remember when quite young looking at the book containing the articles nicles s of their heir faith and woride wondering ring what sort of a bei bel being ngit it was that had neither body parts or passions and I 1 might perhaps with propriety add principles or power I 1 lindley Lii idley murray says a substantive is the name of anything that ediss exis but if a being had no body parts or pas passions sious its exist existence rice could only be imaginary Is 1 s appose it would ie be a noun but not really a I 1 un ter ferstand der ler stand a substantive ive lve ac dording according to kiik ellk ham to be the name of a substance the god that moses saw wrote with avith hissin his finger geruson upon he the tables of stolle s one chap 31 id 18 v Y the god that jacob saw walked with him lim jacob was wah no doudt an arl expert wrestler anti and in tile the halit habit et throw throwing inz ing anybody an body that came along see gen 32 chap 24 21 v ile he was wandering about one dight and roeta met a tranger stranger with whom lie wrestled all night and nd when beli heli lie he found he lie could not throw him he be said you are something more moie than a man i or I 1 could throw you ou buo but I 1 will not let thee 1 go thou abou blesa less me for thou art more than indr tal or I 1 could throw thee and ant jacob said I 1 will call the name of the place pince penie for I 1 have seen god face to face and my life is preserved the god with whom jacob ari aleal had sou e body and some parts I 1 need not go goto to work to investigate this subject only to say that the god or oi shipp chipp d by the sectarian world is not the beng beng leng that wrestled with jacob we also leam from the theol 01 book that the lord created man in his own image and in his express likeness man possesses body and parts the result is he is a being in the express image of the father rather the Fa father theror or the god that the arct arians worship is not the leing leing mho who created man but this imaginary deity or myth of cf nothing at all whose center is is sad to be everow everywhere bere here and ancl whose abose circumference cum ference is no where 1 I have beard heard it described in that language which is worship ped by the sectarian world k orld orid can simply be expressed by using the words of 0 the methodist casc pline eline and the creeds generally anawich and with the addition of t two 0 or three other words without body parts passions then add principles or power chatis is the result or of wor nipping such buch a being it is a most indescribable crl cri bable babie religious re ivious co I 1 a confusion that cur langi language tace is 13 made aate to express one of the old oid say baym woe to the multitude tit 0 many mapy people that make a noise I 1 ona anc e went to toa a methodist camp meeting and heasil orre orne thousands of men and women praying sli sll shouting outing screech lnig irig all I 1 at once at tha thal time I 1 I 1 looked round roun dand and thought of the words of the prophet woe to the multitude of many people that make inake a doise noise like the noise ot a sea etwas it was like a perfect bedlam of confusion about midnight I 1 got tired of the noise and thought I 1 would I 1 go away 1 I had tied my horse about a quarter of a mile f om tile the camp camy when I 1 went to get him lie lid had broke the iirth of the saddle drawn the knot of tile the halter bo tightly that I 1 had to 60 clu ciu it bid rid ard aid to lead him seme distance before I 1 coul cowd quiet h m so as to nde fide him this thia will give you an idea of the coref confusion that can be created by a thousand voices in the utmost extreme of enthusiasm and confusion of a methodist camp ine lne meeting eting the different sects differ about al almost most everything that tha t per pertains ains to their rel religion gion magazine tells the following story A mormon elder from salt lake by the name of randall not many years ear sago ago while ona on a visit 0 o his friends ili the state of ohio was requested to attard a meeting in a L society oc ety to which his relatives belonged ue he went and listened lis ils tined to an eloquent discourse he preacher was more charitable than many of the cergy bergy of other denominations and in the course of his remarks said I 1 that each denomination or branch of the church formed a link in the chain with which satan would be bound and thus usher in the I 1 I 1 reign of peace after the sermon wa wab was a ended I 1 I 1 daany any of the breth brethen brethren cn expressed their tion hun of the discourse and bore testimony to t the he truth of what the preacher bad said finally the friends of the elder requested hira hina to ilo speak ile he hesitated but after much solicitation he arose and said 91 1 I believe belleve what your preacher has said in regard to the different denominations that they each form a link in in the chain with which satan will be bound arld and when bound both satan and chain mil will be cast into the lake hat burneth with fire and brimstone according to the testimony of john the revelator and sat down ile he was not called on again but now for tor the second part of my text the democracy of our country I 1 was reading g i the rei remarks narks of a gentleman who was insisting that the youn your men of our country should learn earn to spout spoilt that is is to make a speech on p lipics and be prepared to take the stump A gentleman commenting on it says gold will ruin the country and destroy the union the people being the government having no recognized head and li iving having to express itself gh the belly if you please it takes a long time and by the time the sentiment coz com comes es to thel lead it is so confused and divided that the fact is it would mould have you to suppose that the greater portions of the bibins were in the boots read the p oce edin edins s of congress for the last year anti antl you will see one constant stew eve y man that could get the opportunity would get up ai d pronounce a solemn speech or have it up pruit hil hii at the public expense a at any rate to send home to his constitute cons titue ts to leu lel them know that he be did or I 1 mut mu inu t say something to prevent the dis dissolution alution 1 of the I 1 nion mon vit Nit without hout ever reflecting upon or I 1 bebin 11 the real cause cf the difficult difficulty ty it is a species of oe maddening fury that roils boils rolls along like ilke li ketlie the waves aves of the ei a kind of oe universal confusion take forms ance those who have been the most devoted to the constitution of the united states stakes and and ind they like the anc ancients lents who shouted great is the goddess diana dlana of the ephesians won d sh shout arit great is 13 the con in lon a great aid ald aid glorious thing la is tile the union and every a ep th y would take every y single effort they would make would be to trea read d on the rights of others what is is the matter what causes all this confusion why those men who are placed d in au aw lubonty hority bority from the president down looked silently on and saw the laws trampled af underfoot the cons violated the rights of the innocent trifled with the blood of innocence I 1 poured upon the gromad like ilke water and antl the i little ittle insign ficano body of people the damned mormons cormons Mor mons as aa they pleased to call them driven am en from their homes into tile the A will ibl ihl erness anti ami so peace was from their midst suppose you get the chiist christians lans ians now together and fetch them u up p breand bre and as ask k them to tell us which is i the pure religion take say sa a dozen of tin leading sects and let eich each orie oe tell ell us which is the pure religion of jeus jesus je us christ and they would get pet up such a quarrel such a confusion con coffus fuson on such a hubbub that hat it would be ae impossible to tell anything any thin about it go to work and gather up p the different factions of feour eur our country politically and let them undertake to tell what the matter is 13 and it would only have a tend ncy to show a specimen ef cf that ignorance stupidity weakness and universal confusion which reigns th ot 01 gb out outtie the land when men the lle ile lie latter day dav saints were driven from jackson cointa coin tv in in 1833 jose joseph h smith prophesied that if the people or of the united united states would not bih b ng g to jilt ce that mob and protect the sainta jiin they should have mob upon mob mob upon mob mott until I 1 mob power and mob rule rue sho should lie all over the tile whole hoie hole lai lat laid lard d until no mans life or p ci oe e ty should be safe rafe this prop prophecy litcy is is being beld lit fulfilled the laws iaus of the th country are trampled upon with impunity and there is nothing but bilt a general and universal mob rule there is is really a combination of corruption which exceeds anything any thine which the wrid has w witness atness ed for generations take for instance the officers of the army go into any little de achi nent of the army and thy they get together in in solemn conclave e a and conder condemn nih nry a whole lot of provis provia provisions ions lons sell them I 1 for a mere trifle some of them will then b buy them in again and pay twenty times as mull muli much as they witt boid bold tor for and thus bleed uncle sam samm such stich mon inon are in office every year men dlen in office think it a fine thing to swindle the government ern ment which is only a miserable bi e goose for them to pluck now I 1 will put the text together the religious and political organizations of the country abe lincoln the present president of the united states tl ti at was at any rate he lie occupies the seat and claims the title and ind presides over a portion of the union at washington in name this man la is the representative of thil religious on cn thusia sm of the country for tha the last thirty years ears eart there has been a constant stirring up and firm exertion on the part of the north to get up a crusade against slavery to make the men who live in the southern states turn over their slaves I 1 was raised in the state stake of new york and early movements in tha r ak v at that time a great many men held slaves we drove our slaves to virginia and sold them for the money and got full pay we immediately began to feel sorry for them and began to feel that it was very wicked to keep negroes seeing we had bad got the money for ours our state was waa free from slavery and we desired all tile the virginians to turn their negroes loose we grew more and more conscientious about it the pulpit took the lead the tle sunday schools and every other religious influence that could be brought to bear mr lincoln now is put into power by that priestly influence and the presumption is should he not find his ha hai ds full by the secession of the southern states the spirit s it of would force nim him in spite of his good wishes and intentions tent ions to pul pue to death if it was in his power every man that believes in the divine mission of joseph smith or that bears testimony of the doctrines he preached there is no spirit more intolerant cruel and devilish th in a spirit of religious persecution it carries its cruel cruelties ties to a greater extent and when the civil authority becomes bf comes mingled with the religious and that power is ia unfred united and the sword is placed in their hands it is the most bloody weapon that was ever wielded infidelity is almost harmless compared with it the blood thirsty power that have been exercised under such influence influent re exceeds anything that history records it is a union a combination of civil and religious religion 1 power in the hands of 0 corrupt men and that brought to bear and turned loose upon us with witti a determination to annihilate every latter day saint buu bat god od is oar our shield and our protector it was th this is luence influence rs it tatt brount brought us lis trouble during the administration of mr sir buchanan the republican organs whipped mr lit buchanan into the u stati tati tall war antl anki they then whipped him for getting into it and they 1 whipped I bi p 1 him I im until he got out of it the best he could 1 alii then ihen they whipped whip gd him awfully a for getting out the they meant to k keep e p him there tin un ti til i the work of destruction was done but thank the lord the latter pay saints yet live and yet have an influence and they are yet f fit it now brethren this is the word of the lord and that contention which exists throughout the country and which by its actual division is rendered powerless to injure us is really our protection god uses it to protect us ile he has said the wicked shall slay the wicked the time will come when heli bell the vengeance of tiie tile almighty will fall upon the heads heacks of those that have persecuted slain stain driven and rejoiced over the destruction and affliction of the saints I 1 know that this is the work of the lord almighty I 1 bear hear my testimony to it and I 1 say abat tha if WP we were as we vve ought to be it if we vve listen to the counsel of president yo in nig as we ought to do if we would obey ills his instructions as aa we ought to obey them vve vie we would be the wealthiest people upon the face of the tiie earth I 1 suppose bu however wever so far as tiie tile necessaries of lite lire are concerned we are so now I 1 presume you cannot find a community throughout the united states as large as ours oura but what the present distress growing I 1 out of the plesent financial panic from political disorganization the failure of men to pay their debts tile the refusal of the south to continue in the union among these influences you cannot find a community as large as this but what would be more or less lesa actually in a state of suf suffering fiering for want of bread there is no latter D dy ay iy saint in these mountains but what hat can get good bread and eat that which is good and holesome wholesome hence I 1 r may day a say we are aru the richest people and if we ii had 12 listened as we ou auh ht to have for tor the last four years to the counsel of tile the presidency we vve would have possessed pos essed eed millions of property which we vve do not now the fear there la is in tile the breasts of marly many that the presidency will exercise an inglut rice over their business affairs afi airs that would not give them as good a chance as they ought to have has been teen all the tile while a pian plan to entangle our own feet and has caused us to grope prope like blind meu men in the dark and scramble for the yunes when we might jast as well have picked up the eagles I 1 have been sorry for thit hi I 1 know that a wise head to guide us in our movements in our different settlements to tell us what we should cultivate what kind of thin things we vve should improve in and the advantages to be taken of |
