| Show 1 instructions by president Prel dent BRIGHAM YOUNG tabernacle PC oct 6 1850 1859 REPORTED BY 0 D vve we have assembled this mornin morning a in the capacity of a conference and aa as it ia is also our ikast day we will conduct the forenoon services as we generally do in our oar fast day meeting meetings so when then the saints meet to express their feelings and to astren strengthen 0 then each other in their faith of the holy gospel we will so far as the time will ivill permit give all the Saints who may wish the privilege to freely express their views and reflect reflections tons lons to thi this s congregation 0 and I 1 hope w we e thail hail hall be enabled to appreciate the privilege we enjoy I 1 am aware that the saints like to speak often one to another if the candle of the them lord is lit up within them and it is their delight t to walk in the light thereof and diffuse that light to others that they also may enjoy its blessings you yu are well aware by your own experience that mankind in their feelings and spirits are more or less subject to be operated upon by surrounding influences you no doubt discover that you are very much inclined to mingle with and participate in the feelings and exercised of the society in in which you are arc mankind are naturally inclined to associate onedith one with another deprive an individual of the society of his fellow beings 0 and life becomes wearisome and a burden to hims him his hours and days become monotonous and tedious this people as a religious people are more blessed with the spirit of association than are the generality of those called christians A gathering and ana social spirit seems to be the order of heaven of the spirit that is in the gospel we have embraced though it may be esteemed as a fault as an unwarrantable act to separate ourselves from those who do not believe as we ave believe yet such is the nature of a portion of our religion per pertaining bertaini taini ly to the performance for mance of outward duties it the latter day saints can associate together free from the contaminating influences that are in the world it is a blessing and a great privilege what would induce a child to grow row up in the wickedness of the wicked corid world if it never saw or heard any of it would you see the fruit you now see produced you would not if children never heard language intelligent beings in their most heated passions they would not know what to say they would have ave no words to express their wicked feelings until reflection would take the place of anger a and they would refrain from it it lt is very true that through I 1 gh the fall we are all ail prone to evil it is also aiso true that the spirit in in man is pure and holy upon its entrance into a tabernacle and perfectly prepared to be influenced and receive instruction being united with the body which was brought under condemnation through the fall they are in connected in a probation and while they remain together age the spirit of evil through the fall has great power with the body and the body through its intimate connection on tion has great power with the spirit and for this reason both are prone to evil still it would be difficult to find fin a person upon the earth so vi vile ae so wicked so overcome by the grossness of earth that the holy principles and acts in the lives of the righteous are not more beautiful to them than are arc the wickedness and corruption in the lives of the and disobedient the human family naturally admire a life of virtue and truth and abhor falsehood and every kind of wickedness the spirits that the almighty has put into their tabernacles will more or less liss admire goodness inwardly if not outwardly though they are often overcome by the evil propensities that pertain to the flesh since we are permitted by our father and our god to do good let us never suffer ourselves to be tempted to be drawn asnie aside to be overcome or thwarted in the holy purpose that the pure spirit of intelligence the spirit that is in us reveals to the understanding not but th at it is necessary in the very nature of things in the e economy conomy of heaven that we should be tried and tempted in all things in order to prove ourselves and prepare ourselves to enjoy that eternal life that is prepared for the just fust the time will be when people will not be tempted as they now are when there will be no tempter upon the earth the knowledge and intelligence that will be diffused among the people will enable them to live a time and a season without the tempter but bat we live in a day when the power and rule of that evil principle is more excessive upon the earth that it ever has been As the prophet said for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covet from the prophet even unto the priest riest every one delleth falsely mankind in it the present day are further from the he t intelligence li gence the light the glory and the powe power r of the he invisible than ever they were before from the days of adam until now there never was a day of such heathen darkness and unbelief as now prevails we have had the privilege of receiving those holy principles calculated to give us power to secure to ourselves eternal life and happiness if we follow out those principles it is a constant warfare As the apostle expresses it the flesh listeth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would would the spirit that is put into man is is pure and holy but through the power of evil with the flesh it is more or less contaminated influenced seduced and brought into bondage by the evil that exists upon the earth det ret let lev the spirit overcome and come off conqueror while we nye have the privilege of speaking to each other let us its speak words of comfort and consolation when you are influenced by the spirit of holiness and purity let your light shine but if you are tried and tempted and buffeted by satan keep your thoughts to yourselves keep your mouths closed for speaking in produces fruit either of a good or evil c character ar acter if persons think that they have greater sorrow and affliction than any others when they reveal that sorrow and affliction it produces fruit you frequently hear brethren and sisters say that they feel so tried and tempted tem ted burteh and have so many cares and are so buffeted that they must give vent to their feelings and they yield to the temptation and deal out their unpleasant sensations to their families and neighbors make up your minds thoroughly once for a all ail 1 that if we have trials theford the lord has suffered them to be b brought oh upon us and tie will give us grace to bear them po and that they do not concern our families friends and neighbors we can bear them off alone but if we have light intelligence that which will do 0 good we will impart it but our bad feelings our desponding feelings our dark hours and disagreeable sensations we will keep to ourselves let that be the determination of every individual for spirit begets spirit likeness likeness feelings beget their likeness and custom cus custom tom you know very well by your own experience that you are naturally inclined to more or less adopt the customs feelings and manners of the people you associate with if then we give vent to all our bad feelings and disagreeable sensations how quick we beget the same in others and load each other down with our trouble sand become sunk in darkness and de despair spairl if yoa yo a have anything good to say speak it and comfort the hearts of or the saints if you have that which tends to death keep it to yourselves we do not want it for we already have plent plenty of f it frame your lives according to zeo yeo the precepts of the goseer gospel let your deal walk and conversation be a that upon which an anel nel a n nei el can look with pleasure and in all your social communications or whatever your associations are let all the dark discontented murmuring unhappy miserable feelings all the evil fruit of the mind fall from the tree in silence and unnoticed and so let it perish without taking it up to present to your neighbors but when you have nave joy and happiness light and intelligence truth and virtue offer that fruit abundantly to your neighbors and it will do them good and so strengthen the hands of your fellow beings even though you may be looked upon as an outcast vile people not worthy of the society of what are commonly d deemed eem the intelligent portion of the world this reminds me of what a man in connecticut I 1 said when he was preparing 0 to emigrate to I 1 utah his aunt was deepa deeply regretting that he was going away off t to 0 utah ah to live with that dark and outcast people dear boy you are going entirely away from the christians 11 he replied aunt I 1 have prayed for years to be delivered from these christians 11 lam ram happy brethren and sisters that we are measurably delivered from the so call ed christians do you wish to know why I 1 am happy for this deliverance because we have the privilege of associating to together V her and pouring out the intelligence god has given us and is revealing from time to time that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of the hand are not much trammeled by the fashions customs and contaminating influences of the world are there good men and women among them yes a great many who are just a as so far as they know as we a are re IV we food gave ave the benefit of further knowledge and further commands in this generation being actually the disciples of the lord jesus understanding our master and his business and mission upon the earth we have the privilege of diffusing this knowledge to the nations and calling out those who wish to join hand and heart in b building up the kingdom of god in the last days in bring bringing ing forth the zion of god and bringing bringing about one universal reign of peace ang and righteousness upon the earth it is our business and is all the business we have on our hands to redeem the nations of the earth and produce righteousness and abid the knowledge of god until it shall go forth like the light of the morning sun and let me say to you latter day saints wake out of or your slumber and prepare yourselves for days that are fast approaching for times are approaching pro aching of which you are little aware forsake the spirit of the world bid farewell to your love and affections for the things of the tho world and cleave unto god and unto those things that are calculated to prepare you to dwell in this presence the earth is the lords and the fullness thereof and he deals with the children of men according to their agency according to their knowledge and power to let each and every one have an opportunity of proving themselves worthy to be crowned with crowns of glory immortality and eternal lives and it if they forfeit them they must abide the consequences but if they live the principles of the holy religion that jesus christ has produced on the earth they will be prepared to dwell eternally in his presence brethren and sisters I 1 will make one request of you when you speak speak so that we nye can hear and understand you whether it be much or little good or bad if you haye have nothing to say take my counsel and keep your seat if you have anything to say say it and when you get through stop lt your feelings be governed and controlled bythe by the principles of eternal truth as should the children of god delighting in truth and righteousness let the wicked say what they please for their breath is in their nostrils and all their glory is like the grass and the flow flower e r of the grass that basseth away they are here but for a moment and soon those who know them now will know them no more forever they will soon be as though they had not been upon the earth let not your feelings feelings P bs be afflicted nor in in an anywise ta troubled by the sayings and doings of the wicked for they are in the hands of the almighty and he will dispose of individuals and nations as him good ile he must give e them an opportunity opportunity to receive the truth and d prepare 1 ebare t themselves em selves to dwell eternally with lil ill him m or to reject it and prepare themselves to be cut down as cumber ers of the ground to suffer sulter the wrath of the alm aim almighty aty and perish and be wasted away until I 1 they will be known no more seek for that which will endure set your hearts upon thase thin things thins 1 s that wil abide not only today to day tomorrow to morrow this year and throughout your life time but also the coming of the lord jesua jesus christ and the tho presence of the alm aim almighty 0 h ty who dwells in eternal burnings bur ninga may gol got bless you amen |
