| Show REMARKS by ny pres president ident tab tabernacle oct 8 1859 isso nepon reported repented nEPOn TED 07 a D WATT with regard to the high council I 1 wish to make a suggestion which has just occurred to me it seems beems to me best test in voting for the authorities to pass over their names for the present resent I 1 do not think there is much fault to be te found with the high councilors councillors Counci lors now in office we are willing to give them credit for all the good 0 1 d they have done and we do not wish to V know 0 w anything against them alt ait although hough bough some of them have injured themselves more than they have others solomon declared better is aboor a poor and wise child than an old and foolish kin din king ding who will no more be admonished 11 this ills is a true saying and I 1 wish to apply it in some respects in the present instance in the remarks I 1 shall now make some may think that I 1 am quite plain spoken and frank with my brethren grant it so also I 1 am with myself when I 1 wag was was baptised baptized sed into this church it was in its infancy alt ait although although houth a considerable number had been ba baptized t zed before me and man many 0 of f them were oller older when they were baptized IK than an iwas I 1 was they improved their minds expanded they received truth and intelligence increased in the knowledge khow ledge of the things of god and bid fair to become full grown men in christ jesus but some of them when they had gained pined a little spiritual strength and knowledge apparently stopped in their growth this ibis was vas in the eastern country and but a few years bypassed passed before the fruit trees tr ec s began beian to cease ease C bearing beaning e aring aning fruit the cherry and p byum I 1 urn trees where this work commenced began to fail in fruit bearing and the black bunches be began g to increase on their trunks and bra branches n ache to caused by the depredations of insects which destroy the sap bap and life of the trees the apple tree also has nearly ceased bearing in that and the adjacent regions one of our old neighbors whose name la is alien allen says bays that thab good apples have for years been very scarce in that country where to my certain knowledge they used to be excellent and abundant and in the few that mature a worm is generally found at the core so it has baa been with many who embraced the gospel la in that country like the fruit trees they have ceased to grow and increase and bear the fruits of the spirit it is a common adage old men mentor for counsel and young men for war until men 1 born boorn in the priesthood grow old therein in faithfulness I 1 would say with comparatively few exceptions youn youner men for counsel and young ment men tor orwar orVar war for tor knowledge and understand tand ing I 1 would rather as a general thing select y young oung 0 men from eighteen years of age the sons of men who have been in this church from the beginning 17 than to select their fathers their minds minas have been but little if any trammelled with erroneous traditions and teachings let the yoke of the gospel be put ut upon those young 02 D men br joseph referred to in his lemarl remarks s who wio have been sowing their wild oate oats for years and they are generally better and more correct in the offices of the priesthood than many of the gray haired fathers they understand more about god airout jesus christ and the government of S god on the earth than do many of the fathers and grandfathers rand fathers it never hurts my feelings to see young exuberant life and animation manifest themselves but I 1 do not like to hear swearing swearing to that I 1 strongly object I 1 also strongly object ib j ec t to their getting drunk to their 1 pilfering 11 fering their neighbors property and to their doing any thing else that is wrong I 1 love to see our young men wide awake ready realy for anything in the line of ill irl hight right lit having their minds bent ben t in the channel struth of truth they learn the truth from their childhood and know but little else if their parents have done their duty in properly direct directing direction in the growth of the young branches Er anches branches their wild foolish childish boyish ca prices will occasionally be exhibited but when those pass off you find in them a solid basis of truth and good principle some few of those who give rein to their wild and foolish notions and seemingly give themselves up to destruction will meet hard times suffering in and trouble will arrest them in their wild career and then they will begin to en enquire 1 re after their friends they will seek t those at se whose bosoms are filled with compassion and good will towards them will cease their follies and their friends will rejoice over them in their efforts to become good and wise do not be discouraged about the follies of the young I 1 know that parents are often much troubled about their children I 1 have heard many relate their troubles and sorrows in this respect though they are comparatively trifling unless your children disregard all your tender solicitude and wise counsels and examples and when arrived at maturity forsake you and go headlong to dut dot destruction ruction when you oti oll will think that you never had any trupe trouble troubie until then the want of bread for them in their infancy was ho no sorrow when compared with such a trial parents you who continue to live the life of a true christian and are filled with faith virtue and good works I 1 promise vou in the name of israels god that you will have bave your children and no power can rob you of them for allwill be saved except the sons of 0 r perdition if they go to hell you will have the th e privilege I 1 of dragging dra g in them from there I 1 if f oa are faithful T that a at is the promise made Ko to abraham you are aware that the children of israel acted as badly as the devil could make them and the lord afflicted them in this life because of the promise he made to their father abraham that he would save his seed you may inquire of the intelligent of the world whether they can tell shy why the aborio aborigines di i of this country are dark loathsome ignorant and sunken into the depths of degradation and they cannot tell I 1 can tell you in a few words they are the seed of joseph and belong to the household of god and he will afflict them in this world and save every one of them hereafter even though they previously go into hell when the lord has a people he makes covenants with them and gives unto them promises then if they transgress his law change his ordinances and break the covenants he has made with them he will put a mark upon them as in the case of the thelamae laman ites and other portions of the house of israel but by and by they will become a white an and delightsome people brethren 1 I 1 wish you to understand thin things thins s precisely as they are we shall dissolve the tee the present high council of this stake many of them are far advanced in years and some of them live at considerable distances from this city they have labored ac according cordin to the best of their ability but I 1 would life ilfe like ilke to see men who never become so old that they cannot learn I 1 desire to see everybody on the track of improvement gaining all the knowledge thel power and advancement possible for them t to 0 gain anc and possess but so it is many of the first members I 1 in this church appear as though they n never ver ven could keep pace with the times mcrea increasing sing in the knowledge of the truth and improving thereupon I 1 will tell you how to expand and increase as far as I 1 know let your whole soul affections actions wishes desires every effort and motive and every hours labor you perform be with a single eye to the building up the zion of god on the earth it if you will pursue this course you will learn every day and make advancements van cements every hour but when you so love your property as to quarrel and contend about this that or the other trifling 0 affair aa as t though h ou raa all your affections were placed upon I 1 t the h e changing n in g fadini fading things of earth it is impossible sible to 0 increase in in the knowledge of truth i M the thrones and kin kingdoms doms cf of earth are frequently chang changing in hands hana adventurers rise up wad or go forth and establish new governments and in a few short years they are cast down to give place to more successful powers all earthly things are chan changing i hands hanas the gold the silver and other property pass from my my hands to yours and from yours to the hands of others shame on a people that place their affections upon this changing matter love god and the things that change not I 1 have a little more counsel that I 1 wish to F give ive lve aurim during this conference and you may tell it to your pa presidents residents bishops high council ors high priests seventies ac imy luy ay iy counsel to the elders of israel is to let whisky brandy d y and other strong drink alone I 1 will tell you how drunkards appear to me although I 1 have been a man of the world yet I 1 have never seen a moment since I 1 thought I 1 had a character or had to establish one when with very few exceptions I 1 would count them worthy in regard to moral character to wipe in my shoes upon figuratively speaking I 1 wo would uld not abuse them but I 1 would give gem lem them something thin to kill the life of the liquor and when they were sufficiently sober ask aak them if they did not think they were extremely foo foolish 1 I 1 8 h probably scores who are not here are drunk now and it is my positive counsel and command that drinking liquor be stopped if I 1 had the influence the world gives me credit for I 1 would not have a single drunkard thief or liar in this society I 1 do do not profess to have that influence but I 1 can raise my voice against 0 those evils in the name of the lord jesus christ I 1 command the elders of israel bisrat those who have been in the habit of getting drunk to cease drinking strong drink from this time henceforth until you really need it but some may think they need it as soon as they go out of this house let me be your physician inthis in this matter so long iong as you are able to walk and attend to your business it is folly to say that you need ardent spirits to keep you alive the constitution that a person has should be nourished and cherished and whenever we take anything into the system to force and stimulate it beyond its natural capacity it shortens life I 1 am physician enough to know that when you yon are tired and think you need a little spirituous liquors take some bread and butter or bread and milk and lie ile down and rest do not labor so hard bard as to deem it requisite to get half drunk in order to keep up your agrios spirits if you on will follow this counsel you will be e full of life and health and will increase your intelligence telli gence your joy and comfort As I 1 have already requested Inow I 1 now again request the authorities of this church in their various localities to sever from this society those who will not cease getting drunk tf if you know a man to be guilty of pilfering or any species of dishonesty that man in his quorum and let his bishop bishop cut him off from the church I 1 have no fe fellowship low with thieves liars murderers robbers whoremongers nor an any ant such characters 1 I never have had and I 1 lope zope hope I 1 never shall have the arthe congregation exclaimed amen it if I 1 had the influence that the wicked accuse me of I 1 would straighten up tip the perverse among P this people and brin bring that zion we see in yip yin vip vision they would either repent and do right or go where society is is more congenial congeni al to their evil habits and practices brethren I 1 desire to so live that I 1 can remain with you until my work on the earth is finished but were I 1 as good as you wish me to be I 1 could not br greeley says that br brigham it i appears to be in no hurry to get to heaven no I 1 wish to stay here and fight the devil until he is bound and all wickedness is cleansed from the tha earth and it is made ready for christ to come and receive his right and it is for us to be ready to abide the day of his coming may god god bless you amen |
