| Show DISCOURSE blemer AMASA al lwman LYMAN bernacle tabernacle Tn october 1 7 RETORTED REPORTED BY G 13 WATT it 1 I 1 do not know that it is ier necessary for me to tell you that I 1 am glad to be here if y you au have but a little of the feeling that influences me ine you know very well that I 1 am glad to be here I 1 an am not glad to be here because ay ray mission is ended for such I 1 do not consider to be the case at all we often say we have been on a mission and we have fulfilled a mission and have returned as though that something had bad been completed and accomplished shed I 1 have been on a mission but I 1 have not come from a mission or from that mission I 1 have ben on a mission I 1 have come home lome on a mission I 1 am still auli on a mission the obliga obligations tina of that mission I 1 feel are not ceasing not becoming less but they increase from day to day and from year to yar years with the increase of knowledge and understanding and the apprehension of the principles of truth I 1 am here today to day for the bame same purpose purposes for the prosecution of the same labor that I 1 have been in in every place that I 1 have occupied as of the truth bince since I 1 first became acquainted with its principles and by such acquaintance I 1 became connected with the work of god my text is furnished me in the people that are before me today to day who could look upon this assembly and be BO so dull so stupid that the ln inquiry would not arise in his bis mind what are they here bere for why all this gathering together of this mixed multitude of people people from so many nations people of different tongues of different customs dif dlf different derent traditions and notions yet having one and the same bame feeling in reference to a few of the details that inake make up the great aggregate of lifes actions for what purpose have we been gathered together from distant nations some may have thought that our gathering here was only for tha the sake of being together for the sake of creating a multitudinous community the multitude we see assembled here bere today to day are here because the kingdom of god is to be built up for if it the kingdom of god is to be built up there must be people to constitute cons titu titue e it there must be a people to be ruled or the rulers would have nothing over which to rule if the mere assembling af of the people together constitute the kingdom of god now why has it not constituted the kingdom of god at other times people have assembled together before communities have existed before yet the existence of such buch communities muni ties have net not and do not now constitute them the kingdom of god one reason why that the gat gathering hering bering together of the people does not constitute the kingdom of god is that the mere gathering of the people is not barly an intellectual operation it does not of itself particularly inform the judgment or enlighten the mind in reference to god and mans relationship to god and his hii purposes recommenced we commenced our labors with you in lands far distant from this we preached the gs pel yel to you listening to that and receiving the tes tei testimony of the servants of god an ani I 1 following the course that was waa indicated by them you have become changed in your circumstances and locality you were located in other parts of the globe and were citizens of other nations but now you are here located in the peaceful vales of utah it 13 now time tine for the gathered saints to begin to learn still more it if th they ey h have a v e n not a already r eady begun to do so and if th they ey have begun i n to learn to continue to learn something of the reason why they are arc gathered to together oether gether that they may be able to discover the true relationship between the actions they perform the labors duties and services that are required of them themi and the development increase and growth into strength and power of the kingdom of god on the earth wen wien we talk about the kingdom of god our thoughts are apt to travel away troma tromm scenes of earth as though it were a matter mitter of the ideas alone and not connected rith with our earthly operations labor dutsis and services there Is no action in life no labors that we perform no relationship that we sustain to god and one another but what should be connected directly with the development of the kingdom of god says one we must become perfect and holy hols we must become fod eod cod like ilke we must become like the angels or like ke the spirits of the just woodwell wh who dwell with god that is true but where is that transformation that change in our condition feelings and circumstances to be wrought out in heaven beaven or on earth at home or abroad where ia Ls the school in which we are to be taught the plain simple unvarnished administrations of truth in a way to bring it within the range of our oun feeble comprehension 0 of truth that we may understand it are we to learn it in any one place to the exclusion of all others no are ve we to learn god and truth where we live YM toa II 11 not trot where in heavens nake nace do YOU expect to learn of him do you live in heaven be with gith ged god and his angels no you 1 live here 0 on the earth here in utah amone t the etere e ragged lagged u 1 J ed mountains that are around us all you know you know here and all you can learn you must learn here while you are here to acquire a knowledge of god is eternal life that appears 1 to many to be a great something thib thin I bay say something because people know not nothing iiii I 1 of god where are you goice golca to obtain a knowledge of god people talk about going to heaven but whence when we find ourselves in heaven we shall find that we have reached it without t going to it heaven ia is a development of internal powers and external changes we learn to know god now as human beings influenced by the effects of sin and folly degraded and surrounded with darkness misery and wretchedness shall we wait until these are put off before we can learn earn of god and get to know that will constitute in us that knowledge which is eternal life no we came here to the valleys of utah in obedience to the requirements of the gospel simply that we might here continue to be taught we came to this thia distant region to learn of god how by in the first place learning ourselves can we know god in this way yes we can khow know min him in no other way we cannot go to where he is to be taught of him personally so nally and to associate with him what have we in this world that gives a truthful indication of his bis character to the mind that is open to the light of truth we have ourselves been made in the image of god then it is essentially necessary that we should learn ourselves as an all important ll 11 tep step to the knowledge of god we must learn to correct our lives and our actions we must learn to govern ourselves and sanctify our affections affect ins ic ns that we may be prepared to hold communion with heavenly the kingdom of god is established now for the development and ot of its ar principles in within us to reflect light on the darkness rk that surrounds us and reveal to our understanding der standing the true relationship we sustain to god aind find the reason dby the requirements of the gospel are laid upon us and why we wo can be saved by listening to tiem tiem and why we are not saved it if we refuse to listen to them when the bound sound of the gospel first reached me I 1 used to have this childish idea that if I 1 ever knew the truth it must be because the heavens would be opened for me to gaze upon the elory glory that ib lis within the vail and this would be the only assurance I 1 could receive that the gospel is true I 1 lived under the influence of this idea until I 1 passed measurably from the condition of childhood of hearing bearing as a child and understanding as a child when I 1 began to approximate proximate roxi mate towards a riper condition of mind I 1 became satisfied that it wasl was not by merely looking at some thing that the mind became enlightened that it was not by merely guessing at something that is incomprehensible that knowledge is developed in the soul I 1 learned that the gospel was true in a very simple way the gospel required me to pursue an upright just virtuous honest course of life with all the world around me and to live at peace with a all ali 1 I m men e n I 1 commenced living in the world without quarreling with anybody I 1 followed fol owed the dictation of the gospel and its requirements and it has saved me from war contention and strife with ma m fellow many man from quarreling rellna relina with my family with my brethren with my friends and with my neighbors in this way I 1 found out that so much of the gospel was truland true and I 1 did not have to go to heaven to find this out neither this is the way I 1 want you to begin belin to learn god and the consequences will be peace and the joy that springs from peace then heaven will be in strings t the e home where you dwell in the tha land and country where you live in your associations with your friends and neighbors and kindred in all lifers varied relations another consequence will be a constant in dwelling of the spirit irit of god that spirit that brings life and light ip b t and knowledge and understanding to ehg the e soul of man that quickens the intellect of man and sanctified sanctifies every power to hold communion with still higher and holier holler principles ci ples we say we want the holy spirit then let ua us so live our religion that thal 1 demay have the holy spirit which will improve our condition continua continually ll y making us better and better citizens ol 01 tb the e kingdom of god with every degree of gain over ourselves in this way we may cultivate and develops dev des elope in us tie individually the principle of immortality that will constitute when applied to the great body of the people of go god the immortality of his bis king dom the basis of its eternal and deathless perpetuity then the development of the kingdom kingdom of god in power on the earth temporally depends upon the self culture of its members upon the culture et of the feelings that rul rule the soul and that give character to the action of the creature when we consider that purity of lite life ia Ls noc necessary essary and requite 1 to qualify a man to be a citizen of the king dom of gd G d we shall cultivate that quality and labor for its development and increase to how many of the infinitesimal details of kioes actions does this principle ciple extend it principle should extend to them afi a irin I 1 we cannot do any wrong that will render us acceptable to god and make us better that is right light which improves and gives life there is a right way and a wrong one to all we do if we cultivate the ground there is a way which if pursued will be fruitful of conse the most moat disastrous while an opposite way will produce profit and reward us for eur 1 i labors there is a way that is fruitful of noxious weeds where something better should i grow ard this is as truthfully the result of the conduct of the farmer as iii is the rich barvest of healthy grain that affords him bread and sustenance some people think they can pray ray the weeds out of their fields and gardens tut but their prayers can only be effectual whan accompanied with a reasonable amount of honest labor rightly and wisely applied I 1 am in favor of praying I 1 iove lore to pray myself and I 1 love to have the saints pray but when you have a great many weeds growing on your land pray tor at your our land and do not forget to go out on to t that land and pull up remove and destroy by your diligent labor the weed plants that so much annoy you we have been told that the lord will not plant our grain for us and cultivate our fields we are here to learn how to do that for ourselves it we do not know Thi this part spart odbur of dur our education we have to gain if we have not already gained it and this will enable us to aid in the building up and development in its greatness and power of the kingdom of god let our labor be BO so applied that when we bow down before our heverly father to ask him to bless anything we have or do tha that we can do so consistently let us hoe boe up the weeds and enrich our fields and ask god to give us a bountiful crop to reward our toils toile we will do all we can do and then ask god to bless that labor and leave the result with him if your wagon has been fixed in the mud get hold of the wheel yours yourself elfand and lift all alt you can cati and then ask somebody else to help you it if you need help eliere is another field that is equally taxed with the support of a noxious growth I 1 refer to ourselves at home we carry about with us 49 sur our notions our habits of thought and our habits of give character to our actions i when for instance the storm of passion is aroused in our bosoms bosom we yield ourselves up to it without an effort and unresistingly allow ourselves to be carried agayby away by its influence from a course of propriety and right and we do wrong wrongs and say wrong things let rising anger be suppressed let the he place where it had bad its incipient being become its grave never let the mouth utter the word that should not be spoken this counsel as applicable to myself as it is to you I 1 have learned long since that I 1 was not called to preach the gospel because I 1 had baft bo no improvement to make on I 1 myself or because I 1 could not become any better I 1 have come to the conclusion that the more I 1 talk about the right and the less I 1 talk about the wrong the more I 1 become occupied with wilh the right and the less danger I 1 bhail shall ha I b be e in occupied by the wrong T this b 1 i is good for me and being go good d f for or me I 1 recommend it to the saints Y 2 want them to live and quietly with one another and learn to do the little things in lifes duty right that we may learn to do this it is necessary that we should control our passions for if we do net not control them they will control us and under such control we do wrong when we control ourselves the result is equanimity of feeling buch euch as is 6 necessary to the exercise of an enlightened judgment if ruch such judgment exist within us cannot god help us it altogether depends upon whether we are disposed to help ourselves or not god will help and bless us when we pursue the course that is acceptable to him if it we strive to subdue stormy passion within us he be will assist us in the good work until the spirit ef of god is not riot merely a casual visitor tor but a constant dweller within us to increase our store of knowledge extend our views and make our conceptions of god and truth more as they should be let us live in this way and we shall speak eak kindly of one another and be more sarit c charitable a ble bie to all men the result of our education is differences of feeling and differences in our way of life we have brought these with us from our distant homes we have brought with us to utah more or less of the od notions bat t at have grown with our growth and strengthened with our strength throughout our lives their influence has been upon us so far as these are in opposition to the truth and the right they must be overcome for as we learn the truth we must exchange our incorrect notions for notions that are correct in reference to livi living ng with one another and in reference to our 0 u r general er conduct in life it is to not some bome bervice service se arvice we have to perform at some remote place from where we are jio jao row that tuat will benefit us but it is how bow we wt deport ow selves here towards one another and towards god how we shall ishall make our farms cultivate our grounds and bow how to use that which we have been blessed with as faithful stewards of the manifold |
