Show sy BV eider elder JOHN TAYLOR TA OR delivered in the bowery great sail salt lako lake city july 21 1867 reported by david W evans I 1 have been very much interested in the remarks made by br bywater this afternoon and in fact I 1 was very much interested in listening to the remarks made this morning it is difficult for anybody to rise here hero and place themselves under the influence and dictation of the spirit of god and not advance ideas and principles that are calculated to enlighten the mind expand the capacity pa cl it 1 enlarge the understanding and enable te ua us to appreciate more fully the blessings of that light life truth and intelligence which god hasteen has been pleased to manifest to us in these last days for our salvation and exaltation it was eaid said in former days and may with iq e equal ual propriety be said today to day hap happy p y is t that h at people whose god is the lord it and if we fall short of obtaining truth light and intelligence from him whatever our situation may otherwise be it Is very deplorable for us as rational intelligent tell igent eternal beings the principles that are made known by the lord and enunciated by his servants are eternal and they are not only calculated to promote our happiness on the earth but also our ha happiness p hereafter they go back to far di distant nt times and show our associations with and relationship to god they have a bearing on our present r besent existence and hap happiness ness and t ph they ey look forward to something ng in the future that is really certain and tan tangible id when we talk about the wor won world and the confusion folly and evil of its inhabitants we look at them as they are we value them at their present worth we do not expect to compare ourselves and our hopes with them and their hopes we have come out from among the world guided by the light of revelation by the spirit of eternal truth by the everlasting gospel which god has sent among us he has gathered us from the world wo we are no f longer longer conger of them and we do not expect to corm corn compare pare ourselves with them and what their ideas views and notions with regard to us may be we care but very little it is to us a matter of very little importance we feel desirous to know what the will of our heavenly father is we feel desirous to comprehend what am are the duties and responsibilities ties that devolve upon us and wo we feel an emulation in our own bosoms to overcome the ignorance evil folly and vanity with which wo we are surrounded that as the servants of god who have dedicated themselves to and made a profession of faith in him we may participate in the spirit that d wells in and with god that we as individuals as cities and as communities muni muril ties in this land of saints may act as becomes saints of the most high walking in the paths of truth virtue holiness and purity A remark was made by br bywater to the effect that perhaps one of the weakest arguments that could be adduced in support of any movement amongst us as a people was one that touched our temporal amm aff mairs affairs or our pockets if we were all perfect this would be a very weak argument but we are not we are very imperfect we are surrounded surrounded by all the infirmities of human buman nature and we exhibit them in the varied actions of life and men have to be dealt with as they are and not as if they were angels or the spirits spirit of the tile yost jost made phrot t etc ett t we are surrounded t with all our infirmities 4 weak weaknesses anti and follies fol ilea lipa and until they hm HI ble H overcome wit w have to be governed more or less lees on nu the principle that I 1 have heard the pre he I 1 1 I like express says gays would t to 5 lead ME this i people a littie little faster but if they will not come up to my ray speed I 1 must make mine correspond with theirs if he did not do thib this he would soon be beyond the reach of the people but ho he has got to be one with us and we have got to be one with each other and we must all seek to be one with the lord we have been brought up in error we have been born in sin and cradled cradled in iniquity we have sucked in superstition sti tion folly and vanity with our mothers milk we have scarcely imbibed one principle that is true and that will stand the test or scrutiny of eternal truth and bear to be compared with the laws of life as is they emanate from god the lord has to deal with us as he be bestman best stean can ean just as dedoes with the world we talk sometimes about the world what could any ruler do with a depraved corrupt world with men lost to every sense of propriety honor integrity and truthfulness men wallowing in vice licentiousness fraud and corruption of every kind what what ruler could govern such a people no one unless he listened to correct principles the lord understood this very well when he commenced gathering people from among the nations of the earth by the preaching of the gospel says he my sheep sheep hear my voice volee and know me and follow ollow me and a stranger 8 t ranger will they not follow because they know not the voice of a stranger god sent forth his servants to the world to declare the principles of truth his sheep heard the voice of mercy merey and obeyed chegos the gospel and the same spirit and influence that operated upon them there operates upon them here hence it is that under the auspices of the spirit of god we were gathered together not in a political capacity but in a religious capacity our moral sense was appealed to our love of honesty truth and integrity was appealed to the light of the gospel as it existed in former days was made manifest to us we admired it believed in and obeyed it and through obedience we received a portion of th the spirit eSpirit of god and felt a disposition to listen to his laws jaws and to be governed by the principles of truth and yet how weak that feeling is still within us how frequently those evil propensities and powers that operated upon us in former days still operate upon us and our minds become befogged be clouded and dimmed by the darkness with which the enemy of truth seeks to inspire us how little we can appreciate the light life truth and intelligence that beam forth from god through the medium of the holy priesthood how little we appreciate our relationship to and standing ing before god and the destiny that is before us it is very difficult for us to comprehend correct principles and it is more difficult still to bring ourselves into subjection to and to be governed by them hence we have to be treated not like men but like children yet notwithstanding the weaknesses and in firmi ties of his creatures neither god nor his servants auts feel like destroying them cutting them oss off and sending them to perdition the lord has never dealt with his people in that way he is full of magnanimity kindness love and find regard for the human family we read that the savior while upon the earth was aiwas tempted in all points points like unto us yet without sin t therefore he is a faithful high priest and knows how to deliver those who are tempted we have our weaknesses our infirmities follies and foibles it is the intention foible of the gospel to deliver eliver us from these it operates upon the mind and intelligence of man that we may be led from strength to strength from intelligence to intelligence from knowledge to knowledge from one degree of faith to another victory over one evil and then over another until we shall see as we are seen and know as we are known if we make any little stumbles the tile savior acts not as a foolish vindictive man tto ito to knock another man down he is full of kindness long buffering suffering and forbearance and treats everybody with kindness and courtesy conr tesy these are the feelings we wish to indulge in and be governed by these are the principles and this is the spirit that ought to actuate every elder in israel and by which he ought to govern his life and actions having gathered us together in the po luon buon I 1 tf on wf we n dow now ow ocell occupy py we are prepared mor mon r lph iff fo to lf he hv cancil ca nril rov rot r other othor flotta laif flot li if tg we auw abat hat the awl orl before eforo uj u i j 14 14 ow of til e brightest that hab has 4 ever atti attl attracted anted the attention of the human mind one in which god calculates to eleva tand exalt us not nat only on the earth but butt in the heavens god has commenced to establish his bis kingdom on the earth and ile he will accomplish his own purposes in his own time and bring to pass his hla design designs s with regard to a world lying in wickedness we sometimes reflect on the situation of the world and feel as though we would be glad to see them destroyed now no right feeling man has a wish of this kind in his heart we should be glad to see iniquity destroyed but unfortunately the workers of iniquity would have to snare in that catastrophe we should be glad to see evil rooted out of the earth and we know that if men will not submit to the law of god by and by however painful it may be their destruction will be consummated and we know as has been referred to that all governments and kingdoms having the elements of destruction within themselves must necessarily and we know that if we could coul have just laws ajust administration I 1 if we could hav have e the revelations of the great god for our guide and men inspired by god fo for r our rulers if we could have what the israelites prayed for and what the prophets have prophesied about the lord for our king the lord for our judge and lawgiver law giver and have him to reign over us there is no right thinking man on the earth no matter what his principles may be but what would ap appreciate such a system et of things as teat that but they despair of accomplishing comp lishing it and they may well despair for with the materials that they have it would be impossible to bring about such a result you may take a graft from any poor tree there is in existence and graft it once or ten thousand times and it will still bear its like but if you can get a better graft and have that implanted there then you may have a chance of having better fruit the lord has commenced on this principle he has revealed himself from the heavens and has restored correct principles which which are calculated to elevate ennoble and exalt the human mind and having commenced this it will be like the little leaven jesus speaks of it will work and work until the whole lump is leavened leav leave ebed faed and has become indoctrinated or inducted into the family of god and become heirs of him and joint heirs with jesus christ having a relationship to our heavenly father that will live and exist while life and thought and being last or immortality endures it is upon this trin Irin principle principle ciple and upon no other that the knowledge now ledge of god will ever cover the earth as the waters cover the deep this is the work that lies before the saints of god but it will not be done all at once it will be a work of time and progress and will require a continual warfare with evil corruption error and vice in all their varied forms it is the greatest blessing that can be possessed by this or any other people on the face of the earth to have the word of god among them and then it is a great blessing when men can up reci reel clace elace that word and honor botand god and his servants and obey his laws this is what we are seeking to attain to bring our passions thoughts reflections and feelings and everything pertaining to us in subjection to the law of god that as wise children under the guidance of our heavenly father we may be able to fulfill fulfil our destiny on the earth whatever that may be and prepare ourselves for an everlasting inheritance in the celestial kingdom of our god the fact is god has commenced to regenerate the world but the world does not know it and we sometimes hardly understand it we become captivated and carried away by every little foible and folly that we see around us we can only understand these things as we live our religion and sf 4 the spirit of god reveals them to us and if we want to know more we must seek for more of the spirit of god which gives wisdom light and intelligence an and enables us to see things as they are and as they ought to be if men man are living in the enjoyment of that spirit there is no difficulty about false doctrines or errors of any kind or evil passions for it will lead them into truth and will enable them to overcome all that is evil and if we e enjoy 11 oy that spirit we shall feel better and appler happier and we shall not see so many faulb fault in our cur neighbors or in the ii prie ibold ur or nn with the King dorn doin of god god for MS aus hie HIP ilehr liehr of f god me tile revelations of the moat mgt high jugh lna ina the hearts of the saints they will willbe be oue oile with each other with the servants of God mith I 1 with G god J od our he heavenly iven 1 father and with mith jesus christ our lord and savior jegust jesus rayed prayed most div devoutly outly for foi this when about out leaving theearta the earth said he neither pray I 1 for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word that they all maybe may be one this is the kind of feeling we should cherish with regard to the world I 1 know there is a feeling that president young Is illiberal in his remarks some bome sometimes timis and that we ought to feel more like catering to their prejudices and feelings I 1 do not think so I 1 think it is one of the greatest blessings we can have to have somebody to tell us when we are wrong and does president young or do any men of intelligence in this church and kingdom have feelings of enmity towards the world I 1 do not think they have I 1 have seen president young travel thousands and thousands of miles without purse or scrip to preach the gospel of salvation to the world does tha that show that he is an enemy to the world there Is no man of reflection and good judgment but what would say to the reverse we have bave come out from among the world for the express purpose of serving god and keeping his commandments building up zion and establishing his his kingdom upon the earth are there not men in the world who seek to do right and try to be just and equitable in their acts yes and there are area are a great many who seek beek to do wrong who are full of lasciviousness corruption and evil a great many who would seek to lead us down the paths of death and destruction and shall not the shepherd who stands on the walls of zion lift up his barnin warning voice what is the good of a shep shepherd beri berg if he does not do that who does not know that combinations have been entered into from time to time right here in our midst for the purpose of undermining der mining the virtue of this deop people I 1 e who does not know that the publio public prints in the east cast have been very profuse in their recommendations to send out fine fast young men to utah what for to corrupt our virtue and to bring us down to their own level who does not know that we have had organizations in our midst plotting night after night to effect the political and social destruction of this people and seeking to undermine their virtue are w we the ser Ber servants of god to sit still and not lift a warning voice in 14 relation to these things are we to go hand band and glove with the world no we are not of the world god has chosen us out of the world to be his people that we may ba be subject to his laws and bow to his authority tho rity do we plot against the virtue of any man god forbid Is there any man on the face of the earth who can bring a charge of this kind against the elders of israel I 1 defy them desus we sustain all virtuous principles here and everywhere in the world where our lot may be cast did we ever go as |