Show IR IM EM ike IME i alks ARKS TL ak S by president dent BRIGHA BRIG HAM Jf YOUNG delivered doil doii vered in the new tabernacle salt zaira lake city may gih ath 1870 REPORTED BT BY DAVID W EVANS if I 1 can have the tho ears and attention of the people I 1 want to preach to them a short sermon on our present condition and on some particulars with regard to our customs we the latter day saints ag as a people received a command many years ago to gather out from the wicked world and to gather ourselves together to stand in holy places preparatory to the coming of the son of man we have hayo been gathered to Aether together promiscuously from the nations of the earth and in may many respects we are like ilke the rest of the world but I 1 wish to make a few remarks on some points wherein wo we differ we differ from the infidel world in out our ou belief and from the vulgar world in regard to the language we us use it la Is not common for the latter day sainta sainte to take the name of the deity in vain while it is common and quite fashionable to do BO so in christendom herein we we disagree with the outside world or we may call it the vulgar world for wor forno no matter how high or how low their position may be or how poor or how wealthy when people use language which is unbecoming they descend to a very low level and in this respect I 1 am happy to say that the latter day saints differ from the wicked or vulgar world I 1 will also put in the political world it is a very common practice throughout the fashionable political world to gamble we differ also in this respect for the latter day saints are not in the habit of gambling at any game whatever neither are they in the habit of drinking intoxicating liquors which throughout the world at large and especially the christian world is such a prolific source of wretchedness and misery jn in a great degree I 1 may also say that as a people we are not in the habit of lying and aud deceiving but there la Is one thing that we are too much guilty of and that is evil speaking of our neighbors bearing false witness against them As a people we are too lavish in our conversation in this respect our words come too easy and cheap and we use them too freely in many in stances stances this is one thing i m n which we do d not differ so much from the world as I 1 should wish there is 4 another point on which the same remark is true and that is fashion in dress dresa look over als this congregation and we see this demonstrated benoro before us and on this particular item I 1 wish to lay jay my views before the minds of the peoble people to me a desire to follow the ever varying fashions of the world manifests a great weakness of mind in i n gither cither gentleman or lady we are too apt to follow the foolish fashions fash tash ions lons of the world and if means were wone plentiful I 1 do not think that there aro many families among the latter day sainta saints but what would be up to the highest and latest fashions of the day perhaps there are a great many that would not follow these fashions had they ever BO zo much means but too many of this people follow after the foolish giddy vain fashions of tha the world if any persons want proof of thi this they need only iok iol lok k over this congregation and view the bonnets hats or head dresses of our fashionable ladies do they wear bonnets that will screen their faces from the sun or shelter their heads from the rain raint oh no it is not fashionable well abat what do they wear weart just such ae as tho the wicked would wear my discourse will have to be brief and I 1 am going to ask my sisters in particular to stop following these foolish fashions and anit to introduce fashions of their own this thia is the place and th s the time to make known knowlt the word of the lord to the people it is vain and foolish it does not evince godliness and andis Is inconsistent with the spirit of a saint to follow fallow after the fashions of tho world I 1 wish to impress these remarks especially on the minds of my young sla ala i the daughters daugh tem of the elder elders of israel not but what our wives as well as daughters follow fallow many fashions that are uncomely foolish and vain isha bhail shall we introduce a fashion of our own auel and what shall it be bet do you want us to answer and tell yon you hofto make your bonnets let me say to jon yon that in the works of god you see an eternal variety consequently we do not ask the people to become quakers yu akers and all the men wear wide brimmed hats bats and the ladies wear drab ev or cream colored silk bonnets projecting ia in the front perhaps gix eix or seven inches rounded on the corners with a cape behind this is quakerism that isso is so far as heal dresses are concerned for ladies and gentlemen but while we do not ask this we do ask the sisters to make mako their bonnets eo so as to shelter themselves from the storm and from the rays of the sun I 1 have heard a saying that three straws and a ribbon woula would make a headdress head dress for a fashionable lady this was a year or two ago and the same varying fantastic foolish notions prevail with regard to other portions of a ladys habiliments as much as with her head dress A few years ago it took about sixteen yards of common width cloth to mako make a dress for a lady for she wanted two or three yards to drag in the streets to bo be smeared by every nuisance she walked over now I 1 suppose make their dresses out of five yards and a half and othen have liate abundance left for an apron they put me now strongly in mind of tho tha ladies I 1 used to see in canada some years ago who made their dresses out of two breadths of tow and lines and when they were in meeting they were all the timo busy pulling them down for they would draw up the young labes lales ladies ladles look now as if they needed somebody to walk after then to keep pulling down their dresses how foolish and unwise this is and how contrary to the spirit of the gospel that we have embrace dl this gospel is full lull of good sense judgment discretion and intelligence does this look intelligent suppose t he the ladies ladles continue the fashion of shortening nin g their dresses how long will it be before three quarters of a yard will be enough for them vou tou may say that such auch extravagant comparisons are ridiculous I 1 say no more than your dresses and mahy many of your habits and fashions now only they the may be a little exaggerated that is is ff all ail anything is ridiculous more or less that is net not comely I 1 do beseech my sisters to stop to their foolishness and to go to work antlake and make their own head bead dresses if they will they will be blessed do you say how shall we be blessed I 1 will tell teli you by introducing a spirit of industry into your 0 u r families and a spirit of contentment tn into t 0 your hearts which will give you aa axt interest in your domestic cares and malre affairs af that you have not hitherto enjoyed dottor young young says bays that lifes malk cares are comforts and they who take an interest in and try to promote their individual welfare that of oc belr their thein ne neighbors ghiors or of the human family will find a pleasure such as ia Is derived from few other sources they derive deh deu delight lit and pleasure from it and are filled with with peace bace but when the e eyes es of people am aro pike hiko like ilke the fools eye wandering td the ends enda of the earth continually wishing longing for and desiring that which they have not got they are never happy if we will tako the course I 1 have indicated we shall bo be berle berie benent fitted ted tea in our spirits and shall havo have more of the spirit of the lord I 1 wish to say to you yon and you may read it in the bible if you wish that he who has ha the love of the world within within him hath not the love of the father they whey who love tho things of this world are destitute of the love of the gospel of the son of god this is in my scripture they who long and lust after the fashions of the world are of the tho spirit of god evea every person of experience peri ence trill testify that t this s is the truth now sow my stets sisters ai let me urge you to make your own head dresses you have the material here and aud if ir you wish to make your hat with a brim six twelve twenty or three inches wide we will not quarrel mith with you but make your own bead dresses and do not hunt atter alter the fashions of the wicked world if you wish to make a cottage or a corn fan bonnet or a hat make it to suit youl selves but jo do not run after the fashions of the world I 1 expect by a and n I 1 by if this taste for bashi fashion on be not checked to see this house alive more or less with what are termed shoo fly hats bonnets and head dresses and what else get I 1 do not know but no matter what what the name nor what the fashion if we do not lust after the wicked world and when you buy yourselves dresses do not purchase one for six or eight dollars and then want about twenty more for trimmings what is the use of it I 1 asked some of my wives the other e evening what is the use of all this velvet ribbon perhaps ten tehi fifteen twenty or thirty yards tards on a linsey dress said I 1 what is the use of it does boes it do any good gjoa I 1 yas was asked very spiritedly and promptly prompts Y in return what good do those buttons do 0 on the back of your coat said I 1 H how 0 w many have I 1 got and turning ro round u n d I 1 showed that there were none there this reform in fashion and extravagance in dress is needed god has a purpose in it and so have his servants what is it if the lord has given me means and I 1 spend it needlessly in rings for my fingers and jewelry for adornment I 1 deprive the priesthood boodon of that which they ought to have to gather ather the poor to preach tho the gospe gospel 11 to hul gul build id temples and to feed the hungry 1 in n our midst I 1 deprive a people who will baand by and by inherit the earth of so many blessings every yard of ribbon that I 1 buy that is needless need hess fess every flou flouree uee pee and every gewgaw that is purchased for my fam family ily lly need lesly le sly robs the church of atod od of just so much but it as though the people do donot not think of these things they do not inot lay them to heart our wives and daughters seem to forget that they have responsibilities bili ties resting upon them in these respects the conduct of a great maly many of them indicates a a care for nothing but how much ean can steel can I 1 get everything every thing I 1 want I 1 wish I 1 could see something new I 1 want to pattern after iti ill this manifests the spirit of odthe the world worl dand daod and a foolish vain disposition not bat but that I 1 am guilty myself perhaps of using means for my individual person that is not necessary nee but if I 1 do will some of you kindly essar essam tel tei tell teil mp me I 1 recollect once when preach preaching ng in england rn giand gland that I 1 passed tb through rou gh smithfield market in manchester andi andl and I 1 saw some very fine grapes just arrived from frange prance I 1 a penny for tor some efthem of them but I 1 had not taken hair half a dozen steps from the sand where I 1 purchased them before I 1 saw an old lady passing along who I 1 could tell by her appearance was starving to death said I 1 1 I have done wrong in spending that penny I 1 should have given it to that old lady I 1 made it a practice before leaving my any office of going to a drawer taking out oui a handful of pence in order ord er to give div 0 to the numerous beggars abc which everywhere meet the eye in walking the streets in the large towns in that country and in this instance I 1 felt guilty at having havink spent a penny in grapes and I 1 thought of it many times arter afler what else eise did I 1 spend needlessly not much well butchy but say bay some brother brigham do not you have good horses yes first rate rato dont you have nine fine carriage carriages carria geh 77 yes I 1 do do you know where I 1 got them but some arthem of them were given to me and I 1 thank god and those who bestowed them and I 1 use USIE them prudently but I 1 would as lief ller my poor brethren and sisters bisters si would ride in my carria carriage e as to ride in in it myself yet in in many things I 1 may be to blame and do wrong but in many things I 1 know that we as a people do wrong well bro brigham what shall shail we dolp do I 1 say make your own head dresses here is abunda abundance aee ace of material to do it with wilh and it ignot is not right for meto me to pay out hundreds and perhaps thousands of dollars annually for needless articles of dress for my family the same is true of my brethren if that means were weno to go to gather the poor this eason reason it would bring many from the old countries about this however I 1 will say that it is rather discouraging to bi braug lg people here here bere and to put them in situations to live and accumulate and then the they y as soon ai as s they make blittle azitile means lift th their thein ein eln heel against god and his nevertheless erth eless it is our duty to feed nine persons who are unworthy rather than to turn away the tenth if he be worthy it is better to bring ninety nine persons persona here hene who are unworthy than to leave one that is worthy to perish there consequently we say we will do all we can they whom we bring here are agents for themselves before god goo and they act for themselves but bat now brethren and sisters let lot us stop and again consider and think can we not sustain ourselves more than we do I 1 d do 0 not ask my sisters to make themselves sunbonnets sun bonnets and wear them and nothing else I 1 do not say all of you adopt some particular fashion and stick to that alone this is not the question the question is will we stop wearing that that is so useless and needless if we vo will we can have scores of thousands annually to bestow upon the poor to rear temples to bui bul build ufa tabernacles and schoolhouses school houses to endow schools to educate our children and to aid every charitable institution and every other purpose that will advance the kingdom of god clod on the earth this thia would be wisdom in us what do we think about it what do you sa say young ladies ladles 1 mean all of you this side of a hundred years old will you atop stop following the foolish fashions of the worl dand begin to act like people possessing moral courage and good natural sense if this is your mind brethren and sisters I 1 ask yu you young oung and old to make it manifest as Y I 1 ydo do by raising your right hand A sea of hands was immediately raised some no doubt neel feel ready to say why bro brigham do 0 not you know that your family is the most fashionable in the city no I 1 do ut not but I 1 am sure that my wives and ch children r e n iu in their fashions and gewgaws gew gaws cannot beat some of my neighbors I 1 will tell you what I 1 have said to my wives and children shall I 1 shall I 1 expose what I 1 say to them on these points yes I 1 will I 1 have said to my wives if you will not stop these foolish fashions and customs I 1 will give 1 you a bill if you want it it that is waa what t I 1 nave have said and that ia is what I 1 think Well but you would not part with your wives yes indeed I 1 would I 1 am not bound to wife or child to house or farm or anything else on the the face of the earth but the gospel ot of the son of god I 1 have enlisted all in this cause and in it is my heart and here is my treasure some may say why really brother brigham you almost worship your family you think a great deal of your wives yes I 1 do but from my youth upi api never had bad but one object in taking a wife and that wag was to do her good the first one I 1 had was waa the poorest girl I 1 could find in the town and my object 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