| Show a is a B M MA KI A nie RIX B K S gy y prest PABST YOUNG YO delivered in the new tabernacle tafter naci salt t eake lake ay city juby july ard 3rd 1870 i BY DAVID danid I 1 W V EVANS 1 I have a few words i to bay say to tha the lat ter day saints with regard to borrowing money and not repaying it the individual referred to by brother car ia is not the only one who has lids done this if we berato werd were to do justice by them hem I 1 think we should deprive them of f the fellowship of the saints until tl hey they learned to keep their word and to deal deai eal eai honorably with their brethren it is bad enough quite bad enough to borrow from an enemy eneany and not repay him to do this is beneath the character of any human being bubb but all who will borrow from a friend and especially from the poor are undeserving the fel low howship ship of the saints if they doi do not rd repay if anybody in tho the congregation is disposed to make a motion to that effect I 1 certainly should put it to the vote then again I 1 will pause there are circum circumstances st that are discouraging and which natu nath naturally rally raily weaken the faith falth and aud confidence of the saints and few things more so bo than to send money to bring the poor home to zion and after ife Jfe teaching aching thern thein how to tako take care of themselves s to accumulate the necessaries of life around them and ana when they become come comfortable and haver have a little to spare for them to lift their heels against i god and hia hla anointed and this is done I 1 look pv over erthe ithe congregations of the saints as I 1 travel through the territory and I 1 see quite a large percentage ver yer of people who I 1 know never in their lives owned a house a noot foot of land a 91 horse a h wagon a car carriage flage an ox a cow a sheep or eveah even a fowl but gather them here make them comfortable and put them in happy circumstances and they often forget their god their covena covenants tifa and their benefactors ido I 1 do not hot know of anyone excepting the unpardonable aln ain that is greater than thaw chesin the sin of ingratitude and aad I 1 do da think that many of this people are guilty of ita I 1 will say however horev er that if there be those in this congre congregation atlon who have held out to the poor saints any prospects of helping them to 0 o gather keti keep keep your word with them A very serious question frequently arises in my mind with regard to the character of men and wo women m en it ilia 13 this ame are our characters our own we may say yes we form these characters I 1 suppose that we wo are fortunate enough t to 4 porm form a good honest character in the minds and in the faith falth who are acquainted with us do not those char chat apters belong to tb our beig though we may be the framers of them and I 1 would like to ask aak have we the right ta t them it ia Is a serious question with me if we have bonfi confidence dence in each other and our conduct has been such that we have created confidence in the feelings of our neighbors towards us have we a right to destroy that confidence fi Is it not sacrilege I 1 will simply reply by giving my views with i regard to myself aco according 0 adl n g to the knowledge edge which I 1 possess it is a great deal easier for an individual to preserve a good character than to frame and make one if it is lost it is much easier to keep a fort when it is well armed and defended than to give it into the hands of the enemy and then regain it consequently we had better keep our characters if they are good than to the enemy to rob us of them now to the latter day saints I 1 will say that when you received the gospel in foreign lands you received no more in comp comparison arnon arhon than a child receives at school when he learns his first lesson if be he masters the alphabet he thinks he is progressing finely if the saints receive the alphabet abroad they are doing well when they come here they have more to learn the school we are in will never cease the lessons we havo have hav to learn will never be less than those which we have received they will ili never end consequently it is important that we school and train ourselves until we are in fil subjection to the mind and will of heaven in passing through the world 1 X see t that hatt haft the he most of parents are very acx i ious ions to govern and control their children As far as my observations have gone I 1 have seen more parents who were unable to control themselves than I 1 lever ever even saw baw who were unable to control their children if a mother wishes to control her hen child in in first place let her learn to control herself then she may be successful in bringing the child into perfect t subjection to her will but if she does not control herself honcan how can ean she expect expects a child an in infant fantin in understanding to be more wise prudent and better than one of grown age and matured I 1 think it would be asking too much iffe if we will school ourselves and bring our own tempers and dispositions into subjection we shall then have influence fluence e to do good over the minds of our acquaintances but if we do not control ourselves how can we have influence over others you let two men meet for instance say two neighbors between whom is a difficulty and and one is full of anger and wrath and he Is ready to settle the matter on the spot but ut the other one calm and num in feeling says neighbor stop amo a moment let us look at and reason tipon upon this subject I 1 perceive that you are angry this ni morning orning you are not in a a good temper and are not in a situation now to consider this matter justly wait a few moments and see if this evil influence will depart flom you we will then endeavor to revise this mat ter thoroughly and learn who is to blame now the one who is calm caim and full of judgment discretion and patience pretty soon overcomes the opposite influence which of the two has the mastery the one who is angry orthe or the one who is full fall of patience why the one who is angry at once submits in his own feelings to his superior who is the superior the one who has possessed his hib soul boul if we take this course we will gain influence but we do know the christian knows the heathen knows and the whole world of ni mankind inking knows audit and aud it is ia acknowledged by all that confidence is lost the members of the hum human an family have not confidence in each other as nations individuals kings potentates statesmen or as officers of governments ern ments and I 1 am sorry to say gov tha thab people have not confidence in each other as christians confidence is lost tho the work in which you and I 1 have enlisted Is to restore confidence in the minds of the people and when I 1 hear of circumstances transpiring in which brethren morfeit their word 1 X regard remard it a abs blot biot upon the character of 04 this people wa we should keep our word with e ench each ch other and if we have difficulty or misunderstanding with each other t taik talk it it over canvass the subject tho thor seriously and discreetly i and we shall find that all difficulties will bb remedied in this way easier than any kotlier 0 h er and we shall also aiso find that nearly every difficulty that arises in the in midst of the inhabitants of the earth ia Is through misunderstanding and if a wrong in intent and design really exists if the matter is canvassed over in the manner I 1 have advised the wrong der is generally willing to come to terms this restoration of confidence devolves upon ua us then let us do what we can in our humble sp sphere ere to do so among ourselves in t the Q first place and by and by it will deac reach to others iain lain I 1 am happy cofay to fay pay that those who are no not t of us u have a great deal more confidence in u n 1 in a many respects I 1 mean as business men and traders than in any other community on this continent and I 1 do not believe that there is a community in the whole of christendom the members members ofa of which aich pay their debts as well as the latter day saints but they are not up to the tho mark and are default ers in many respects yet they may not be nearly so much to blame ag as outward appearances seem to indicate for there are so many men who will deal on prospect really believing that their business matters are so propitious and promising that they will be able to make every end meet and accomplish all their designs such persons have more confidence in themselves and in future fortune than they should have and throy this the latter day saints oftentimes fall in their business transactions and engagements one with another how desirable itis that we wo should be prompt with each other othen in every respect fall failure in this is often the source of ill III feeling and of a bad reputation how often I 1 have heard the saying from my youth up there isa bad neighbor or such a one is a bad neighbor but in most of such cases which have come under my notice I 1 have learned that the thal bad neighbor wants that returned which others have borrowed and at the time they have promised and if they were not prompt and true to their word he speaks uncomfortable words and gets angry angi y and aa as a general thing chave I 1 have found that bad neighbors bors in a community are linearly in la nearly every case men who are very prompt and because others are not so difficulties arise for instance mr air A goes to mr air B and says can I 1 borrow your hoe plow or wagon of you today to day says bays mr B yes bir sir you can haveit have it if you will return it in the evening for I 1 shall want it early tomorrow to morrow morning but tomorrow to morrow morning comes and the plow is not brought home and here stands the team and the hired man and land boy waiting wilting for it and thus anger is created these little bars should be put up it is hard for ua us to enjoy that spirit of peace that we should enjoy unless we are very prompt in our dealings with each other we sometimes say to the brethren we do not see noer nor understand how in the world you can enjoy your religion unless you have a good fence around your garden you have anine afine a nine fine garden with good vegetables and fruits g growing rowing but no fence aroun around dit it wei bellit well Wel lit it is the law here for people to tako take care of their cattle yes but they dont do IM it in this garden there may be a patch of bekris beans coming on finely or some young fruit trees rees growing growing thriftily the owner of the he garden gets down on his knees for morning orning prayer frayer and presently he hears a rush round the house what is the matter why cattle are in the garden I 1 think he cannot pray much it destroys the spirit of prayer and takes peace from him but let iet him pub put a good fence around his garden orchard or field and he can kneel down and pray in peace and ask his He heavenly heaverin averil father for the blessings he wants az and not be interrupted and the devil is fenced out well in all these things guard against temptation against this loose life and be prompt in everything and especially to pay your debts the perpetual emigrating fund is not doing anything this season 4 f but it is painful to hear the cries wishes wants and importunities of the poor saints if w we e will do right we shall have abundance to gather the poor door they must all have a chance although many of them forsake their god deny their savior forsake their bre brethren t h ren and turn away and become traitors yet they must have their chance gather them glye give them all the chance possible for life and salva tion alon and if they will receive it light right blessed are they if they nel reject eat it their blood be upon their own garments X want to say a few words with regard thour to our oun religion pur spiritual faith and belief to my friends who are here I 1 am ac accosted frequently with the tho expression pres siou 1 I 11 think you have dono done won dersherl der ders here shere but I 1 do not believe bellevo anything 0 of f your iel lel religion lilon 11 now you certainly do th there thero ere ig nat arf alf an infidel in jn the world but what whai believes in pur religion more or less and the same is jia true of tha 66 heathen a and ud also of professing Christla ili iii and their minlA ministers but they do not know how to define it they believe in a god but they do not know how to define that god if they tono the bible and read it will tell what whit god iff is it will describe the character and form of the very god that the christians serve he has a body parts and passions he has feell feelings ngsi sensibility ability principle attribute attributes saud sand and aud powers and this bible proves it de definitely f ini tely to every person who really believes the bible is true do the christian world believe inthe son of god the savior of the world they say they do and we certainly do and we also believe that ho he came and died for sinners died to save the world do the christian world believe it yes they bay say they do do not noi we believe belleve alike yes they do not know how to define it but we do do they believe in the gifts and graces of god they certainly do I 1 have heard ministers begin to preach 1 and read from the scriptures and give their interpretation of what the lord meant I 1 have said to them there must be more revelation in the world than ever before for how bow can you tell what the lord means if you do not read it unless he tells you here is the word of inspired meli mell men but you say it does not mean what it says I 1 believe it means what it says where it is translated correctly I 1 believe that inspired men said what they meant and meant what they said I 1 believe that jesus said precisely what he meant and meant precisely what he said do christians believe this they say they do and I 1 have heard ministers of the gospel declare that they believed every word in the bible was the word of god I 1 have said to them you believe more than I 1 do I 1 believe the words of god are there I 1 believe the words of the devil mere jere are t there here I 1 believe that the words of men and the words of angels are there and that is not all I 1 believe that the words of a dumb brute are there I 1 recollect one of the prophets ridin riding gand and prophesying against israel and the animal be he rode rebuked his madness do you believe all this is the word of god if you do you certainly believe more t than canido I 1 do the words of theford the lord are the words of the lord and the revelations elat ions lons god has given self are true when moses wrote and said that man was formed precisely in the image of god he wrote the truth we are the children of our father his offspring of the same family we belong to him by birthright and we are his children and jesus is our brother does the bible tell all this just as plain as words can tell anything the christian world do believe mormonism and mormonism is the truth where is your code your particular creed I 1 says one it fills eternity it is all truth in heaven on earth or in hell this is mormonism it item em braces every true science and all true ElAl philosophy Is this so certainly it is I 1 but ut vain philosophy is the result odthe of the vain conjurations conjugations of the brains of men how often we hear men phil about what would have been suppose we had not been here and suppose the earth had not been made and suppose adam had not come into in to the garden of eden and suppose he had not sinned wh atwould what would have been the condition of the worldly always arguing from false premises and on a false foundation facts are facts and we might as well argue that there is not a railway across this continent to carry the people and goods as to argue that adam was not in the garden of eden that he did not fall that sin is not in |
