Show REMARKS 9 ini elder eider J JOHN TA taylor OR m in tie the new mew tabernacle salt zake lake MY city october 1871 REPORTED BY DAVID W EVANS JT IT is very pleasant for the bainte saints of god to reflect upon the principles plea of eternal truth that have been developed unto them it if there is anything con necked with happiness and humanity if there is anything calculated to expand the views and feelings of the lauman human family to tp raise our hopes and aspirations aud and to give peace joy and confidence it is the thought that god has revealed unto us the precepts of eternal truth that he has planted them within our gur bosoms and given unto us a certainty in regard to those chose things wo we profess to believe in and assuredly asso do know standing aa as we do before our heavenly father in possession of the prin C caplea 6 8 0 of f eternal life having baving had a knowledge pc led ge of them unfolded unto us by the revelations of the lord jesus christ and as mortal and immortal beings knowing for a certainty the things which god has revealed for the tb e salvation of the human family we feel confident joyous happy and con tented and our souls rejoice in the fullness lessof of the blessings of that gospel 0 which the world generally at the present time are so ignorant men generally although very particular about financial matters and things pertaining to time although very careful about the acquisition of wealth and desirous of knowing which is the beat best way to invest it after they have obtained it although desirous to obtain honor and fame and wealth yet in regard to religious religions matters it seems that they are perfectly willing that anybody any hody body should think for them and act for them and be their dictators and guides and hence they have a hireling priesthood whom they pay to take care of their souls just juat as they jy pty physicians to take care of their bodies and lawyers to take care of their pro pre property perty religion Be ligion is not a thing according to the estimation of a great many that everybody ought to be dabbling with it belongs to the priests teachers etc I 1 who are paid for teaching their dogmas theories creeds and opinions I 1 was brought up a member of the church of england the same as my friend the speaker who preceded me it is customary among the Episcopal episcopalians ians to prepare men for the ministry just the same aa as they prepare men for doctors law verb vera or the militar military y profession I 1 in u examining their boys to find for what they are aro the beat capacitated if one eneis is pretty shrewd he must be a lawyer if one is full fall of fire and energy they try to make a military officer of him but those who are dull dumpish dampish and ignorant are axe generally make carsins of these are they who are teachers of religion and whom the great mass masa of men are ready to follow and as the scriptures say when the blind lead the blind they both fall into the ditch I 1 speak of these things to show the position of the world generally in regard to religion that which affects their interests for eternity men are sometimes a little careful in the organization of governments govern menti and in the passage of laws for the tho protection of their rights statesmen scientists philosophers lo and men of intelligence are brought into requisition to expand the general judgment about matters wherein individual rights or the rights of a community are concerned and in fact in relation to affairs of a temporal or worldly nature man are generally carelus car care tul elul but on religious matters it la Is very different what are we to think of the religious standard or statutes of the christian world today to day professing to believe in the bible who really believes in or cares for forthe the principles which it advocates who has the hardihood to be governed by the laws which it promulgates why I 1 could refer you to judges today to day and christian judges at that professing to believe the bible who would make men guilty and arraign them before their bars for believing the principles contained in that very book this is the height of intelligence the summit of all excellence and the glory of our judiciary today I 1 and look at our religionists they are fools and dont know what they are doing the pop i tion lion they are placing themselves in i or the ruin they are hurlin hurling 9 upon then the tho nation atlon with which they are associated they do not know that by the introduction of tse false principles those principles will spread and permeate and will roll back again on their own heads beads producing misery confusion and bloodshed wherever they go they it not know this they havenor ha sense enough to see it they are poor miser miserable bie ble blind fools and what do they know about god and eternity nothing they diny d iny the tho very principles that would bring men into communication with the almighty christian ministers for ages aceb agea past have repudiated all idea of ze revelation ve or corm corn ion lon from god shut up that principle from me deprive me of the privilege abut rne rap out frem from god let the heavens ba aft brass au ao thal thai I 1 could not approach him and life hw hm no object As an immortal being connected with thir thia world aud and the next if I 1 can not have a knowledge of god I 1 do not want to exist I 1 want nothing to do with this thia world god knows there is not enough in it to captivate the mind of any intelligent being who is capable of reflecting on the des dea destinies of an immortal soul strip us of that and what have wiy wit wi left nothing simply nothing I 1 look upon man as the hand haud work of god and as an immortal being I 1 look upon the world we live in as baving emanated from him and man orated created and placed here by the wisdom intelligence power und and generosity of the all wise the great eternal I 1 am that was and is and is to come I 1 look upon it that men combining the mortal and immortal and possessing such as they pos possess sebo seso ought to be able to a approach P roach the fountain of all in elli eill gence genee in n the way which the gospel unfolds and if it the religion that I 1 poa bess sees will not bring me to an acquaintance with my heavenly father to a relationship with him to a certainty pertaining to the future as well as the present I 1 want nothing to do with it I 1 would not give the ashes of a rye ryo straw for all the religion in the world that would not lead a man to god I 1 want knowledge certainty intelligence I 1 want principles that have emanated from god and I 1 want freedom and liberty as an american citizen and as a citizen of the kingdom of god as a man who is capable of breathing free air and living and enjoying the gifts of god these things I 1 want and thebe theae ao so help me god I 1 will have so long aa as god rives elves breath congregation said amen and no manno set of men shall deprive me of them they may deprive me of life but I 1 ahall shall live and soar among the free in the eternal worlds and rejoice among the gods under these blessings and privileges that god lia hai i revealed to us here on the earth these are my feelings in short and I 1 feel calm comfortable pleasant joyous and happy in the posses possession of those principles which god has re healed for the salvation of the human family I 1 think we read somewhere that happy is its that people whose god is the lord and I 1 say happy la is that keople pe olie who w 0 believe in a living god a god od that can hear bear and see and who can and reveal els his will to man I 1 feel happy at being associated with such a people and today to day there is not a king emperor potentate or power on earth with whom I 1 would exchange places god la Is my god my heavenly father is my protector and he la Is the protector and friend and god of israel and he will stand by and sustain them in the midst of all events and under all circumstances which ch may transpire consequently I 1 feel easy comfortable and pleasant ii well weil ell eli but gaya saya one perhaps you would not feel so if you had bad a process resting on your head as some have I 1 do not know but I 1 think I 1 should I 1 have known some little of these things before today to day I 1 have been mobbed before today to day for my religion I 1 have been shot at and hit bit before today to day for my religion and my religion Is just juat the same today to day aa as ever it produces the same joy confidence hope and reliance as in noy any other day and these are not only my feelings but they are also those of my brethren there is no faltering no trembling of the knees no shaking in the feelings with ua us god ia is our god we are his people this is 18 the zion of god this is the kingdom of god which our judges tell us the uni ted states ia is making war against I 1 iwon lwon wonder if they tell the truth no matter I 1 am a member of and an elder in the church of jesus christ chrict of latter day sal sai saints n t a and I 1 dare acknowledge it before uny power there is Js n ider the heavens I 1 belong to thal thai guarch and I 1 thank god my heavenly father for the privilege of being associated with these brethren and these sisters who are before and ano around me and my feelings are today to day and ever have been liko like one of old when she said eaid this thia people shall be my people their god shall be my god where they live I 1 will live also where they die there I 1 want to be buried burled and when they rise from and burst the barriers of the tho tomb and ascend into the presence fenee sence of jehovah I 1 expect to be with them and to be one with them in time and one in eternity these theoe are my hopes and feeling and I 1 say aay hal le Jelu lulah iulah lah inh Halle halie hallelujah lulah i por for or the lont lord god omnipotent reig neth and he will reign until he haa has put pat nil bil U hla hia enemies under his hia ft feet 11 Congre gt ton said bald amen and thia this dont doat will x 0 o forth and roll hina kina onwards an and nna woe to the man who at to bitay stay the progress of jehovah he shall ahall wither ilke graah gri before the breath of the ard of hosts congregation rigid nid mid aid amen and the principles of eternal truth will re ve onward onward onward until the kingdoms of this world shall become ther thi kingdoms of our god and his hie christ and he shall rule for ever add and ever men ken may maj try to arge rge chains for us but wa we will bubp sual theiu them asunder ad sampson did bj by the power of god god being our oar helper we will maintain the principles of eternal truth we will maintain and ehe che chericel the hie principles of freedom fredom fre dom and liberty of ail alt kinds for all men for every son ton and funti daughter of adana adani and we wiil will never ret reil ree until the world shall ahall be revolutionized with these princ principles ples plea until all men everywhere shall proclaim themselves free it will not nob be only like the bell thy th y sounded bounded when they proclaimed the declaration of independence and liberty throughout the land but we will proclaim liberty to the world salvation to the h human U family freedom of thought and freedom of action with power to worship god as they please when they j please and where they please all ever I 1 the face of the wide earth we ve will never rest until the shackles are knocked off from all men and all men everywhere are free froe and equal these are the designs of god and god will consummate them and no power can stop his hand I 1 am not strong in body and cannot talk long but I 1 feel in my bosom the spirit of god burning like a living fire I 1 thank my father for his protecting care and grace groce over this people and I 1 feel like exhorting my brethren to live their religion to keep the commandments of god and pros preserve erve themselves pure if they do they need ask nothing from these rotten miserable stinking wretches with which they are surrounded here at the present time preserve yourselves pure bd be virtuous holy and honorable and god will bless you and stand by you aud and israel shall be victorious from this time henceforth and forever in the name of jesus amen no comparison an omaha paper says shakespeare Shak Shaka peare speare milton byron these are the monarchs of ol english verse and have crowned england with her rarest and repeat literary glory to compare a system I 1 like ilke 1 k 0 the mormon to either of them even by way of illustration is an insult to the august and eternal memory of either we seldom compare mormonism with anything simply because there Is nothing really comparable with it but of the trio named we may remark that byron was a notorious and confessed 11 libertine bertine who gloried in his shame bhame the divine william wllliam in spite of all his merits was a very smutty gentleman and glorious john milton wrote an abie abla argument in defence of or the divine character of polygamy |