| Show DISCOURSE by FresU president ent BRIGHAM YOUNG toung Pe delivered livered in the fh tabernacle salt lalie laire city sunday anter apter afternoon noon voon aug 11 1872 REPORTED BY DAVID W EVANS I 1 have an anxiety to bear testimony to the truth though it Is well known to many of my frienda friends and acquaintances that it is not prudent for me to exercise myself in this large hall hali as I 1 have in days past but I 1 feel very anxious to speak to my brethren and sisters bisters and to their families to my friends a end rid neighbors and the inhabitants of the earth concerning the christian religion I 1 feel thus many times when I 1 am not able to do so but I 1 desire at thi this time to bear testimony to the gospel the plan of 0 f salvation to the holy priest priests hood that the lord has revealed in ia the latter days I 1 admit at once without any argument at all that the whole human family are possessed more or less of truth they have a great many very excellent and pure ideas beliefs faiths and sentiments the adoption of which in their lives would promote truth and overcome error sin ain and iniquity in their midst and cause joy and peace to nil fill the hearts of individuals families neighborhoods cities and nations sometimes we take the liberty of defining the religions of the day known under the general name of christianity we have bave heard something of this thia this afternoon and with regard to the philosophy or of thit that religion we admit the truth of it all have truth all have good desires that is to say as people and as communities there may be individuals who oo co not possess these principles but there are many in all communities com of the earth professing prote christianity who wish in reality to know the truth and to embrace itin their creeds and most of them desire most fervently that the professors of this christianity should live according to pure and holy principles J abis his we admit and a few of this number have received the gospel when I 1 speak of the gos gospel pei pet in th this thia Is sense I 1 mean the fullness ot of the gospel of the son of god as it has been revealed in our day I 1 do not refer rafer to the gospel as a mere historical knowledge or of the savior and his apostles and their doings upon the earth but of the power of god unto salvation aw and when I 1 contemplate the human family in their present condition and especially christendom I 1 think what a pity it is that we christians cannot see far enough donough and understand enough to be willing that every truth should take effect on the minds of the people jor tor every truth that is taught believed and practiced is good lor for mankind it is good for tor the living good for the dying good for me tue dead and if we christinis Christi ars arb aTS ais would accept and embrace all truth in our lives instead of contending so BO much about what are called nou essen bials it would be much more to our advantage and would vastly increase peace and union in our midst when we take up the religion that has been revealed the gosp gospel 0 I 1 in its fullness we find that it is simply a code of laws ordinances gifts and graces which are the power of god unto sal bal salvat vaton on ahti laws and ordinances which the lurd has reveal ed in these latter days are calculated to save all the sons SOBS and daughters of adam and eve who have not sinned against the holy ghost for all will be in a kingdom of glory though it may not be in the celestial kingdom tor for there are many mansions these those ordinances reach after every overy everyone one of the children of our eather father in heaven and not only them but after all the earth the fullness of the earth all things that dwell upon it to bring them back into the presence of god orleto or into some kingdom or place prepared for them that they may be exalted to a higher state stale af pf efla intelligence telli gence than they now dwell in this may seem strange to many but these are the ordinances and laws that the lord has instituted buted for the salvation of the children of ormen men and when we compare the doctrines that we have preached to the christian world with the doctrines of the christian world we find that ours oura incorporate every truth no matter what it is loit if it belong to the arts and sciences of the day all the same for every truth in existence is embraced in that system of laws and ordinances taught by the latter day saints the gospel that god goa has revealed for the salvation odthe of the human family we want a little proof a little evidence a little testimony this Is the testimony that we are in possession of this gospel our witness is upon the stand before god and the people testifying that the latter day saints have got something hat bat no other people on earth tarth have what is it the oneness which we possess to the prayer of the savior we send an elder from here to the east indies we send one or two to africa and to the asiatic continent and distribute them to the different nations to japan to china and so on they the gospel to the pagans say to the chinese we will suppose that these elders learn the chinese language so far as to be able to make themselves understood by the people K le and they preach to them the same doctrines carines as are believed in by the latter day saints and they are received into the hearts of honest chinese god reveals and manifests to them that these doctrines and principles this plan of salvation is ia true and these chinese would not pot differ with us on any auy point of doctrine they would say the proper mode of baptism is by immersion mer roer sion slon the scriptures are plain upon this point here iet let me moe take fake the liberty of saying that if the whole christian world were to adopt the method of baptism by immersion you would never kear hear a person raise an argument about sprinkling or pouring but leaving my witness I 1 say these latter ideas are tho the cisterns which men hew out to themselves which will hold no water for somebody or other is eternally scuttling their vessels and they are sinking if every chirstian chii Ohi istian stian denomination would conae canao to the house of worship on the sabbath and break bread and partake of the bread broadband and aud wine in testimony of their faith in jesus jesua christ there would be no differences contentions or arguments and no person could sink their vessel but now comparatively speaking they are sinking each others vessels continually but again to my testimony to my witness when the chinese receives the gospel he is one with us he does not want six months teaching or trial he does not need to go to an fin academy or a seminary five or ori seven years to learn that this ado of baptism is correct but taking the tho bible he reads it and says he be the holy ghost bears witness to me that baptism by immersion is the correct mode and that it is right to break bread broad and drink wine in remembrance of and to testify our fai fal falth faith lh in him whose body was broken and whose blood wa wag shed shod for tha tb Q salvation of the human family 11 there chere is no contention and though only one elder eldor may have gone there and he has baptized but one or ten a hundred a thousand or thousands they are all of one heart and one mind and if we were to charge this eider elder not to tell these chinese that they must gather to america for that was the land of zion and america is the land of zion the first this elder would know somebody or other would be up in a meeting and telling that zion was in lii america and they had bad got to 01 0 emigrate 1 ate there the elder might inquire why and he be would be told it is 13 reve reVO re veiled revealed atod Aled to me and I 1 do know by the manifestations of the spirit within me through your preaching that we are to assemble on the continent of america for that is fa the land of zion and if they come como here they will not ask how many methods of baptism we have or how many of ad min the sacrament or of dispensing the ordinances of the tiie house of god for the spirit makes them of one heart and one mind blind with those on this continent and from whatever nation they come they all see bee alike in refe reference to the ordinances of the hou house of god from china let us go directly to the cape of good hope and there an elder is preach ing and baptizing g people into the kingdom of god and when they this kingdom they begin to read and understand and to prophecy and if they are not chec checked kodin in the gifts you will hear them speak in tongues let me say ray here to the latter day saints it is frequently asked by our brethren why do not the peo pie speak P a a k with tongues we do and we dupea speak sk with tongues that you can understand and paul says he would rather speak five or ten words in a language thal thai can be understood than many in a language that can not be this is what he be coave ed ad we speak with tongues that can be understood but the reason that we do not encourage this little particular peculiar gift which is for the tha edifying edi edl lying ot of some lowin in the church I 1 have not time to explain but to my witness again who is on the stand you take men women and families from the cape of good hope from tile tiie northern seas china the east eist indies or the islands of the sea and let them receive the gospel and come cowe here and just as ion lon long iong as they live so as to enjoy the spirit of the holy h oly gospel they have obeyed there are no questions asked with regard to doctrine we will now go a step stop further here la is a great bone of contention with regard to political affairs the world say why by do not these theme latter day saint saints get up their mass meetings and sustain this that or the fhe other one and be like other people in a political point of view why do we not sustain these advocates advocat ea who are now in the field and join and be one with some one or other of the political parties of the country we have no desire to do so that is the reason if we had the privilege of voting in independent cfall of all ail other people ople opie on this land of america or in the pl united cited states the man who should serve as president we should cast about to find the most suitable man mau ald nid aid aad he would be the nominee and when his name came bo fore the people every man and woman who had the privilege of putting their vote in the ballot box would vote for lor that man mau asking no questions our friends in the political world say we do not like this oneness the ministers in the pulpit the politicians in the bar room on the steam boat in the rail cars in the halls of congress or in the legislatures say we do not like this oneness and still the priest and the deacon are praying continually according to the scripture testimony that the saints may mai be one well where will you have them one just name those particular points wherein and how bow this people who profess to believe in the lord jesus christ shall be one how far shall we go if wo we had the privilege of vo ing lug for the presidential nominees today to day general grant would solicit the vote of eve every ry mormon man man and wa woman and the cry would be vote for me be one and vote do not be divided in your votes but vote for fun me mr greeley would preach th the bame osame doctrine do not vote for grant vote for me and when a governor member of congress or any other officer was in the field they would all contend for jon this thib oneness but each one would say 1 I want you yon should be one with bie ble me 11 well but your neighbor your competitor Is perhaps quite as good a mau man as you are 1 I that is no difference he be Is 19 my enemy my opponent and I 1 wish nish to beat him ir if I 1 possibly can I 1 want thid this place plade 11 but when you yuu conlo conio to the latter day saints if they can got the right mat toe the best beat man inan they can find they pt cast their ballots into th the ballot box to make that man president governor representative or any othor other officer and aud if we learn that he is not as tal tai talented a anted as some other man perhaps not so eo capable of filling the office as his hla neighbor better be united on sandwith and with him and give him your faith and your prayers and he will answer every purpose and will fulfill fulfil his hla mission to your satisfaction and far better than if you were to quarrel contend find nd argue over the matter for where they do lo 10 this thia the inhabitants of the earth it if they dia did lid ild but know 1 it have an internal influence to contend against take for instance the financial clidies the commerce of the world those business men where the they have lave their opponents they have ap an internal 1 I influence to contend ag against adust whether they mow it or not and that power with all he secrecy of the grave I 1 might say will seek to carry garry out their schemes unknown to 0 o their opponents in order that they may alay vin win like the man at the table with the cams lads in his nis barias hand band s unseen by any but him belf self he be will take tako the advantage as far na Ks he be dan can so says tho politician wian clAu 86 bay kay the world of so say the world of the he athens and it Js ja party upon party sect alter after sect division upon division and we are all for ourselves and each one is willing that we should be bajone one in our faith eerlings and actions if wo we will be one with im well thi tins s witness that is on the stand an not be set aside or overcome it Is ia a witness that the world of marik matik mankind ind can not neither the testimony diony which it imparts parts take people from china india africa etrope the north pole or the south pole give them the gospel and they are ire one it wa was not joseph smith neither s it brigham young that makes then them one it is neither the high council nor the first presidency that makes them one but it is the power of god unto salvation that makes the latter Latte day sain sainta ts one in heart in spirit in action in their religious faith and aad ordinances aud and in their dealings where they are honest and live their religion that makes them one ono no matter who they are where they are or upon what subject if it be a subject worthy the attention ot or the people our religion descends to the whole life ilfe of man although some some times say there is ia divine law there is hu man law and there are principles which pertain to our religion and and anc there are principles which pertain to the philosophy of tha he world but le iet led me her here P say to you that the philosophy of the religion of heaven incorporates every truth that there is in n heaven on earth or in hell heil now how we wish to he one and to understand the gospel receive the gospel and tile tiie spirit of it and we will be one all would say come EO iro with us come go with us and we will do you yon good we can say the bame same come go with us ns and we will do you good 11 we will tell you how to fo be saved how far does the christian religion go let every man look at it read pray meditate call upon the lord aud and judge for himself I 1 say that that which is commonly called the christian religion asfar far from civilizing the he world and far from making the christian world one far from bringing brin cing ging the disciples to be of one heart ind and one mind they say that there are a grett gre tt many of these non essentials that we differ about very true they are non essentials and they are pretty much all of them non essentials believing in the lord jesus christ Is ia very essential believing in god his father and our father is very essential having faith in the name of jesus is very essential on these points they all agree and we agree with them and they with us but it i is very different when we come to the laws jaws and ordinances of the |
