Show y DISC T URSE SE SEBy By lder JOHN TA delivered in the Tabernacle Salt Lake Gity October 1867 REPORTED BY DAVID W EVANS In rising to address you I do not know whether I shall be ab able e to make myself heard or not but I will do the best I can We are met here in what is termed a conference capacity We have assembled under more pleasant peasant auspices than we have formerly enjoyed on similar occasions and we have reason to be grateful to od our Heavenly Father for putting it into the heart of our President to build a house like thiS this- i and aDd then we have reason to be grateful to the people for carrying carry ing out his wishes and designs In this is exhibited the blessing e ef of wisdom from on high and the power of union among the people of God I have listened to a great many pro pro- propositions propositions propositions positions or principles that the President President dent desires I the Elders of Israel to te speak about and the people to listen to and carry out If we as a people Were all under the influence and direction direction of th the Spirit of the Lord all thes these things would be simple n- sin and aDd and eagy eairy to accomplish accomplish l i h and it fe f only wl l i there is dis- dis discord discord cord and d feelings at variance with the principles of truth that we experience t anything like hardship in is relation to the the practice of these or any of our duties 1 We profess prote to be the people of God 1 the Saints of the Most High under the guidance and direction of the Almighty we profess to have chosen Him for our t king ruler and lawgiver and having chosen Him for our Head Guide and x Director is it too much to ask of us to J yield yield obedience unto His law to submit submit sub- sub 1 mit to His authority to be governed by His counsel to follow His Hill dictation and to seek to carry out His purposes and 1 designs in relation to us WI who are His professed people Weare We are indebted to God for all alf the light truth and intelligence intelligence intelli- intelli gence that we are in possession of whether it relates to the gospel or to anything else that has been d developed vel ped in our midst In fact the gospel itself embraces all truth pertaining to this world and to the world that is to come We are standing here as intelligent k kmen men as Elders of Israel as sons of the Most High whose minds and spirits have been enlightened and inspired more or less according to our faithfulness faithfulness faithful- faithful ness and diligence with the light of revelation that flows from God and when we reflect we must know that asit as f fit it it took the wisdom and intelligence of God to enlighten the human mind pre pre- preparatory preparatory preparatory to the introduction of the first principles of the gospel of peace and to set in operation the kingdom of God upon the earth that it necessarily re- re requires requires re requires quires the same spirit intelligence wisdom wis- wis wisdom wis- wis dom dom forethought revelation and know know- knowledge knowledge knowledge ledge of things as 8 they exist to carry on and perfect this kingdom upon the earth And however interesting it may be for us to dwell upon things that I are light trifling and visionary however however how- how however ever pleasant it may be for us to dwell sometimes upon the things of the future and the glory that is associated with N the perfection of the kingdom of God yet yet to every man of intelligence and re- re reflection reflection re reflection it must be obvious that there are a great many plain practical matters of fact to be brought before our minds which enter into the every day r affairs of human existence that we as heads of families as presidents apos apos- apostles apostles ties as elders in Israel and as bishops over Wards can not consistently ignore but which we must carry out if we would rise to that standard of excellence I that we sometimes desire and be prepared pre- pre prepared pared for that exaltation which we anI antici anticipate an- an anticipate pate u uIn f I In regard to the principles of education education ti tion n to which our attention has been I called by our President I would ask what is the difference between what are 1 called the civilized and the savage ua- ua nations na nations of the earth All the difference J that exists is the result of education When we look at the red man of the forest what do we woe behold We see a aman aman man who is able only to obtain his living by hunting or fishing or by digging the roots as they grow spontaneously spontaneously spontaneously in the ground What is the f range of his thought or intelligence How expansive are his bis ideas If he can obtain a good hunting ground and find plenty of elk buffalo deer and antelope he has reached the climax of his hopes That is all he anticipates Does he know how to tv gather round around aroundhim aroundhim him the comforts of life No Does he know know how how to make the earth yield its varied productions to tG satisfy the the of man No Does he be know how tomake to tomake tomake make a wagon cart plow harrow or orsome orsome some Borne of the most simple things is in ex- ex existence ex existence existence to supply the wants of man manNo No Does he know how to fabricate cloth to keep himself warm No He has to depend upon the skins skims of beasts that range over the plains Does he know how to prepare a building to screen himself and family from the in inclemency in- in inclemency inclemency clemency of the weather No he knows nothing about these simple things to say nothing about ut ra railroads steamboats electric telegraphs telegraph the I geog geography phy of the earth anda auda and s of the people who live upon it or any any- thing anything in relation to the earth or the heavens He is perfectly ignorant of these things and just in proportion as men are correctly educated so are they prepared in connection with the gospel of Jesus to fulfil the measure of their cr creation on the earth To do this correctly education and the gospel necessarily go together It is said that knowledge is is power and this thi is true whether applied lied mentally or physically You take taker tOT or instance a man who has bas been well educated that education teaches him the nature of the earth he lives upon the qualities of its soils and productions the properties of theore the ores i within its bosom how to reduce mal amal- amalgamate I and mix th those ores S his is education education tion teaches him how to combine iron I 1 a J when l It is manufactured d with othe other materials and by study dJ ud tet reflection t and forethought he is enabled enabled tg to make his boilers mad and engines and amI to construct t his bo boat t or locomotive tive correctly And when his mae machine Is made made- he be hey by y the knowledge education furnishes can traverse the mighty ocean and thus go goto goto goto to any part of the earth he may wish to visit We wil will compare the condition of the civilized educated ed man with the Indians the red men o of the plains How much can an Indian carry carry Per Per- Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps haps one or two hundred pounds weight How much can an educated man carry From one to twenty thousand thousand- tons and move it about just t at his will and plea plea- pleasure pleasure sure plea sure There then is a contrast between education and ignorance between wis wis- wisdom wisdom wisdom dom and folly learning and brute force Many 1 examples examples of alike a like c character might be adduced but time will not permit neither have hare I the inclination on the present occasion I merely mention this as one great fact for men to reflect upon that they may understand the difference between ignorance and knowledge Now we as a community are under the direction of the Lord The Lord has said to us seek wisdom both by study and by faith Seek Beek for wisdom as you would for hidden treasures and get acquainted with the history of nations kingdoms and governments their laws and usages and so forth President Young has said that we as asa asa asa a people have hare been tossed about driven from place to place and have not been in a position to acquire the intelligence that we ought to possess in consequence of these unpropitious circumstances but now we must begin to pay atten atten- attention attention attention tion to these things and here comes the word of the Lord to us for fer I receive these sayings as the word of God to His people in Conference assembled I know it is much easier for men to sit down by the fireside and chat ehat or to goto some amusement to idle away their time than to bring the faculties of their minds into operation I know that there is a great deal of mental indolence among this people ople and their energies need rousing that they may stand forth upon the earth as beings of intelligence The advancement and prosperity of this people t today day day show what can be done by unite united effort when under the guid guid- guidance guidance guidance ance of the revelations of God We came here shattered torn barefoot and poor yet the Lord has blessed us with wealth prosperity and abundance While the nation from which we came has been convulsed from centre to cir cir- circumference circumference circumference with civil war and is yet laboring under its deadly throes the Lord by His wisdom has guided direct direct- directed directed directed ed instructed and preserved us and we have peace and prosperity in our midst The Lord has done all aU this through His servants and we give Him all 11 the glory for all the blessings we possess With regard to these things now required of ofus ofus ofus us do we wish year after year to be dandled on the knee like babies do we need somebody all the time to lead le d out and point us to every little path we should walk in or shall we use the wis wis- wisdom wisdom wisdom dom faculties and intelligence that God I has given us to elevate and exalt our our- ourselves ourselves selves selve How easy it would be for our young men here in this Territory to obtain education I know there are steps being taken to effect this to a certain certain certain tain extent but not so generally and extensively as they should be A man who is educated ought to consider it an honor to train up the youth in the way they should go go and according to the theold theold theold old sayin saying saying teach the young idea how to shoot The teacher of youth ought to pray for the spirit of wisdom and intelligence in- in from on high just as much as asan asan an au elder who goes to preach the gospel and then such a man ought to be sus sus- sustained sustained sustained in his calling just as much as any other men in anything which they em- em embark embark em embark bark in What is there t to prevent our young men from being as intelligent and having minds as expansive concep concep- conceptions conceptions conceptions as 8 just ideas as clear and compre compre- comprehensive comprehensive comprehensive In in relation to the general prin prin- principles prin- prin principles principles of knowledge as men have Dave in any other nation N Nothing I was pleased with a remark made by the President the other day when referring to a say say- saying saying saying ing of Hepworth Dixon that this peo peo- people people people had bad been taken from the slough of mankind If we W have nave then let us ex exalt ex- ex exalt exalt alt ourselves until we shall stand as much above the nations of the earth as they think we are below them We have already done it in religious mat mat- matters matters matters let us go to work and do so with regard to the arts sciences litera litera- literature tute ture and every branch of knowledge Why should we not Dot be acquainted with the earth on which we live its moun moun- mountains mountains mountains rivers seas sea oceans its peoples ples and their governments Why should we not Dot be acquainted with its ita mineral resources and know how to develop these resources and make them our interests ts sa as a much m ch as any ther her herY hera Y people Why should we we net nt net be as wen well skis in machinery mao manufactures t t ny chemistry J astronomy mathe mathe- mathematics mati matics horticulture horticulture gri agriculture law Jaw equity g government and and ill in i all fill t the e ts ayta andS uce as as others Wean We can i ly weon- weon ry 11 think so and set about it Wedo We do not want to cringe and bow and he De a I to any other people nor to to be fee un- un under I en-I der the necessity of securing from them any earthly Intelligence but we want to be as high above them in all aU oth other r respects as we are now in regard to re- re religion religion re religion ligion and a knowledge of our God This we are aiming at this we shall accomplish for we will study their in- in intelligence intelligence in intelligence and seek wisdom from GOB Gon who is the fountain of all intelligence I am reminded that time is hastening on and the motto is short sermons whiCh I do not wish to violate But it itI I would please me to see these things that have been referred to accomplished Ia la the matter of building this Taber Taber- Tabernacle Tabernacle nacle nac what has a little unity not pot ac ac- ac accomplished ac- ac compi shed The President wants us I to gather five hundred teams each one oneto oneto oneto to haul three loads of rock Why that thatis thatis is only a breakfast spell for us and yet that would furnish fifteen hundred loads of rock to forward the building of the Temple Are we all interested in it Of course we are Will any faithful man hold hald back in this matter No The people will do it That is how bow I feel about it This people have sufficient sufficient sufficient energy to accomplish things of this kind when they se set Iet about them This can easily be accomplished and then when the Temple is built we shall have another monument of the power of union and we shall be able to accomplish accomplish accomplish eur our spiritual designs First the temporal then the spiritual and then again that which is temporal W We have built a house here by combined labor and now we will win be spiritually instruct instruct- instructed instructed instructed ed in it and then we will derive tempo tempo- temporal temporal temporal I ral blessings from these spiritual in- in instructions instructions in instructions and thus we will go on increasing in knowledge and intelli intelli- intelligence intelligence intelligence gence and in the ways of God until we weI shall accomplish His designs and as I God is our friend and has manifested Himself to be our friend we will be the friends of God and will serve Him keep His commandments and obey His laws that we may be saved in His celestial kingdom which is my prayer in the name of Jesus A Amen en I |