Show 0 N by president BRIGHAM YOUNG 1 in F n the tae the tabernacle in the h 1868 REPORTED BY d S D WATT 1 I am thankful for the privilege of again meeting with the saints in this city for the privilege of speaking to th them am and n d of hearing others speak and in ill fact I 1 am happy in this life which is a very excellent one answering the purpose for which it has been ordained a state of existence wherein to prepare for a better betler kingdom and a better life we are now in a day of trial to prove ourselves worthy or unworthy of the life which Is to come we have reason to be thankful that the lord has given unto us this opportunity and privilege of receiving truth and acting u upon on it for our own good the privilege oy of increasing in knowledge and in wisdom in understanding and in all things pertaining to this life and to that which is to come cume I 1 often think that we are dull s scholars ch 0 la rs slow to comprehend things as they a are re slow to believe and slow to act in the right we often act without wisdom and often speak without con causing grief and sorrow to our hearts but we are here in this life to learn we are in a great school and if we are diligent and faithful and fervent in our studies then we have hope of being prepared to enter into an existence wherein we shall receive more than we can receive in this state 7 where we can adopt in our lives principles of exaltation and progression faster than we can here let us apply our minds to wisdom in this life the latter day saints who dwell in these valleys have left their all to gather with the saints and rind for the express purpose of preparing for the coming of the son of man when we consider this and then consider how we spend our time the precious time allotted to us in this life to me it is a matter of astonishment men alen and women for slight causes make shipwreck of faith lose the spirit of the gospel losing the object for which they ey left their homes and their friends we are all searching for happiness we hope for it we think we live for fon or it it is our aim in this life but do we live so as to enjoy the happiness we so much desire there ia is only one way for latter day saints to be happy which is simply to live their religion or in other words believe the gospel of jesus christ in in every part obeying the gospel of liberty with full purpose of heart which sets us free indeed if we will as a community obey the law of god and com comply ly with the ordinances of salvation tren tron then we may expect to find the happiness we so much desire but if we do not pursue this course we cannot enjoy the unalloyed happiness which is to be found in the gospel to profess to be a saintana Sain tand not enjoy 6 the spirit of it tries every of the heart and is one of the most painful experiences that man can suffer let not the latter ratter day saints deceive themselves let them course that will arill bring sorrow to their hearts instead of joeand joy and peace let them not flatter themselves that they will receive salvation in the kingdom of god while living in the neglect of their duties unless we live our religion and sanctify ourselves by the law of god we flatter ourselves in vain that we shall shail lep irp jEp p made instrumental in the hands in preparing the why way for the coming of the son of man for th the redemption of zion according to the words of the prophets for the redemption of the earth for the gathering of tiie the children aldi ngo of israel to the thet blands lands of their thel forefathers foche us ushering bering in of the fullness of the gentiles genus gnus tiles ba and nd the reign of universal peace these are serious matters with me and should be looked upon as such by all the people it is true that we are arc weak feeble frail and prone to wander from the paths of righteousness we are made subject to vanity still it is our duty to bring into subjection to the law of christ all the powers of our natures if we thus subdue the wicked man that is within us sanctifying sanctify ing the lord god I 1 in our hearts we may way then begin to enjoy the glorious hope of joining the throng t that at will I 1 be e gathered with the i sanctified and of being prepared for the coming of the son of man ilan when it will bensaid be said baid I 1 behold the bridegroom cometh goyeau go ye out t to mee meet thim aim 11 now deceive ourselves and be found among the foolish virgins with no oil in our vessels and when the wheat and the tares are separated shall I 1 be found a tare or a wheat let us ask ourselves the question am I 1 a wheat or a tare the proof as to whether we are tares tarea or I 1 wheat may be seen in our ilyes lives as it ia Is written for whosoever shall do the will of my father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother again not everyone every one that saith baith unto me lord lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that boeth the will of my father which is in heaven haen ll 11 this is the proof keep the commandments observe the ordinances and preserve serve the tho institutions of christ christs church chuich inviolate doing all things that are required of us as unto the lord sanctifying sanctify ing ourselves before nim him and by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another by pursuing this course no person who is a true follower of christ will be left without a witness for if any manwill man will do he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of god or whether I 1 speak of myself lapsatis fled that no man can live faithfully according to the requirements of heaven without having the testimony of the sprit spirit that they are born of god but if they do not live so they have no such assur assurance anc e for the lo 10 lord rd is obligations to give them the witness of the spirit amt but if they live as he requires th them em he will fulfill unto them his promise he is held to this according to io his EVs own word to his children that he would woul d send unto them the spirit of promise even the holy ghost which will show them things to come when I 1 speak to the saints I 1 include Inc ludt ludi myself I 1 profess to be a saint with the rest of my brethren and sisters and my public and private life is the proof whether I 1 am truly a saint this is not all but the spirit which I 1 possess and communicate to lo the people ab is another proof spirit which you possess assess and communicate to your neighbors is the bv by which you are known as it is with myself if we walk 1 in n obedience to the covenants which we have made with god and one another we have the assurance that we shall walk no more in darkness but in the light of life in the light oi of tb the e countenance olour of heavenly our father then we can bear witness that we are born of god and testify of jesus as being the son of god the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth and lund we then can strengthen our brethren and are prepared to speak tb the e truth to a wicked world and call udom them to repent and forsake their sins return unto th the lord eLord seek salvation and make their peace with god before it is too late A great many good people who possess much of the spirit of the lord are naturally given to doubting having so little self reliance that they sometimes doubt whether they are saints in truth or not these often doubt when they should not so long as they are walking humbly before god keeping his commandments and observing his ordinances feeling willing to give all for christ and do every thing that will promote his kingdom I 1 they need never doubt for the spirit will testify to them whether they are of god or not there are some who are always fearful fremb ling wavering and at the same time doing every thing they can fon for tor the promotion of righteousness yet they are in doubts whether tb they ey are doing the best possible good and they fear and fall fail here and abid there and wili will doubt their own experience and the wl witness t of the spirit to them A 0 As we are now partaking of the emblems of the body and blood alood of the saylor savior I 1 will refer to this ordin ordinance a nce of the house of god and ask the latter day saints to call to mind their own feelings on this subject as a testimony regarding their faith add aria assurance do you delight to partake of the sacra jentof men to f the lords lorda supper would you assem gie nie sia sla Bin northe forthe for nor the express pur of the tike broken bread andor andoe this water that has been prepared aa as a witness to god our father that we wa 14 have ave received the 0 gospel o of his hia son that we do delight I 1 in his words and in keeping his ilia commandments and requirements thus testify testifying in to our Heave heavenly tily father and anti to his lu sou son jesus christ that wo we are the disciples of jesus would you leave your homes in the distant parts of the city to bear tills this witness and attend a meeting to observe this ordin ordinance ince the great majority of this people would do this sabbath after sabbath month after month and year after year if tbt this y were left entirely to their own choice without the interference of bishops and teachers while a few would consider it not convenient to attend meeting because the witness of the spirit is not in them again do we delight to call upon the father in the name of jesus is it murjoy our joy ardd arid happiness nesi to do so do we believe that H he will hear our prayers and that we shall shail shall shail receive benefit from our petitions to him in the name of jesus jesua do we rely fely upon him and are we acquainted with his character in the least degree have we any knowledge of him Letus let net us answer these questions in our own minds that we may ascertain whether we do dode dodo de light to bow down aown before him to ask for the things which we need and seek unto him for his spirit to guide ua us and preserve us from all danger that we may not wander into by and forbidden paths and fall out by the way but be kept constantly in the narrow path which leads to life everlasting Is it our pleasure to do good to our fellow creatures by traveling far away from our homes and friends ta preach the gospel to a perishing world this applies to the elders of israel and also to the mothers and daughters and sons of those elders do they delight to part with their husbands that they may go and call upon the nations to repent of their bins sins Is it a joy to them to bear the burdens of a family in t the he absence of their husbands preserving everything they have i left ft la Is it a pleasure for the elders to travel among tily tile nations without purse or scrip traveling from people to people and from neighborhood to neighborhood submitting to the finger of scorn and the abuse of the wicked dand and ungodly I 1 will he here say however that I 1 have been treated kindly when traveling among strangers to preach this gospel I 1 do not know that I 1 ever asked for a meal of victuals without obtaining it still I 1 have seen enough from the experience peri ence of others to know the ther real feel ings and to understand the desires of the t ungodly concerning the elders of israel they do not desire them any good if you can answer these questions in the affirmative it is a testimony to you that you delight in the things of god that you delight in building up his kingdom that you delight in the zion of the lord fjord as established in latter days the answer of every faithful heart to these questions is yes I 1 delight it in these things and these are so 10 many evidences bilat that they are of god do we delight to feed the poor and clothe the naked wo we do I 1 am happ a Y in my reflections it is a source of gratification to contemplate facts as hey they are s and I 1 can say of a truth that I 1 have done more morg probably a hundred times over for my enemies in feeding clothing and lodging them and doing them good than they all ever did for me has a minister of of religion ever passed through this country and been refused the privilege of 9 speaking in any of our places of worship no can the vilest of the vile enter into a house belonging to a latter day saint and complain of suffering for food and be turned away unsupplied it is no matter whether they are christian pagan or jew they can tarry over night and be made as comfortable as the family can make them and they can depart in peace and safety can the elders of israel say this of the world they can not whether it is a credit to me or not that is with the lord but he has given me the ability that whenever I 1 have wished to receive favors from those who know me not I 1 have obtained them I 1 know it ia is the custom of many elders to say 1 iam I lam am a mormon elder will you keep beep me over night and he is s at once Is spurned arned from the doors of the stranger whether rether it is a credit to me or not I 1 never told them I 1 was a mormon elder until I 1 got what I 1 wanted I 1 have thus stopped at many a house and had the privilege of introducing the principles of our religion and they have exclaimed well if this is mormonism my house shall to be your home as long as you stas stay in in this il elgh bd r b oot 1 I when perli peril ap 1 I rr had ikwild 1 I am a Mormon bal 7 elder at the tha first they would have refused me their thein hospitality I 1 cau can suy euy to the world they used me pretty welland I 1 have no fault to nind find with them in this respect I 1 have been abused sometimes by priests prie ats ati but on such occasions I 1 have ever been ready to defend the cause of righteousness and preach the gospel goabel to all the elders of israel have received more kindness from the infidel portions of mankind where they have traveled than from those who profess christianity ti thousands and s of the elders of I 1 srael israel who are now occupying these valleys are now willing if called upon to leite leave their families and homes to go and preach the gospel in all the world and be abused and cast out and suffer poverty and want for the gospels sake Is not this a witness that you are right before god itis it is youage YOU are willingto willing to feed and clothe the needy and send means out of your sour beauty scanty cauty supplies to foreign lands to gather the poor saints from those old countries and aud it Is s marvelous in my eyes what the people haye have done within a rew few months back about the ath of february last wo we found that we could only raise about from eight to nine nina thousand dollars to send to europe for the poor elders hiram B clawson and wm fmc C staines started for new york on the of the month last conference I 1 had faith that the lord would favor ug us and multiply means when we came to send away the means we had we were able to send with the brethren this means was contributed in small amounts but it is marvelous how it came in we we have exercised faith in this matter ardd arid now we are able to send more and we have not touched a bushel of wheat or a hundred of flour hour nor an animal that has been turned in and the means keeps coming in and it comes more and more and they tily will continue to give kive he emigration is over this is ii a witness to tho the people that they are right before high heaven in theae theao things that the elders elters are right in going to preach that their wives and mothers ana and and aud daughters are right in preserving their means and property from wasting in the absence of their natural guardians they are right if they delight in coming to meeting to partake of the sacrament and to bow down benore before the lord rord and worship him they are right in feeding the poor and in paying pay ray in 9 their tithing linz line t will here say to the latter day saints maln ta if you will feed the poor with a willing heart and ready hand neither you children will ever bo be found egging |