Mormon History, Jul 16, 1848

[Brigham Young Sermon] President Young arose and said there was some items of business to attend to as for preaching. My preaching is for every person to do right. Let every person act on the principle of right according to the light that he possesses, for Jesus is the Light of every man that cometh into the world, both saint and savage. This people know a great deal, they know the principles of the gospel and it far exceeds the knowledge of the Christian world. There is some among us that has been slow to learn and yet their knowledge of theology ahead of the religious portion of mankind. Then brethren live according to your knowledge. I am as liable to do wrong as other men, but I keep trying all the time to do right. I know always what is right since I have been called to judge. I always have been able to discern the good from the bad, right from wrong. God is very kind and compassionate, more tender than we are to our children or any kind friend, was it not that he is, we would fall far short. Let us act perfect as men and we will be as perfect in our sphere of action as God is in his. I have always been faithful in my calling. I feel as willing today to do my duty as ever I did. I am now as willing to go to the ends of the earth and preach the gospel if it was my calling. I have traveled and preached till the blood has squashed in my boots. But I am for the mountains, this is my calling at present. I feel that we should divide into small companies so that our cattle can have more time to feed. I have traveled behind all the time, I have pushed the people up. I have seen the companies over all the bad places. Before I crossed there has been no murmuring among us, all has been well. I expect to be judged by my works not by my good feelings and I mean that the will be good all the time and then leave the result in the hands of the Lord. Richard Ballantyne Journal. President Young spoke in relation to preaching to the Brethren, and said, he did not feel like preaching much. As every man knew what was right. And that they had done first [rate] and did not know as any were more lacking in duty than himself. That he was subject to all the weaknesses, infirmities and temptations of other men, and if he did not continually struggle with all his might mind and soul, he would be led away in to sin. When he did any thing that was not right or got into passion or any other sin displeasing to the Lord he loathed himself and despised himself as well as any other man could'"Said in relation to the light that all men had the light of Christ for he is the light of every man that cometh into the world. If they belonged to this church or not. And he would ensure any man an entrance into the Kingdom of heaven and a part in the first resurrection who would act up to the light which he professed, whether Christian or heathen'"If a man acted up to the light which he had he was as perfect in his sphere of action as the Angels. This is what constituted him a perfect man and the Gods can do no more. -- Chimney Rock, Nebraska [Heber C. Kimball Journals, Special Collections, Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University, Logan.; Archives, Church History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah..; Journal History of the Church, Selected Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints DVD 2 (2002)]

[source: The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]

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