[Brigham Young Sermon] As quite a number of persons have met to hear, I hope and pray that I may speak and they hear and understand - to say all today is impossible - so as to profit thereby - but the few moments we have I trust I may say something to the wise so that they may profit by it - What I said last fall was as but a shower of rain on the ocean to what I have to say - at no period of our life have the saints been so uncomfortable as at the present not a room large enough to contain a quorum - but the people are same as they were 1000 of years ago - they have the same powers of darkness to contend with, there are multitudes of spirits in the world - the people want continually to be felt after, and preaching to, to stir them up from day to day to put them in remembrance of things that they know - it is natural for people to rest against something - how quick they forget the arm of the Almighty and forget his Holy Spirit and sink back into the world to feel for something to make them comfortable and happy - it was the same with the Children of Israel - that when they did not see Moses they could get Aaron to make them a calf - it is the same with the saints in this day as in the days of old. [-] and witness this - if we could meet and partake of the sacrament our faith would increase and our light would shine - Whereas they sink down into their natural state - how many now in this valley were in Nauvoo when Joseph was killed - and have been hunted and driven by mobs - and have been afraid to sleep for fear of the mobs - and yet when they are here they lay down their weapons and forget the arm that has brought them here - I know 100 and 1000 that have prayed day and night to be delivered from their enemies and to be put among Israel - and now they are delivered - are they full of faith? No. If they were this valley would resound with the praise of the Almighty and he would exert his power in their behalf - but they [-] to the right and left in lethargy - I have not forgotten the mobs - nor my vows and covenants that I have made - I am obliged to remember - I am continually looking to the welfare of this people - do the Elders of Israel help me, or do they look with the natural eye - and discern between them who serve the Lord and those who serve him not - is every man and woman awake to their calling - how many sisters have vowed to fulfill their covenant before the Almighty - to keep the destroyer from our midst we have had an example here before us - some who went around by California - very few have faith - they forgot what once they knew - suppose you had the most cutting trials put upon you at the time you were to go through them your judgment taken from you - have you the integrity within you - if you had you would go and return and the Lord would never suffer the vail to drop between you and eternal things - it was so with the Savior - at the very hour when his most trying hour was at and the Lord shut down the vail to see if he would offer up his life - yet at this very day how many are there that want to go back and say how do you do brother devil - or brother gentile - I want to keep one hand in the gentile world and the other in the gate hoping they wont shut down the gate, just put some 2 or 300 back in Nauvoo with canon against every house - how open they would be, if they were only free from the gentiles you would flee from silk dresses, clothes - houses and houses and thank God you are free - but now you worship them - and you think more of gold dust and money than the paper currency - but if you were back in Missouri in Illinois - you would be thankful for johnny cake - how do you feel now. There's but few that will be crowned heirs of God and joint heirs of Jesus Christ and they are they that stand up to the Spirit of the Lord and don't get into covetousness for that is idolatry - get rid of all you've got and then you get rid of the spirit the wheat - the fine flour - the gold and silver is all [-], but how nice it is to oppress your neighbor - the wise man says for a poor man to oppress a poor man is like a sweeping rain, it destroys the whole community - I'm the man to tell the people what to do to save them from the wrath of the Almighty and the power of the devils - I am to tell the people what to do to shun the power of the tempter and to set before this people life and salvation - I know how you can save yourselves today and so on until you come before our Father in Heaven and that is my mission this day - It is your duty to attend to the things that pertain to this life and if you don't you wont be saved in the world which is to come - I want you to drive away your fears - you wont starve to death in this valley - it is God that feeds you and bestows all the blessings you enjoy - without him you can neither [-] nor move - he causes the earth to bring forth and all we have is his and if he wants this people to die this year I am just as ready to go as I shall be a 1000 years longer there is no great disadvantage in leaving this world - if this people were no d? and the provision - there is a plenty - what will you let many families suffer and treasure to himself or pick up hides - by and by both of you will have to tell the Almighty - the story - how will you feel - the food handed out to the Lord for his portion is a pack of nonsense - to say they pray and worship before the Lord and suffer their brethren to starve is a pack of nonsense - we want to feel the poor a little breadstuff for prayers he wont put to our credit - the Lord has said he will be sought unto - his eye and ear is present to him - he understands every prayer - and to do those things that are needful - if we ask him to do a thing to tell him he is an Almighty being - he know that well and better than you do - to tell him of myriads of holy beings - says he, I know all about that that better than you - he turns away his ears for it is nonsense - for me to ask the Lord to feel this people when I have provisions is nonsense and an insult to the Lord - let every man and woman act by the spirit - there is no lack for any good thing that we can desire - I have witnessed plenty of scenes to know that the invisible hand of the Lord is over his people - I could swear upon the stack of Bibles that money has come into my pocket book - and provisions into my store - unbeknown to me - but known to the Lord only - there are games? going on now and I want this people to know I am boss in this valley - I swear to him I will consecrate his property - they made his covenants that they would never cease their operations until the LDS were established - it is in their endowments in the temple of the Lord, the H of God on the earth is calculated to shield every man and woman in their rights - but not to abuse others - if a LDS want to damn a Jew or a Pagan the law of God would sever him from the earth and if a Methodist would damn a LDS the law of God would sever him from the earth - do you suppose an Elder or a High Priest can say he shall do as he damn pleases - I let you know I am boss here - I have let the reins loose - but now let you know there is a harness around them - they have wanted to be LDS then they have either to observe those laws or be severed from the church - if there were 1000 to come here they would have all the right equal with us and would have a right to worship a dog or the sun - it is for us to let them worship as they please - but if you step into the pales of the church - I want the elders to know I am here - if you think to run away with the gold and silver you cant do it - I am here and am determined to govern you and if you don't want me - I should be glad to get away with the skin of my teeth and go to the saints - is there another place where there is good wholesome light where there has been more meaner nonsense than in these forts - I am master and the elders of Israel have got to do as I tell him or him counsel tell him - I've laid a trap to catch part of the gold and silver - I was opposed to put out a paper currency but now you can do nothing - another thing I tell you, I mean to kill every creature there is in the val
ley - you are welcome to mine - you may ration my family as low as any other - count the inhabitants and ration them - again if you wont sell your cattle for the currency - we shall just take them and use them and I can raise the strongest party - my plan is to get the richest by giving away all I have - no miser can get rich in the kingdom of God - he would be brought into poverty and finally go to hell - you cant buy him with your prayers and you would be found wanting at the last day - when this community start anything in this place - and if any man rejects and refuse the paper currency it is an insult to every man and woman in this place - every person has said so - let individuals say they wont take it - it is an insult - I have the gold and calculate to keep it where you cant find it - there is gold dust deposited with me - I wont be drown? - I want the gold out and the paper printed and if men and women wont take it, they shall take it - I say gentile butchers, if you see a fat ox, take him and I will pay the bill in paper currency - I wont have men running to the States and trade with the devil - and coax them here - if we are obliged to make [-] you will smart and suffer by it - go to the Lord and pray - don't be giddy and light headed - and for God sake don't make another party unless you ask those who have nothing to eat at home - feast them and you will have your reward - I wont have men come here and run over whom they please - if you want to send to the States - be united in sending - or else we may as well go and scatter among the gentiles and die and be damned - is a man afraid to ask my council, if he is, he has not the spirit of God in him - when that Council House is built we are going to organize this people - wait and make a firm fence around your farm and lots and raise grain and prepare for the gathering of Israel - if they run away here and there we shall cut them off - they have got to abide our customs - if its fine next Sunday we will meet again. -- Salt Lake City [Thomas Bullock Minutes, LJA; Thomas Bullock—LDS Church Reporter, 1844-56.C, Archives, Church History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah.; GCM, Archives, Church History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah..; Leonard J. Arrington Papers, Special Collections, Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University, Logan.. (A reference reading LJA 12-55-5, 10, means LJA Series 12, Box 55, Folder 5, page 10.) 9-13-3, 30-34; General Church Minutes. Selected Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints DVD 1 (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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