[Brigham Young Sermon] Brother Snow touched upon the points I expected to lay before the brethren, such as business transactions - but one business is to serve the Lord all the time, this brings salvation and exaltation and prepares us to re- ceive the celestial kingdom and glory of God and be crowned heirs of God and joint heirs of Jesus Christ. No matter if we serve nine days the Lord and devote the tenth to ourselves it would blight our expectations and we found wanting but the first duty is to build up the kingdom and prepare for the glory for us [-] the question may be asked do I need the revelations of Jesus Christ to plow and sow as to preach the gospel and gather the people - I need the same father care when laboring with my hands - if I farm I need the spirit of it - if mercantile or trading. I would enter into the spirit of it - what I do I ought to have the spirit to do it - its no matter what I do if I do it with a pure heart I look upon my brethren as having received the gospel and as having followed the Lord in religion. Were I to preach the principle to an eternal exaltation to a people who had done all they could for it, its unnecessary. If saints grow cold they want their pure minds stirred up by way of remembrance, that they might renew them and if all things were done right there would be a book of remembrance kept. The saints yet remember their [-] for the truths sake - we are now in the mountains and for us to save ourselves - to preserve ourselves and society - its the duty of children to obey parents and set good examples to playmates - do you perform every good work within your reach? do you need me to teach you what you should do right? there is not a man or woman here but what knows to do right - if you want to be dead, be dead - if you want to go to hell, go to hell - are the people willing to do things right, and when its their duty to do it are we willing to save our brethren - the United States have damned themselves and men and women of that people are under obligation to come to us and not us go to them - but are we willing to save those that want to be saved - we are under no obligation to the United States whatever - but our duty now is to gather up the saints but if all the U.S. were here this day - they might all go to hell, without my saying repent - or salvation - for I am clear before the Almighty for the testimony I have borne to them, the whole world would have been converted before now and my garments are clear - I disjoin them and rejoin upon the saints here to help the poor here who cant get here - we want the brethren to feel of their own hearts and see if we cant alleviate some poor brethren this day - to think of the hundreds that would be glad to be here and kiss the ground we set upon, I expect they would jump and shout praise the Lord for the privilege of being here - they are now in a world grieved and in sorrow - pray for deliverance and for the Lord to open some door of relief and that means may be sent to them that they may come to the gathering of the saints, we want to raise means - the system will be controlled, managed by myself - and now every man that falters in your feelings, if you have any lack of confidence in me, don't put forth your hand - keep all you've got - for I ask no favors of you - in the days of Joseph they durst not give him .50 for fear - when the saints are called upon to do a thing - they ought to do if they have the faith in Jesus Christ that will control the whole matter - confidence and faith go hand in hand - this thing will be controlled by me - I am going for a perpetual fund for the express purpose of removing the saints - there will be a book kept that will show every dollar and cent - what has become of it - and what is on hand - we don't want surplus property there is more property between here and Ogden's Fort. there is four times more than brought us here - let us raise enough that in Pottawatomie County they will rejoice and their hearts be made glad - the Lord will first try us to see what we will do with a willing mind and if we don't do right we shall have the hand of the Lord more heavy on us. All scourges and plagues are a rod in the hands of the Lord to chastise his people, there is no power in earth or hell that can separate us from Father Adam buy by int. intelligence. Every intelligence is organized and brought forth and can act for itself whether to become a god or a devil. If we do not alienate ourselves from our Fathers and break that cord ourselves - that is free agency - here is not a nation or a tribe of Indians that never saw a white man - but as ordinances, traditions and traits that will show some signs that come from Father Adam - if they can establish one fact, there are also errors ready to be drank in that shows all truth and all error - I never believed I had any sins to repent of - until I had committed any. the names of all the human family are written in the lambs book of life - and ever will be until be tear ourselves away - the first thing we have to do is to take those we have left behind from the pit they are in and bring them to us - we have power to do that now - we have property, money, help, cabins, grain, comforts of life - and now it is required for us to look after the poor - the people have never paid their tithing for the first time and when the people get their hearts weaned from an old horse, ox or wagon then we can tell them what their tithing is - and more will be done until they consider that it is to accomplish what the Lord requires - I ask the brethren to assist the poor, and you may do as you please. I ask just that, that will relieve them. We need just what we keep in active service, and the rest is a sinking fund. Now for the tithing - in first place when the Lord directed the saints to assemble in Jackson County, there was a revelation given - if the law was lived up to it would be in the gathering of Israel in last days and they have confidence in the Lord, that they have no more concern than the lilies or ravens they will be arrayed more excellent than Solomon could be. They will arrive at it - the revelation directed the brethren how to gather every person who should be gathered - they would be dictated by a bishop, they would put all in his hands - he would dictate the settling of the saints and what he should do - they would throw down all they had at his feet, that is give him an inventory - because they had all confidence in him as a good man they would make out a list of all oxen and property - and every dime - and say here bishop what must I do - if he goes to farming - or business - he knows when he has the wisdom of God - the bishop would then say take so much land - here's your farming utensils - and so many cattle - and here's enough for yourself you wife and family - and the rest of the property goes into the storehouse - when a man has given a tenth of all he has - then he is required to give one tenth of his time and one tenth of his crops - every day is measured out to man when he has worked nine then the Lord says give every tenth day - if he puts in ten bushels and it produces 200 then there is 190 bushels given by the Lord. and I pay one tenth of my days - grain, beans, peas etc, and every tenth you have increased in cows, oxen, goats, sheeps, chickens, etc., and then he may have traded 1,000. Who gave you judgment - or caused a man to come up and make you a trade - God directs the steps of the children of men - they are controlled by circumstances but the Lord Almighty controls the whole of it - and he requires one tenth. Now pause? as Mormons do you give one tenth to the Lord, No you don't give him a cent - if you build a temple - its for the priesthood and endowments - or build an academy - its for your learning - but it is in order that you may receive the benefit says he if you have not confidence in me to build a place - I will pour out my blessings on those who have confidence in me. If we now donate property to bring the poor here, we will be remunerated - for we will receive four fold in this world yea hundred fold with it - riches are the comforts of life - suppos
e we were actually tied up here and no ingress or regress - you could eat and drink, lie down and grunt - there would be no riches, and property would be of no value - the moment you stop increasing, you have not riches - if the Gods were tied to this they would be no more Gods - but would dwindle away. Suppose we could get 20,000 persons here to work for us - men are so full of money they wont work a day this season - we want to get men here who are not so everlastingly rich that they may work for us - if the LDS will gather up the poor and do right you will increase - but if you bring them to your affections they will prove a curse to you. Brethren don't be discouraged, if your children are rude - the time will come that they will become good to think that we are a mixed multitude as if we were thrown together by an earthquake and blown together by a whirlwind - its great what we have done - every child that comes into the world is perfectly pure and holy - and as soon as the child gets a tabernacle he is in a way to be operated on - whenever a person has the spirit to abuse, he has the spirit of a devil - the devils that are send down have not the privilege of tabernacles when Lucifer fell he drew down one third of those who did belong to this earth - children have no sin about them - but the devil will get into the child and throw fits ready to choke them - how quick devils will take possession of a saint - if his brain get overbalanced - the devil will enter into children and crazy people, they are not to blame for it - if the devil has power to kill them he cant take that soul to hell but it will be saved. -- Provo, Utah [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.) 9-12-5, 32-36]
[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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