[Brigham Young Sermon] I rise in capacity of a teacher in Israel - of which I have tried to teach the way of life and salvation - and walk therein - man is subject to be operated upon by the various incidents of human life - to whom are committed the keys of life and salvation. I have thought and reflected and live for my individual self - I supposed Father Adam transgressed the law designedly - he understood the plan of salvation and to whom were committed the whole superintendence of this earth - I don't ask any man to believe or disbelieve it, or let it fall - let every man search the scriptures for himself - with an eye of penetration and with humility ask him who has pledged himself that he will withhold no good thing from them that serve him - When I behold the handiwork of God among men, the invisible and that overruleth all things - and the planets and starry heavens - I might call him a man of war - the Eternal Father - God - I Am that I Am - there is same character that holds the destinies of all men till the winding up scene when the earth has filled up the measure of its creation - He is the character for us to serve, love and become acquainted with - he puts up a kingdom here and dethrones another there - the generations of man are numbered - we are subjected to the same principle of pains? and fear and suffering and pain - I say marvel not at the dealings of the Almighty, we have the same Father - Mediator with him - and have all the same darkness to contend with - its right, its right - how can LDS understand the providences of a Supreme Being - by no means than obeying the plan laid down for obtaining them - all can understand who have the Spirit of the Lord - who humble themselves and come unto the Lord all it right they can do nothing against the truth, for it will stand and is bound to abide - all sin will be abolished and destroyed from this earth - and this earth will be prepared for the habitation of the saints and they will be prepared for the earth - Why are we subjected to sickness and pain, for no other reason than to prepare us for what the Father wants us - Why did Father Adam stretch forth his hand for the forbidden fruit? that you and I might drink the bitter cup - and drink the cup of life eternal be made happy and increase to all eternity - that is my logic - were it not for the bitter the sweet would be irksome - were it not for darkness light would be weary. I could never know joy or intelligence - our sufferings are perfectly needful - the more we suffer the more we can appreciate - and if we do not descend below all things we could not ascend above all things. -- Cottonwood, 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, 39-40]
[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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