[Brigham Young Sermon] I have a few words to offer pertaining to business matters - I exhort my brothers, sisters and fellow beings who have heard the discourse to govern yourselves and bide accordingly - he has preached good things to us - I exhort you to do those things as far as you have been taught - and cease not to pursue a good course - that is not the stopping place - it is for you and me to improve that intelligence forever and ever worlds without end and when you get a morsel, eat it and get more - and not chew one end forever and ever. Get understanding - be ye sanctified by all the truth that God has revealed or will reveal. I will God being my helper go form grace to grace till I shall be prepared to receive them. I calculate there wont be much dust at my door - and if my elder brother should come along - he would cast a mantel of immortality around him. I would clasp and hold him as by brother - I understand it and know their bearing? he has hardly entered the bay of intelligence - I have traveled the ground - go have strength to [-] - and be prepared for all that awaits us in life. There is not a man know the Bible is true only by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Nobody tested it but eight men and they were pretty concerned. I testify the Bible is true so far as it is translated correctly. I testify that Jesus is the Christ - because it has been revealed to me. I testify that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Why? because the heavens have been unfolded to me - what caused me to be a despised Mormon - Mormonism is true as the heavens are true - and I say to my friends Mormonism is true and I say friends walk ye into it - let them drive me and burn my houses and my grain and persecute me - my voice to all men it I am an Apostle of Jesus Christ and I know the Bible is true - but all professing Christians do not say that Jesus Christ came in the flesh - the Hickites - the Jews don't believe it - I can prove by the Jews that Jesus Christ was an imposter - let every man that has not a stormy heart read the letters from parents to children and there hearts would bleed to read it - all you my hearers - when we all come to stand before Jehovah you have no excuse. I am an Apostle - the Book of Mormon is true, Mormonism is true - the Bible is true and will be fulfilled - and when the trumpet sound they will rise up and say they knew it not. To the LDS brethren, you recollect many years ago we entered into a covenant to assist each other to remove to a place where the Lord should point out - we have been driven from city to city - we entered into covenant to assist each other - but very few have arrived. Thousands and thousands have not the means of emigrating here. they cry day and night to the Lord to soften the hearts of those who have means - that they may journey to where the saints are located - if you are saints you feel the prayers - and I mean to have those feelings acted out - and I am calling upon this community to help the poor - its unnecessary - no saint needs it - all are anxious to do what they can - its the poor I'm after - not rich or righteous or sinners - I go in for raising a perpetual fund to bring the poor - and if saints will also pay tithing we can give poor something to eat and to do and my plan it is to have a company of five to gather means - let this community raise a fund of not less than 10 to 25,000 to help the poor - my policy is to become rich, wealthy, popular, powerful - where? in the eyes of God and angels, and all the world may go to hell if they have a mind to - I am for power in the eyes of God, holy angels and holy men in heaven and on earth - and all the rest they may go to hell if they will not turn about and go back to Father - my policy is to get rich by giving, helping the poor and needy, and building up the kingdom, if I assist in doing the work my El. Bro. [Elder Brothers] has put on me to carry out his work that he left unfinished. I want to gather the poor - save the sinner - have a [-] to gather it up then a Com. to dispose of it to advantage, and keep the books open until it shall be an inexhaustible fund - if it pleases this people and they are disposed of raising the fund to bring the poor from Nauvoo, Iowa, and covenant to bring the poor, those who are worthy. I expect to bring some half hearted - some wicked - great many were made in gizzard making times (laugh) and have no soul - and the gospel so said Jesus would be like a fish net and gather all kinds good and bad - what did he say about wheat and tares growing together - Mormonism is as strait as a line - light as the sun - and will advance to all eternity - why? - the wicked are as [-] in the hands of God, and if we are to suffer like Jesus, go ahead, and every LDS if this is your aim say Aim (sound shouts) all LDS lift up your hands (all up). I propose Willard Snow, John D. Lee, Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D. Richards, J. S. Fullmer if you say this company shall act lift up your hands (full vote). If you have confidence and will put forth your means lift up your hands again (up) and away with the lazy ones and now I propose Jedediah M. Grant to take charge of the means under the direction of the First Presidency the eastern country signify it (all up) now gentlemen you who have money and property and [-] - many oxen and wagons have been send back time after time and we are satisfied that men would rather give an ox than lend one, and further more your names will be written on the law of the Lord of a perpetual fund. and the few LDS who are here, I want every man who is here to say whether they will pay their tithing or not - we have not only this Council House and store house - but also a house for the poor that has go to be built forthwith - I am either going to get the assent or to reject it - now brethren I want you that will pay your tithing vote for it and those who are in favor for it signify it by the uplifted hand (all up) and those who do not intend to pay their tithing have the boldness to signify it (none up) they are not here today - I say to the bishops when you speak you speak as one having authority and the people [-] only obey you - perhaps some of the bishops never have felt the power - I say wake up bishops - and if you cant come into council without a whine keep out of it, either say I will do it, God being my helper and the brethren - now I shall expect to see the bishops this day. And now we have a shade, we want to make it comfortable for winter. I want each respective ward to make it comfortable. shall we assemble as we do now, or by wards, or shall we cast lots - when this house is enclosed you will all hear easily - I want a decision today, so that we can prepare for cold weather. -- SLC Bowery [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, 15-17]
[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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