Mormon History, May 23, 1847

[Brigham Young Sermon] The president said there are many items of doctrine which he often felt like teaching to the brethren and there is much for them to learn, but as to administering sealing ordinances this is no time nor place for them; they belong to the house of God and when we get located we shall have opportunity to build a house. He expressed himself well satisfied with the conduct of the Camp in general. He is pleased to see so much union, and disposition to obey counsel among the brethren, and hoped and prayed that it may continue and increase. He is satisfied with the progress we have made on our journey. We have traveled as fast as our teams could bear; we have done all we could and if we don't accomplish the journey as soon as we expected he will still feel satisfied for we do as fast as we can and intend to. He is satisfied that the brethren went into the Army; it is all right, but he hopes we shall no more be under the necessity of taking up the sword against our fellow men, but if the gentiles follow us to destroy us we will defend ourselves. He wants the brethren to seek after knowledge and be faithful - acknowledge God in all things but never take his name in vain, nor use profane language. If all the knowledge in this Camp was put together, and brother Joseph was here in our midst, his knowledge would circumscribe the whole of it, he could wind it round his little finger, say nothing about the knowledge of Angels or of Gods. There is much for us to learn, and a faithful man who desires eternal glory, will seek after knowledge continually, and his ideas and faith is never suffered to rust but is always Bright, but there are some who do not treasure up the knowledge which they receive, they consider them as small things, and are all the time asking, '"do give us something new'" They are like the two Irishmen who heard that money was so plentiful in America that they could pick it up in the streets and started to get some. When they landed in New York and was walking up the streets one of them accidentally found a dollar and picked it up, but his companion said to him, faith Jimmy throw it down again and let's go where they are more plentiful. He did throw it down but it is a chance whether they ever found any more. So it is with those who are not careful to preserve the knowledge they get. It is doubtful whether they get any more. For his part he has always grasped at every particle of knowledge he could get, no matter how small, and hugged it his bosom. He has sought to gain all he can, but been careful to keep what he got and never refused small things. By gaining many small particles and putting them together, in time they will become quite a large pile. He expressed his warm feelings towards all the brethren, and prayed them to be faithful, diligent, and upright, for we are now sowing seed, the fruits of which will be plucked in after days whether good or bad. -- Ancient Bluff, 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..]

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

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