Mormon History, Feb 22, 1849

[Brigham Young Sermon] Our business this day is to select bishops for each ward in city - lay hands on them and set them apart over their wards - we have bishops enough if we had them here - we shall not be under necessity of ordaining councilors to the bishops today - but we will set the bishops over their wards - some men may have to preside over wards that they don't live in but we cant avoid it - a high counsel is ordained to be high counselors of this stake of Zion, they are to council, dictate and control under direction of High Priests quorum - a man who magnifies calling of High Priest is fit for bishop, high council, traveling elder or step into any office that may be allotted him. When a bishop is set over a certain ward and remains until he is removed - his office ceases and he is them a high priest - if a bishop is ordained again - the more good the better - a high priest is called to act in every office in church down to a deacon, he has a perfect right - men will be called, set apart and ordained to their several places - if a bishop is not in his ward, let them manage to suit themselves - I hope and trust that the bishops will feel the responsibility of their office - to be a father to that ward - see they are made comfortable, industrious and prudent, pay their tithing - see they observe the Sabbath day, and do right - when the time comes we can rest ourselves and our teams 1/7th time we shall have to do it - it is necessary - when the Son of Man came he was Lord of Sabbath and had a perfect right to do just as he pleased - for a saint, a man of God to a certain extent is measurably master of himself, when men have worked 6 days they ought to rest the 7th - we should do nothing with our animals, but rest and we go to offer the sacrament - and when we have cultivated the ground for 6 years let it rest the 7th and when it has been done for 7 times 7 they will have to rest 7 years - the day of rest is given to rest our bodies and the servant maid would be just as good at 75 as at 25 - it is duty of bishops to take charge of wards and preserve themselves - that every person may support themselves and pay their tithing - quick to think, slow to speak, quick to do good but very slow to do evil, if they are all faithful to have meetings, there I will be in their midst - it is my delight. In all trials before the bishops court - the high council will be instructed not to hear the trial without [-] all the evidences before him - there has been no organization since Nauvoo, but temporary organizations - can one bishop try another - here are 19 wards 'here's no. 1 - is there another bishop to try him - No - No. 2 has nothing to do with No. 1 - No. 3 having any difficulty - they cant go to any other ward - they just cant do it - if a bishop has to be tried he has to be taken before the high council - there was no such thing non? as a high council, when the revelation was given that a -- 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, 42-44; 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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