[Brigham Young Sermon] I have been edified and comforted this day and feel to bear testimony to the truth of the gospel. It is the gospel of salvation. It is good for us people and individ- uals the organization of mankind is such that the curse that is come upon man he is naturally inclined to sleep all mankind are composed of certain materials - and the organization, but in regard to future existence mankind are dull, forgetful - not awake to those things they do not see with the natural eye - it is a legacy to mankind and some have reasoned there is no other state of existence for intelligent beings, the very organization of a single person is beyond the comprehension of man we are inclined to lethargy because of sin - the moment we [-] our eyes on an object of life - we see an object of death - to another kingdom - but matter is to all eternity - the nature and organization of man what are they for? why have I intelligence to be miserable? or sensitive to bear pain? it is folly in the extreme. as to my person, to my being - if I had no hope, I should be most miserable - not to have the privilege of talking eating and enjoying - like the children of the devil - they may blaspheme and deprecate the name of the Almighty, they can live in peace and bow to every preacher or damned scoundrel - but I cannot live in peace, because I have born testimony to the truth of the gospel - if I had the opportunity only in this life I would be a damned rascal like the rest - but it is the hope within me that one day I shall see the enemies of my God weltering in their own existence - those that are faithful and bear it patiently will see men in the fiery indignation of Mount Zion - Who are our enemies? I see the hand of the Lord in our persecutors - and in persecuting the Savior unto death. If no man had been wicked enough to shed his blood - how could it be that salvation would come to you - it was not the people of the Unites States that persecuted us - but sin that dwells within them - that has done all the evil - when some would do good - evil was with him - men who had never seen our faces, who had nothing against us - they joined in war - with the spirit that was in Joseph and in all LDS and some of the people will see that if they did not help stone the prophets - they have said Amen to the killing of old Joe Smith - and they will find it out it is the spirit of man that prompts him to achieve, he is nerved up by an unseen principle, he will go through fire to accomplish his designs. There is an inspiration in man and the promptings of the devil giveth it [-] - Here's the kingdom of God within you, except ye be reprobates - the principles of the kingdom are in every person and it is to instill those principles of perfect obedience - did Joseph Smith make and build up this work? he never did - but the Almighty makes the work and calls upon us to publish it as far as we have ability. We are after what the natural eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, and yet we are after what the Lord requires us to do - I have preached to all to be saving - to take care of their crops - and it is a matter of doubt whether there wont be more pinching times than we have seen - preserve yourselves - observe all the law of the celestial kingdom - endure affliction - keep the mild spirit of the Lord - we the children of the light, trying to build up the kingdom of God - and yet want to be hid up from the world - pause a little, what would your light be worth? - how would the sinner the ungodly be punished and receive the demerit of his cause - how would the honest be judged? when he comes to judgment they would have received them gladly and would have maintained it - you Elders of Israel would be called unwise stewards - and instead of getting out of the way we have got right into the midst of the world - gold is but a mere currency - where are the streets of gold and the servers in the temple make of gold - let us emigrate there and live in peace. The very days that we are now experiencing have been told you in the United States for the last eighteen years - God Almighty will give the United States a pill that will puke them to death and that is worse than a lobelia - and I am a prophet enough to prophesy the downfall of the government that has driven us out - eighteen years ago I told them of it - and if the President Z. Taylor was here and would profit thereby I would be glad they were here to hear but wo to the United States - I see them going to death and destruction - I see them [-] after death and destruction all this that you will hear within the next twelve months will make you weep and wail and those LDS who are gone will weep and wail before they see a day of peace again - Our duty is to let our light shine - hand them the words of eternal life and save those that can be saved - the Lord Almighty has brought out the work and will carry it on - it requires perfect obedience to the law of God which is the priesthood, it is a perfect code of laws - an universal system of worlds - the earth is but like a gimlet hole and if we follow up that by and by we shall get into the main stream - the doctrine of salvation you can be saved by - but first? in the neglect of one and it will sink you to hell -if there is not salvable power in baptism what did he institute it for - I am your law (amen) - then do as I tell you - every Elder of Israel has eat it and drank it and slept with it - that produces the effect - I would not give a picayune for any mans religion who would sit still and say I trust God will feed me - he is too cursed lazy - that if God would do any thing for him he might give him a kick and say go to hell with you - every good and truth, is in Mormonism - let your every act be as though you would the next moment be judged for the deeds done in the body - you cant be waked up wrong if its at night - all night say I'm just ready this moment -he is ready all the time - I see men that are greedy, covetous - full of wickedness - preserve yourselves - and that will assist your wives, then preserve your children - then you will grow in the knowledge of the truth and understanding - you was born in comparative ignorance - the decree of the Almighty is that when the spirit is veiled in the tabernacle - it is remembered no more unless God reveals it to them - foreordained from before the foundation of the world - that your faith may not fail you and as necessary for you and I as it was for the Savior to pray that the cup might pass away - at the very time that he needed the power it was taken from him - that the blood might force itself through his pours - its all right - I was to suffer this, its done, Father I am ready to be offered up - that all may be saved, who obey his gospel kill the man who steals your property and see if we cannot put an end to such concerns - there is not a community where there is a little rioting as in this city - Ye Elders of Israel you are the Saviors of the world - but weaknesses are a different thing to sinning willfully, by and by we'll be made perfect. Then reviewed some temporal affairs - we have been humbugged long enough by herdsmen who are irresponsible men - its a disgrace and I will put a stop to it. -- 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.) 9-13-3, 84-87; 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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