[Brigham Young Sermon] I have preached out of door a great deal and injured myself by so doing - I would rather live than die for the sake of my family and my brethren - most of the brethren and sisters wish to be taught things they have never heard - doctrines they have not understood - they have enjoyed that privilege a great deal and have learned so much from Joseph that their minds are drawn out to hear some fresh things - I will compare my policy - I give my son 25 acres of land - if you make good use of it I will give you 25 acres more - this people have covenanted to obey council - with uplifted hands they have covenanted to do the things they have been taught from this stand - still they are as covetous as the devil - they have no confidence in God - in their brethren and themselves - When the trump sound their own consciences will condemn them - they are of the earth earthly and cannot see further than to see a picayune or a sovereign - there are a certain class of men who always want to stand aloof from this work until the gate is open - Why I wish you were all in heaven with your backs broke and you could not then get out again - again we have got a set of ignorant saints - it would be well for them to hold their tongues - and in the providence of God wisdom is brought to the wise and foolishness to the forward - men can all see for themselves those who have come from the United States, what were your feelings in Nauvoo, how did A. Lathrop feel when sheriffs were after him - he would then sooner have eat crickets or grass then have left this people - so it is with others they are let away my transitory things and man is the grass that passeth away - there is more joy in believing what we do believe - than all the world beside why if we go to hell - we'll make war with the devils and make a heaven there for ourselves - my discourse two weeks ago was to your fences O Elders of Israel that is gospel - if the Almighty don't require things of me to do today - I have nothing to do with it. I say let the man draw the line that can between spiritual and temporal things - be our bishops to attend to temporal things and the Prophet to spiritual things - I have got to do with you O Elders of Israel - make your fences, take care of your grain - by and by let us have a temporary tabernacle up that I can talk to you half an hour - I am going to lay out the path for the mothers and fathers - God has not said take to yourselves wives to raise up seed - many act like fools and devilish fools - men that act like God and who hold the keys and are able to save themselves and others to them - the Lord Almighty had not confidence in Lathrop in Nauvoo. I will send men on missions to try them and prove them - you do not learn at preachings what you do at councils - get together and have conferences and councils - if you want me to tell you things build me a place to teach you in - I am both rich and poor, I have both sides of the question - Mormonism has never touched me in poverty - I was pinched before. I saved all I had and was loose and went to preach the gospel - Joseph told us it was our duty never to build up a gentile city on the world - it was better to work for the brethren and starve than to work for the gentiles at 1.50 - I knew how to earn it, to save it and take care of it - ask if I cheated anyone or if I did not feed the hungry and clothe the naked and do all I could - as the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof - if I had to loose all - let Father do just as he pleases its all right. I want to say amen to that - now attend to your fence and have up every bit by next Saturday night have a good substantial fence to turn sheep, calves, large hogs or the wind blow over - such fence as that will not answer what do you think of the doctrine - do you like it? I say go in for the good fence - then I want to see that council put up - it would not disgrace New York - Boston or Philadelphia - I think Brother Heywood's ward is a pusillanimous ward - they have not been asked to do anything but put up this fence - and its not done yet - my feeling is to disown the ward. I would be ashamed to live in the ward - they have not been asked to draw a load of stone or clay for the Council House - I want Brother Whitney to designate to each ward how many poles to fence up the church farm - and let that bishop say you go and get so many poles, put two or three men together and then go put up that fence speak as one having authority - the people believe I would not ask a wrong thing - I believe they will do what I tell them - and that gives us power and influence - I say to the brethren cease riding but go to raising grain - Sisters, its your business to come here and pray for their husbands sons and fathers and selves - that we may never be removed from this place - pray for those wild Lamanites - its your indispensable duty to remember scattered Israel - until they are gathered home - Elders gone on missions - the poor longing to be here they would lick up the very dust from your feet to be here - for the privilege you enjoy this day - remember how you have felt - then remember those who are sickly scores and 100s under disease, looking to this place - every day praying for you and to open up the way for them to join you in songs and thanksgiving pray for your seed and grain - pray for all - its a miracle a marvel to see what has been done already still the cry is go ahead and when the place is made perfect then I may want to go and build up another place - and then blessed the people in the name of Jesus. Amen. -- 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, 62-64; 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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