Brigham Young's sermon on Mormon Revelation versus Christian belief - 8/13/1871
I feel like bearing my testimony to the Gospel of the Son of God, and I
have it upon my mind to impress on the Latter-day Saints one particular
item of our faith, and that is to take a course to possess the Spirit
of the Lord. According to your experience and mine you cannot
understand the things of God but by the Spirit of God. If we were to
examine the character of the Jews in the days of the Savior we would
learn this one fact - that the people at that time were about as
destitute of the Spirit of the Lord as any nation ever need be. In our
day it seems that the Spirit will actually prompt people to liberal
thinking, to liberal actions and to liberal government, and not to be
as suppressive as they were in the days of the Jewish nation and other
nations that then bore rule; although in Christendom there have been
times when governments have been very oppressive, and when the people
were obliged to think as they were told, and when the doctrines they
believed in must be according to the precepts and teachings of priests;
but the present age is more liberal. The time has come when the Lord is
commencing to pour out his Spirit upon the people. According to the
words of the Prophet the time is to come when the Spirit of the Lord
shall be poured out upon all flesh. He says, "Your sons and your
daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young
men shall see visions, and also upon the servants and upon the
handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit." This appears to be
the commencement, and I am very thankful for it. Still, according to
the experience of those who examine themselves, and the operations of
the different spirits upon themselves, we learn that the power of evil
is very great, and we are more given to it than to possess the Spirit
of Christ. Yet the Spirit of the Lord enlightens every man that comes
into the world. There is no one that lives upon the earth but what is,
more or less, enlightened by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. It is said
of him, that he is the light of the world. He lighteth every man that
comes into the world, and every person, at times, has the light of the
Spirit of truth upon him. (1)
When we look at the conduct of the Jews and of the Romans in Jerusalem,
and other nations around, among whom Jesus traveled, we find that it
was very little influenced by those mighty miracles that we think, talk
and preach so much about. I mean the Christian world. They cry to their
hearers, "Look at the Savior, look at his acts, behold his doings! What
miracles he wrought! How he suffered for us," and so on. What did the
Jews or Romans care about all this? Did they believe in him? It appears
not, or but very few of them. (2)
And, as we have just been hearing, it was the same among the multitudes
who followed him; although he fed them, and they saw his miracles, yet
they understood nothing of the power by which his mighty works were
accomplished. It was just so with the young man who was born blind,
whom the Savior healed. "Who opened your eyes," said the Scribes and
Pharisees. "Why, this man who is going about preaching, who says he is
the Savior, the Son of God - the king of the Jews." The priests
replied: "That is nonsense; you do not pretend to say that this man
opened your eyes!" "Well, all I know about it is, that he spat on the
ground and made a little mortar from the clay and anointed my eyes, and
before that I was blind, but now I see." "Well, do not believe on him,
he is an impostor, he is deceiving the people;" and when we examine and
understand the facts in relation to this personage whom we call the
Savior of the world, there were not, strange to say, as many persons
believed on him as have believed on Joseph Smith in the latter days. (3) Not that Joseph was the Savior, but he was a prophet. (4) As he said once, when some one asked him, "Are you the Savior?" "No, but I can tell you what I am - I am his brother." (5)
So we can say. But Joseph was a prophet; and so we testify, declaring
that we know it. But how, in the world, do you know it? Because
somebody has made clay and anointed your eyes? No. The young man did
not know the real character of the personage by whom his eyes were
opened, nor he never would know unless the Holy Ghost - the Spirit of
revelation, rested upon him to such a degree as to manifest to him that
Jesus was the Christ. (6)
This is a matter that we should well consider. Jesus fed the multitudes
miraculously; he walked on the water, healed the sick, gave sight to
the blind, hearing to the deaf, and raised the dead to life, but what
of all this? Did it prove that he was the Christ? I recollect once,
when on my travels, hearing some divines try to prove that everybody
ought to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because of the miracles he
wrought. When they had argued some time I took the liberty of saying,
"Gentlemen, who were they who testified of these great miracles that
you speak of?" It was an Elder in Israel who was arguing with them, and
trying to prove to their minds that Joseph was called of God to open up
this last dispensation. They spurned every argument and ignored every
Scripture that was brought forward; but yet, they said, we ought to
believe on the Lord Jesus because of his great miracles. "Who were
they," said I, "who testified of these miracles? I will return you your
own words. You say that this gentleman is one of Joseph Smith's
disciples, and a party concerned and has an interest in establishing
the fact that he was a prophet and was called of God. (7)
If he is a party concerned, were not Peter, Paul and Jude parties
concerned? and when you get the names of all who have written in the
New Testament - eight in number - you find they were all interested in
establishing the divinity of the Savior; they were all parties
concerned and had an object in view in endeavoring to establish the
fact that he was the Savior. This gentleman has told you that there are
twelve men who testify that they saw the plates from which the Book of
Mormon was written; they saw and handled these plates, and they witness
to the world that the Book of Mormon is true. Here are twelve living
men, who can be spoken to, against eight men who have been dead for
about seventeen hundred years." Well, but these great miracles, these
wonderful miracles! (8)
I do not wish to speak the least derogatory to the character of him, or
whoever performed these miracles in the name of the Lord; but I mention
this to show how men's minds are wrought upon and how they look at
things. In my conversation I asked those gentlemen if they believed the
Bible? Yes, and they were very fervent in bringing forth the great
miracles of Moses, who was called to lead the children of Israel.
"Well, what did Moses do?" "Why, so and so." "And you say that Jesus
raised the dead?" "Yes." "If you will turn to the Old Testament, you
will find that a certain woman, called the witch of Endor, raised up
Samuel the Prophet. Did Jesus ever raise up a prophet?" They had to
acknowledge that he did not. "What greater work did Jesus do than a
witch, that our fathers in Massachusetts used to hang up by the neck
and burn, or make them swim across the bay, and if they went across,
that was proof they were witches or wizards; and if they could not get
quite across, but sank, they might possibly be innocent, but they were
at the bottom of the sea. What proof have you that Jesus wrought any
greater miracle than the witch of Endor - a wicked woman, who, to
please wicked Saul, brought the Prophet Samuel from his grave?" (9)
Well, now, examine the character of the Savior, and examine the
characters of those who have written the Old and New Testaments; and
then compare them with the character of Joseph Smith, the founder of
this work - the man whom God called and to whom he gave the keys of
Priesthood, and through whom he has established his Church and kingdom
for the last time, and you will find that his character stands as fair
as that of any man's mentioned in the Bible. We can find no person who
presents a better character to the world when the facts are known than
Joseph Smith, jun., the prophet, and his brother, Hyrum Smith, who was
murdered with him. (10)
I will come now to my text again, and will ask the Latter-day Saints,
Do you know that Joseph Smith was a prophet? Yes. How do you know it?
Why, father and mother says it is so; Elder such-a-one says it is so,
and I believe it. They prove their doctrine by the Bible, and I am
forced to believe the Bible through the traditions of the fathers; and
these Elders establish the truth of their doctrines beyond all
controversy from Scripture, and I cannot deny it, hence I believe
Mormonism, or the Gospel. (11)
Now, the question is, how much good will it do me to believe the Gospel
on the evidence of others, without possessing the spirit of the Gospel?
This is a question that I can answer very readily. There is no man or
woman on the earth that will live according to the laws of God, but
will possess the Spirit of God. This answers the question. But suppose
we believe and we do not quite live this law. We embrace the Gospel, we
gather up with the Saints, and yet we live in the neglect of our duty
and beneath our privileges; we do not call upon the Father in the name
of Jesus with that sincerity and earnestness necessary to bring down
the revelations of the Lord upon us, and we live in this manner for
days and years together; by and by something or other comes along that
we do not like, we cannot understand it, we have not the spirit to
understand it, and consequently we reject this and reject that; and if
the Church is just right and its leaders are just right, why the
individual is not right, and he turns away from the holy commandments
of the Lord Jesus, and goes back to the beggarly elements of the world,
like the dog to his vomit, or the sow to her wallowing in the mire. (12)
Now, let me ask the Latter-day Saints, you who are here in this house
this day, how do you know that your humble servant is really, honestly,
guiding and counseling you aright, and directing the affairs of the
kingdom aright? Let you be ever so true and faithful to your friends
and never forsake them, never turn traitor to the Gospel which you have
espoused, but live on in neglect of your duty, how do you know but I am
teaching false doctrine? How do you know that I am not counseling you
wrong? How do you know but I will lead you to destruction? And this is
what I wish to urge upon you - live so that you can discern between the
truth and error, between light and darkness, between the things of God
and those not of God, for by the revelations of the Lord, and these
alone, can you and I understand the things of God. (13)
When Jesus preached to the people they were destitute of the Spirit of
truth, and if they believed his teachings for the moment, as soon as
they went away the Spirit left them and they were again in the dark,
and they did not become the disciples of Jesus. So it is now. (14)
For instance, a great many strangers come here; they see our work, they
give us praise, they acknowledge our faithfulness, industry, prudence,
economy and so forth. How do they know that we are preaching the
Gospel? "Oh," say they, "we do not know anything about that; we do not
come here to be Mormons." But suppose they were perfectly honest before
God and sought unto him until they got the Spirit of revelation, they
would be convinced that we told them the truth, or else that we did not
preach that which we profess to teach, one of the two. We know all
about it, but they do not. (15)
Did the people in the days of the Savior? No, they saw his miracles,
but they enjoyed no more of the Spirit of truth than some of the
strangers who visit us. One thing is very remarkable, and should be
noticed by strangers who come here, and that is, the change that takes
place in their own feelings. Let me say this to strangers, I mean those
who have any regard for truth and holiness; when you are here in this
house or city, and you commune with the Latter-day Saints, there is a
spirit of peace, a holy reverence for truth, righteousness, goodness,
mercy and virtue rests upon you; in fact, you are influenced by that
spirit and influence which hover over this people; but what do many of
you say when you go away? No longer ago than yesterday a reporter said
to me, "While in California, judging by what I heard, I supposed you
had no improvements here, you lived in dugouts, you had no schools, and
that the people did not look as the people do anywhere else - quite
another kind of people - neither industry, judgment nor discretion
amongst them; but I am perfectly disappointed, my whole mind is
revolutionized, and I see things so different to what I expected to see
them, that I am really another person here." What will he write about
us? If he does as others have done, we may expect to see a batch of
misrepresentations from him just as quick as he gets away and the
spirit of the enemy takes possession of him. Such men cater to the
world and to the ungodly priests that the world is afraid of. But I
will confine this wholly to the political world. "Yes," says the
senator, or the man who wishes to be a senator, representative,
governor or any officer, "if I do not cater to these priests I shall
lose my election." But I would see them further in heaven than they
will get in ten thousand years before I would cater to them. Truth,
honesty and uprightness in everything, and if that will not stand upon
its own basis, falsehood, deception, lying to and deceiving each other
certainly will not, either here or hereafter. It is the honest and
honorable, or, in other words, it is truth and righteousness, that will
stand the day of God Almighty. When the Lord Almighty thunders from the
heavens to try the souls of the children of men they will want truth
and righteousness. (16)
But to return to my question to the Saints, "How are you going to know
about the will and commands of heaven?" By the Spirit of revelation;
that is the only way you can know. How do I know but what I am doing
wrong? How do I know but what we will take a course for our utter ruin?
I sometimes say to my brethren, "I have been your dictator for
twenty-seven years - over a quarter of a century I have dictated this
people; that ought to be some evidence that my course is onward and
upward. But how do you know that I may not yet do wrong? How do you
know but I will bring in false doctrine and teach the people lies that
they may be damned? Sisters can you tell the difference? (17)
I can say this for the Latter-day Saints, and I will say it to their
praise and my satisfaction, if I were to preach false doctrine here, it
would not be an hour after the people got out, before it would begin to
fly from one to another, and they would remark, "I do not quite like
that! It does not look exactly right! What did Brother Brigham mean?
That did not sound quite right, it was not exactly the thing!" All
these observations would be made by the people, yes, even by the
sisters. It would not sit well on the stomach, that is, on the
spiritual stomach, if you think you have one. It would not sit well on
the mind, for you are seeking after the things of God; you have started
out for life and salvation, and with all their ignorance, wickedness
and failings, the majority of this people are doing just as well as
they know how; and I will defy any man to preach false doctrine without
being detected; and we need not go to the Elders of Israel, the
children who have been born in these mountains possess enough of the
Spirit to detect it. But be careful that you do not lose it! Live so
that you will know the moment the Spirit of the Almighty is grieved
within you. Do you ever see such times? I do. I watch you. I see, for
instance, a company of young people go and mingle, perhaps, with old
people, and hear them laughing, joking, and talking nonsense and folly.
By and by darkness comes - leanness of the soul; and one says, "My head
don't feel right; my heart is not right; my nerves are not right; I do
not know what is the matter, but I do not enjoy myself here this
evening." Do you know what is the matter? You ought to live so that the
very moment the Spirit of the Lord is grieved, stop that instantly, and
turn the attention of every individual to something else that will
retain the good Spirit of the Lord and give you an increase of it. This
is the way to live. (18)
Have you this experience, sisters? Yes, many of you have. We need not
go to the Elders of Israel to ask them. Do you see people apostatize?
Yes. Will more go? Yes, many more. It is a day of trial - a day wherein
the Lord will try the hearts of the children of men; and he is taking a
course now with individuals and with nations, to make them exhibit the
very centre of their hearts, as governments, as nations, as cities, as
heads of families and as individuals, that he may reveal the secrets
thereof, that they may be known to each other. Consequently you can see
the necessity of every person living so as to have the Spirit of
revelation. (19)
Brother George A. Smith has been speaking about our little trials in
Missouri. I do not wish to cast reflections on any person, but I do not
acknowledge that I ever received persecution; my path has been so kind
from the Lord I do not consider that I have suffered enough even to
mention it. But when the words of Governor Lillburn W. Boggs were read
by General Clark, with regard to our leaving the State or renouncing
our religion, I sat close by him, although I was the very particular
one they wanted to get and were inquiring for; but as kind Providence
would have it they could not tell whether it was Brigham Young they
were looking at or somebody else. No matter how this was done, they
could not tell. But, standing close by General Clark, I heard him say,
"You are the best and most orderly people in this State, and have done
more to improve it in three years than we have in fifteen. You have
showed us how to improve, how to raise fruit and wheat, how to make
gardens, orchards and so on; and on these accounts we want you; but we
have this to say to you, No more bishops, no more high councils, and as
for your prophet," and he pointed down to where Joseph lay, right in
the midst of the camp, "you will never see him again." Said I to
myself, "May be so and may be not; but I do not believe a word of it."
"And," continued he, "disperse, and become as we are." Do you want I
should tell you what I thought? I do not think I will. I thought a kind
of a bad thought, that is, it would be considered so by a very
religious person, and especially if he was well stocked with
self-righteousness; but I would as soon as not tell what I thought to
those who have not much of this and are not very pious, and it was, "I
will see you in hell first." Renounce my religion? "No, sir," said I,
"it is my all, all I have on this earth. What is this world worth as it
is now? Nothing. It is like a morning shadow; it is like the dew before
the sun, like the grass before the scythe, or the flower before the
pinching frosts of autumn. No, sir, I do not renounce my religion. (20)
I am looking beyond; my hope is beyond this vale of tears, and beyond
the present life. I have another life to live, and it is eternal. The
organization and intelligence God has given me are not to perish in
nonentity; I have to live, and I calculate to take such a course that
my life hereafter will be in a higher state of existence than the
present." Said he, "Forsake your religion, and become as we are!" I had
been round the country enough to know the practice of both priest and
people. On Saturday they would get together and run horses, throw up
coppers to see who would treat, get pretty drunk, and perhaps get up a
good sound quarrel, and then the priest would step in half drunk, and
with long face and sanctimonious drawl preach on the evils of
intemperance and so on. "Become as you are? God forbid," said I. You
are as low and degraded as possible, living here without schools,
orchards or mills, like the brutes almost, in your little cabins! Bacon
and hominy! Bacon and Indian bread, honey and milk, and they were
perfectly satisfied. As I heard one of these great nobles say, on a
certain occasion when at his house; we were holding a two-days'
meeting; he did not belong to the Church, but his family did. Said he,
"Mr. Young, I have a great deal of property and some money, and I do
not know what to do with it, I think I will go up to your place and
buy." He had a log house, all in one room, with six beds in it. Not a
light of glass to light the room; and just to instruct my sisters how
to cook, I will tell them something about the first meal we had there.
A twelve-quart tin milk pan was set on the table, filled with beef,
stacked as you see cannon balls, up to the peak or roof, in arsenals. I
think there was about two ounces of butter on the table, white as
cheese curd. This was in the month of August, when the fat beeves were
standing around, and I do not know how many cows, sheep, oxen, horses,
geese, turkeys and fowls were running round his yard; and I do not
think that his pile of beef in the milk pan had a half or a quarter of
an ounce of fat on it. Said they to us, "Help yourselves, lay hold and
help yourselves;" and we did, to a piece of dry bread, dry beef and a
little "clean" butter - we always called such butter "clean," because
it looked so white. I recollect on Sunday morning, you will excuse me
for telling this anecdote, after we had sat down and had eaten a
little, the lady of the house said, "Brother Young, take a piece of
pie! Brother Kimball, take a piece of pie." They had a large peach
orchard, with hundreds of bushels of ripe peaches, probably not all
worked up into brandy, but still they could not afford a ripe peach for
a pie. The lady put a piece of pie on the plate, and I cut a little off
and turned it over and looked at it, and said I, "Yes, I will taste
your pie, for I never saw the like before in my life; did you, Brother
Kimball?" "No, S-i-r, I n-e-v-e-r did." There were peaches that had
fallen from the trees before they were ripe, cut in two and the pits
taken out, put on a piece of dough, not even the fuzz wiped off, and
then another cake put over the top, nothing else inside but this, and
then baked in a bake pan, or "Dutch oven," as we used to call it. "It
is peach pie, Brother Brigham; Brother Kimball, will you take a bit of
pie, it is peach pie." I never saw the like before, and there the man
sat, as happy and contented as could be. (21)
And this is like Missouri, all over, as it used to be. "I do not know
what to do with my means," and yet he had not a light of glass in the
place, and had to open the door to see to eat; and six beds in one
room. We slept there with the family, not with the wife, but with the
whole family - men, women and children. Said the owner of the place, "I
declare, I think I will go and purchase some land." I said to him, "How
would it do to have this floor fixed and made comfortable?" It was made
of oak boards sawed out and dried up, and you might have shoved your
hand down between each one; and it was just so with the chamber, and
when a person walked on it, it went "clatter," "clatter," "clatter."
Said I, "how would it be to have this floor planed, matched and nailed
down, so that when the children walk over it it will not make so much
noise? And how would it be to have a window? When the weather gets
cold, it will be pretty uncomfortable to have to open the door to see
to eat, knit, sew and so on?" "Well," said he, "I declare I never
thought of that;" and I do not suppose he ever had in his life. I dare
not say much, so I abridged my remarks, and wound up as quickly as
possible. The gentleman, I believe, continued to live there, and for
anything I know, he is there still; at any rate he did not come up to
the gathering place and buy property. This was the style of living
there, and they wanted us to adopt it, and become as they were. "No,
sir," said I, "I am for improvement." I guess General Clark lived in
just about such a house, and I think the others did. We printed the
first papers, except about two, set out the first orchards, raised the
first wheat, kept almost the first schools, and made the first
improvements in our pioneering, in a great measure, from the
Mississippi river to the Pacific Ocean; and here we got at last, so as
to be out of the way of everybody, if possible. We thought we would get
as far as we could from the face of man; we wanted to get to a strange
land, like Abraham, that we might be where we should not be continually
wrong with somebody or other, and have them crying, "Oh, you Mormons!"
and have the priests preaching, the press printing, the drunkard
swearing, and all, high and low, rich and poor, wishing these poor
"Mormons" were out of the way. We got out of the way as far as we
could; and if we can get out of the way any further and do any good, we
are ready to get out of the way; but I think we are as far out of the
way as we need to be; and we have got on the highway which has been
cast up, and I think we had better stay here. (22)
As far as our doctrines are concerned, come on my brother from the
"Mother Church," down to the last one that has come out with something
new. Come on, you revivalists, what have you got? If you have anything
better than we have, come up here and let us have it. Our belief and
doctrine with regard to the human family is that if we know more than
you, we will give our knowledge to you, then you will know as much as
we; and by the time you have acquired it we will know a little more,
and be ahead every time we impart knowledge. Like the teacher in the
school, no matter whether he is teaching a, b, c, a-b ab, or in the
higher branches, while teaching others, he or she is also increasing.
While those who, in the providence of God, are the possessors of
knowledge and wisdom, are dispensing them to others, they are
increasing their own store. That is our principle of action. Take the
poor, do not go down to the poor and the ignorant, lift them up, and
give them all we have, and we go ahead and get more, and impart to the
inhabitants of the earth until they are filled with wisdom, knowledge
and understanding. (23)
To my text again - How do we know that Jesus is the Christ? By the
revelations of the Spirit of God. How do we know that the Bible is
true? We know that a great deal of it is true, and that in many
instances the translation is incorrect. But I cannot say what a
minister once said to me. I asked him if he believed the Bible, and he
replied, "Yes, every word of it." "You do not believe it all to be the
word of God?" "Most assuredly I do." Well, said I, you can beat me at
believing, that's certain. As I read the Bible it contains the words of
the Father and Son, angels, good and bad, Lucifer, the devil, of wicked
men and of good men, and some are lying and some - the good - are
telling the truth; and if you believe it all to be the word of God you
can go beyond me. I cannot believe it all to be the word of God, but I
believe it as it is. (24)
How do we know it is true? By revelation. How do we know that prophets
wrote the word of the Lord? By revelation. How do we know that Joseph
Smith was called of God to establish his kingdom upon the earth? By
revelation. (25)
How do we know that the leaders of this people teach the truth? By
revelation. How do we know the doctrine of baptism for the remission of
sins to be true? It is written in the Bible; but the Christian world
deny it, because it is not manifested to them by the revelations of the
Lord Jesus. They have not the keys of revelation, although some believe
baptism by immersion, but they do not believe it is for the remission
of sins, except one society, which came out from the Close Communion
Baptists, founded by Alexander Campbell. He baptized for the remission
of sins. (26)
At this time I was a Methodist. Said I, "Why not lay on hands for the
reception of the Holy Ghost?" "O," said they, "we have no authority to
do that, it is done away." "How do you know that baptism for the
remission of sins is not done away? Your arguments confuse themselves,
and these self-confounding arguments are all chaos to me. If you have
the right to baptize for the remission of sins, you have the right to
lay on hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost; and if you have this
power and authority, of course you have prophets, and possess the
various gifts and graces recorded in the New Testament. (27)
Do you lay hands on the sick?" "Oh, no." "Do you prophecy?" "We do not
believe in it." Most Christians disbelieve in these things, but
"believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," is their great point; and, so far
as it goes, it is good. But unless we obey his Gospel, where God and
Christ are we cannot live hereafter, but shall have to take another
kingdom, live in another place and be administered to by those who are
higher. What do you say, is that correct? (28)
I will just read a word or two and then stop. Here is the doctrine. I
am not going to say anything about it, but will just read it. "For, for
this cause was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead, that
they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according
to God in the Spirit." First Peter, 4th chapter, 6th verse.
What does that mean? (29)
Not only in the world, but out of the world, they who expect to receive
any salvation at all must hearken to the requirements of heaven, thus
far, to entitle them to the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, that they may
live by the revelations thereof, and walk no more in darkness, but in
the light of life. I do wish that each and every one of us would do
that. Are we able to do it? Certainly; it is the simplest thing in the
world. Well, then, just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. "Oh," say the
Christians, "we do believe." (30)
Well, then, come forward, and be baptized for the remission of your
sins, and receive the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy
Ghost, then you shall receive the witness, and you shall be the
possessor of the Spirit of revelation according to the gifts and graces
of God as he dispenses them to you - speaking in tongues, interpreting
the same, prophecying, dreaming dreams, and so forth, for all these are
by the selfsame Spirit, which is the Spirit of Christ. (31)
If we will live so that Christ can make us one through our obedience, where are wars and contentions? All will cease. (32)
Where is the spirit of bickering? There will be no more of it. How much
pleasanter it would look, and how much better it would be for the world
if these things were to cease! "Well," say the world, "you Mormons,
forsake this obnoxious doctrine and practice of having more wives than
one." (33)
For heaven's sake, then, cease killing the men, and let them live and
take the women, or you will oblige us to take more than we know what to
do with. (34)
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, obey his doctrine, cease your warring
and contention, beat your swords into ploughshares and your spears into
pruning hooks; make railroads, build colleges, teach the children, give
them the learning of the world and the things of God; elevate their
minds, that they may not only understand the earth we walk upon, but
the air we breathe, the water we drink, and all the elements pertaining
to the earth; and then search other worlds, and become acquainted with
the planetary system, the dwellings of the angels and the heavenly
beings, that they may ultimately be prepared for a higher state of
being, and finally be associated with them. (35) I wish we would do it; I pray the Lord to do it, but he will not, unless we help him. (36)
1) The Holy Spirit was poured out almost two thousand years ago on Pentecost.
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty
wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there
appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of
them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4.
2) Thousands believed in Jesus Christ on Pentecost and were saved.
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. Acts 2:41.
3) Only sincere belief in Jesus Christ will save you from the wrath of God.
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not
believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on
him.” John 3:36.
4) Joseph Smith was a false prophet since the end of the world did not happen in 1891.
President Smith then stated that the meeting had been called, because
God had commanded it; and it was made known to him by vision and by the
Holy Spirit. He then gave a relation of some of the circumstances
attending while journeying to Zion—our trials, sufferings; and said God
had not designed all this for nothing, but He had it in remembrance
yet; and it was the will of God that those who went Zion, with a
determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained
to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time,
or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh—even fifty-six years should
wind up the scene. History of the Church 2:182-183, February 14, 1835.
5) Joseph Smith was a gross sinner and not the brother of Jesus Christ.
And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws
of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men. Doctrines and
Covenants 3:6.
6) Joseph Smith was a false prophet since World War I did not start in South Carolina.
Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come
to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will
eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; And the
time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning
at this place. Doctrines and Covenants 87:1-2.
7) Joseph Smith was a con-artist who was arrested for fraud.
In 1826, Joseph Smith was brought to trial and convicted of fraudulent
activity with a “peep stone.” It was proven in court that Joseph Smith
on numerous occasions took money in exchange for his “seer” abilities.
Not only was Joseph tried, found guilty, and sentenced, but it is also
reported that Joseph jumped bail. Ashamed of Joseph, pages 51, 54.
8) The Book of Mormon is a fraudulent work by Sidney Rigdon and the Smith family.
Pro-Mormon historians have traditionally relied upon four arguments in
dismissing the Spaulding Enigma: (1) that Solomon Spalding wrote only a
single novel, Manuscript Story - Conneaut Creek; (2) that Doctor
Hurlbut's hateful desire to destroy Joseph Smith and the Church renders
his evidence hopelessly biased and unacceptable; (3) that Sidney Rigdon
was not in Pittsburgh until 1822 and never had any connections with the
print shops there; and (4) that Rigdon's first contact with Joseph
Smith took place in late 1830, many months after The Book of Mormon had
already been published. Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon, page 99.
9) Brigham Young was ignorant of the work of God.
Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of
God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that
you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:28-29.
10) Joseph Smith was a gross sinner and should never be compared to Jesus Christ.
And now, verily I say unto Joseph Smith, Jun.-You have not kept the
commandments, and must needs stand rebuked before the Lord. Doctrine
and Covenants 93:47.
11) The Christian Gospel has nothing to do with the gross sinner Joseph Smith.
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless
you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I
also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third
day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then
by the twelve. 1 Corinthians 15:1-5.
12) Mormons are under the condemnation of God for being under the law and faithless.
But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for
the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our
tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But
after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:23-25.
13) Things of God are understood by faith not revelations from false prophets.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we
understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the
things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Hebrews 11:1-3.
14) The Spirit of God and spiritual understanding was not poured out until Pentecost.
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart
from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He
said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but
you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from
now.” Acts 1:4-5.
15) Faithless Mormons do not preach the Christian message.
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach
Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks
foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:22-24.
16) There is no peace in Mormonism only faithless rage and depression.
Before the meeting closes, I want to make a few remarks. My feelings
are so complicated that I want to say a few words, and I do not want
to; I want to talk, and I do not want to talk. You recollect hearing
one of the Elders state upon the stand, not long since, that he came
into the Church mad, and had been mad ever since. And I am too angry
this morning to preach. Brigham Young sermon delivered on September 13,
1857 two days after the Mormon Mountain Meadows Massacre in Utah.
17) The word of God will lead people to Jesus Christ and away from faithless dictators.
“This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given
Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And
this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and
believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at
the last day.” John 6:39-40.
18) Faithless Mormons are not focused on God resulting in a lack of joy.
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord
is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be
filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:17-21.
19) Faithful Christians will be filled with Holy Spirit as they bear witness of Jesus Christ.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8.
20) The Mormon religion was intolerant of the people of Missouri from the beginning.
And thus, even as I have said, if ye are faithful ye shall assemble
yourselves together to rejoice upon the land of Missouri, which is the
land of your inheritance, which is now the land of your enemies.
Doctrines and Covenants 52:42, June 7, 1831.
21) Faithless Brigham Young believed that the kingdom of God was evidenced by food.
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean
of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it
is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you
are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one
for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as
evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:14-17.
22) Christians will not live away from people but will go preaching Jesus Christ.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given
to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have
commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20.
23) Faithless Mormons do not grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you
also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of
the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter
3:17-18.
24) Faithless Brigham Young did not believe the testimony found in the Holy Bible.
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples,
which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing
you may have life in His name. John 20:30-31.
25) Christian prophecy is the testimony of Jesus Christ not Joseph Smith.
Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the
marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true
sayings of God.” And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to
me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your
brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:9-10.
26) Sincere belief in Jesus Christ provides remission of sins not baptism.
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not
with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no
effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1
Corinthians 1:17-18.
27) Laying on of hands was not an exclusive means of receiving the Holy Spirit.
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me,
I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and
said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any,
they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are
retained.” John 20:21-23.
28) The kingdom of God will not be found in a bogus church based in Utah.
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would
come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with
observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed,
the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21.
29) In context, everyone will be held accountable with the knowledge that Jesus Christ suffered for their sins.
Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves
also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has
ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in
the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have
spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the
Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries,
drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they
think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of
dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who
is ready to judge the living and the dead. 1 Peter 4:1-5.
30) Brigham Young was a non-believer according to Jesus Christ.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. John 3:15-16.
31) In context, everyone will be held accountable with the knowledge that Jesus Christ suffered for their sins.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of
God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also
for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from
faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown
it to them. Romans 1:16-19.
32) Wars and rumors of wars will continue until the return of Jesus Christ.
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not
troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not
yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various
places. Matthew 24:6-7.
33) Polygamy is against the will of God for men and women.
And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made
them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5and said, ‘For this
reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his
wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? Matthew 19:4-5.
34) Polygamy is against the will of God for men and women.
This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop,
he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of
one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able
to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but
gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house
well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a
man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of
the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he
fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 1 Timothy 3:1-6.
35) Brigham Young’s Utah was known for the ignorance of its Mormon population.
I think it is not only a matter of regret and humiliation, but a just
reproach, that this Territory, with its large wealth and population,
should be behind Territories like Idaho, Wyoming, and Arizona in this
matter of public free school education. Surely there is no reason, if
we really prize the benefits of education, why we should not have such
a system in successful practice and it seems to me that no time should
be lost in now supplying that which should long ago have been provided.
Williams Territorial School Report, 1886-87. History of Public
Education in Utah, page 114.
36) Brigham Young was led away by the wicked Joseph Smith and never knew Jesus Christ.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you
also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of
the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter
3:17-18.