Chapter XVIII: Appendix: What Brigham Young Said (2)

Oppression, persecution, afflictions, and other trials and privations are necessary as a test to all professing to be Saints, that they may have an opportunity to witness the workings of the power which is opposed to truth and holiness.--J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 242.

Let the spirit that comes from the eternal world, which at the outset is pure and holy, with the influence God gives to it, master all the passions of the body, and bring it under subjection to the will of Christ. That course makes us Saints.--J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 243.

Whether a truth be found with professed infidels, or with Universalists, or the Church of Rome, or the Methodists, the Church of England, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Quakers, the Shakers, or any other of the various and numerous different sects and parties, all of whom have more or less truth, it is the business of the Elders of this Church (Jesus, their elder brother, being at their head,) to gather up all the truths in the world pertaining to life and salvation, to the gospel we preach, to mechanism of every kind, to the sciences, and to philosophy, wherever it may be found in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, and bring it to Zion. The people upon this earth have a great many errors, and they have also a great many truths. This statement is not only true of the nations termed civilized those who profess to worship the true God, but is equally applicable to pagans of all countries, for in their religious rites and ceremonies may be found a great many truths which we will also gather home to Zion. All truth is for the salvation of the children of men--for their benefit and learning for their furtherance in the principles of divine knowledge.--J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 283.

The Latter-day Saints understand the Bible as it reads, but the generality of modern Christians disagree with us, and say it needs interpreting. They cannot believe our Lord means what He says in the 16th chapter of Mark, when He tells His Apostles to "go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe," etc. "Now," say they, "we cannot believe that as it is written, but we have a very pretty interpretation which suits us much better than the plain text. And furthermore we have a sweeping argument that will destroy all your system from beginning to end, and prove there is to be no more revelation." Let us look at the passage here referred to. John, while upon the Isle of Patmos, had a revelation which, he wrote, and he concluded the same by saying, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away His part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." When this book, the Bible, was compiled, it was selected by the council of Carthage from a pile of books more than this pulpit could hold, which has been printed, and bound in almost all shapes and sizes, and called the Bible. John's revelation was one of the many books destined by that council to form the Bible. And the saying which we have quoted, and which constitutes the sweeping argument of modern Christians against new revelation, only alludes to this particular book, which was to be kept sacred, as the word of the Lord to John, and not to the whole Bible; nor does it prohibit the Saints in his day, or the Saints in any future time, from getting new revelation for themselves. That is not all; if we turn to the writings of Moses, we find the same sentiment, and almost the same language used. Moses says, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." So if such quotations are given with the intent to shut the heavens, and put an end to all new revelation, then the revelations given to prophets who arose after Moses, and the revelations given to Jesus Christ and His Apostles, including John and his revelation on the Isle of Patmos, all amount to nothing, and are not worthy of our notice. This "sweeping argument," when it is examined, sweeps away rather too much; besides, John's gospel and his epistle to his bretheren were written after he wrote his revelation on the Isle of Patmos; consequently he would destroy his own system; but it sets forth the ignorance and short-sightedness of those who have not the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy.--J. of D. Vol. I., p. 242.

Let us dedicate ourselves, our families, our substance, our time, our talents, and everything we have upon the face of this world, with all that will hereafter be entrusted to us, to the Lord our God; let the whole be devoted to the building up of His kingdom upon the earth.--J. of D. Vol. I., p. 200.

Teach your families how to control themselves; teach them good and wholesome doctrine, and practice the same in your own lives. This is the place for you to become polished shafts in the quiver of the Almighty.--J. of D. Vol. I., p. 47.

When a man is capable of correcting you, and of giving you light, and true doctrine, do not get up an altercation, but submit to be taught like little children, and strive with all your might to understand.--J. of D. Vol. I., p. 47.

We believe the New Testament, and consequently, to be consistent, we must believe in new revelation, visions, angels, in all the gilts of the Holy Ghost, and all the promises contained in these books, and believe it about as it reads.--J. of D. Vol. I, p. 242.

The Millennium consists in this every heart in the Church and kingdom of God being united in one; the kingdom increasing to the overcoming of everything opposed to the economy of heaven, and Satan being bound, and having a seal set upon him. All things else will be as they are now, we shall eat, drink, and wear clothing. Let the people be holy, and the earth under their feet will be holy. Let the people be holy and filled with the Spirit of God, and every animal and creeping thing will be filled with peace; the soil of the earth will bring forth in its strength, and the fruits thereof will be meat for man. The more purity that exists, the less is the strife; the more kind we are to our animals, the more will peace in crease, and the savage nature of the brute creation vanish away. If the people will not serve the devil another moment whilst they live, if this congregation is possessed of that spirit and resolution, here in this house is the Millennium. Let the inhabitants of this city be possessed of that spirit, let the people of the territory be possessed of that spirit, and here is the Millennium. Let the whole people of the United States be possessed of that spirit, and here is the Millennium, and so will it spread over all the world.--J. of D. Vol. I., p. 203.

The power which belongs to the true riches is gained by pursuing a righteous course, by maintaining an upright deportment towards all men, and especially towards the household of faith, yielding to each other, giving freely of that which the Lord has given to you, thus you can secure to yourselves eternal riches; and gain influence and power over all your friends, as well as your enemies.--J. of D., Vol. I, p. 273.

Were I to say to a son, The whole earth is in my hands to dispose of as I will: I can make you the sovereign of the universe--the possessor of the gold, the silver, the mountains, the valleys, the rivers, the lakes the seas, and all that float upon them and that live upon the face of the whole earth; for it is mine to give to you, my son, if you will serve me one month faithfully; I require nothing of you that will give you the least pain! all I require is strict obedience to my law. My son faithfully serves me during twenty-nine days, and on the thirtieth day, for the value of a straw, or for a mess of pottage he sells his right and title to all I had promised him. This comparison falls very far short of showing the loss a Saint sustains when he turns away from his God and his religion.--J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 133.

As long as the spirit and body hold together, my tongue shall be swift against evil, the Lord Almighty being my helper. Though it may be in "Mormon" Elders, among the people in or out of the Church, if they come in my path where I can chastize them, the Lord Almighty being my helper, my tongue shall be swift against evil; and if evil come, let it come. If for this my body shall fall, let it fall; when they have destroyed the body, then they have no more that they can do; that is the end of their power, and of the power of the devil on this earth; but Jesus Christ has power to destroy both soul and body in hell.--J. of D., Vol. I., p. 42.

Were I to make war upon an innocent people, because I had the power to possess myself of their territory, their silver, gold, and other property, and be the cause of slaying, say fifty thousand strong, hale, hearty men, and devolving consequent suffering upon one hundred thousand women and children, who would suffer through privation and want, I am very much more guilty of murder than is the man who kills only one person to obtain his pocket-book.--J. of D., Vol. VII, p. 137.

There is one virtue, attribute, or principle, which, if cherished and practiced by the Saints, would prove salvation to thousands upon thousands. I allude to charity, or love, from which proceed forgiveness, long suffering, kindness, and patience.--J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 133.

If a man drinks at the fountain of eternal life, he is as happy under the broad canopy of heaven, without a home, as in a palace. This I know by experience. I know that the things of this world, from beginning to end, from the possession of mountains of gold down to a crust of johnycake, makes little or no difference in the happiness of an individual. The things of this world add to our natural comfort, and are necessary to susiain mortal life. We need these comforts to preserve our earthly existence; and many suppose, when they have them in great abundance, that they have all that is needed to make them happy. They are striving continually, and with all their might, for that which does not add one particle to their happiness, though it may not add to their comfort, and perhaps to the length of their lives, if they do not kill themselves in their eagerness to grasp the gilded butterfly. But those things have nothing to do with the spirit, feeling, consolation, light, glory, peace, and joy that pertain to heaven and heavenly things, which is the food of the everlasting spirit within us.--J. of D., Vol. VII, p. 135.

Do not be so full of religion as to look upon every little overt act that others may commit as being the unpardonable sin that will place them beyond the reach cf redemption and the favors of our God.--J. of D., Vol. VII, p. 136.

Our religion teaches us truth, virtue, holiness, faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ. It reveals mysteries; it brings to mind things past and present--unfolding clearly things to come. It is the foundation of mechanism; it is the spirit that gives Intelligence to every living being upon the earth. All true philosophy originates from that fountain from which we draw wisdom, knowledge, truth, and power. What does it teach us? To love God and our fellow creatures, to be compassionate, full of mercy, long-suffering and patient to the froward and to those who are ignorant. There is glory in our religion that no other religion that has ever been established upon the earth, in the absence of the true Priesthood, ever possessed. It is the fountain of all intelligence; it is to bring heaven to earth and exalt earth to heaven, to prepare all intelligence that God has placed in the hearts of the children of men to mingle with that intelligence which dwells in eternity, and to elevate the mind above the trifling and frivolous objects of time, which tend downward to destruction. It frees the mind of man from darkness and ignorance, gives him that intelligence that flows from heaven, and qualifies him to comprehend all things. This is the character of the religion we believe in.--J. of D. Vol. VII., p. 140.

I say _shame_ on that man who will give way to his passions and use the name of God or of Christ to curse his ox or his horse, or any creature which God has made; it is a disgrace to him.--J. of D., Vol. I., p. 241.

That a man is willing to die for his religion is no proof of its being true; neither is it proof that a religion is false when one of its votaries apostatizes from it.--J. of D., Vol. VII, p. 140.

I may heap up gold and silver like the mountains; I may gather around me property, goods and chattels, but I could have no glory in that compared with my religion; it is the fountain of light and intelligence; it swallows up the truth contained in all the philosophy of the world, both heathen and Christian; it circumscribes the wisdom of man; it circumscribes all the wisdom and power of the world; it reaches to that within the veil. Its bounds, its circumference, its end, its height and depth are beyond the comprehension of mortals, _for it has none_.--J., of D., Vol. I., p. 39.

If you have gold and silver, let it not come between you and your duty. J. of D. Vol. I., p. 202.

When the breath leaves the body, your life has not become extinct; your life is still in existence. And when you are in the spirit world, everything there will appear as natural as things now do. Spirits will be familiar with spirits in the spirit world--will converse, behold, and exercise every variety of communication one with another as familiarly and naturally as while here in tabernacles.--J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 239.

If we are faithful to our religion, when we go into the spirit world, the fallen spirits Lucifer and the third part of the heavenly hosts that came with him, and the spirits of wicked men who have dwelt upon this earth, the whole of them combined will have no influence over our spirits.--J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 240.

The thrones and kingdoms of earth are frequently changing hands. Adventurers rise up or go forth and establish new governments, and in a few short years they are cast down to give place to more successful powers. All earthly things are changing hands. The gold, the silver, and other property pass from my hands to yours, and from yours to the hands of others. Shame on a people that place their affections upon this changing matter! Love God and the things that change not.--J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 337.

The child who has his father's razor, or any other article dangerous for him to handle, and about the use of which he has no knowledge, when deprived of it, his trials are equal to ours, according to his capacity. We seldom think of the trials of our little ones when we say to them, you must not have this or that; you must do so and so to receive my smiles and approbation; you must not think for a moment that your judgment, wisdom, experience, and wishes are to be compared with mine. Does not the Father of all living conduct Himself in this wise towards His children? He has revealed to us that He will prepare us for glory, for life eternal,--will preserve our identity forever, if we will be guided by him. But we must be obedient to him, for He understands more than we do. We should destroy ourselves if we were suffered to take our own way; hence we are taught to suffer the Father to point out our path to an eternal duration hereafter, where our present afflictions will appear as flimsy as the shadows of the morning that flee upon the approach of day.--J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 275.

If a man is worth millions of bushels of wheat and corn, he is not wealthy enough to suffer his servant girl to sweep a single kernel of it into the firs; let it be eaten by something, and pass again into the earth, and thus fulfill the purpose for which it grew.--J. of D. Vol. I., p. 253.

The man who lays up his gold and silver, who caches it away in a bank, or in his iron safe, or buries it up in the earth, and comes here, and professes to be a Saint, would tie up the hands of every individual in this kingdom, and make them his servants if he could.--J. of D., Vol. I., p. 253.

If I am not smart enough to take care of what the Lord lends me, I am smart enough to hold my tongue about it, until I come across the thief myself.--J. of D., Vol. I., p. 255.

When I have gold and silver in my possession, which a thief may steal, or friends borrow, and never pay me back again, or which may take the wings of the morning, and I behold it no more, I only possess the negative of the true riches.--J. of D., Vol. I, p. 266.

If this people will do as they are told, will live their religion, walk humbly before their God, and deal justly with each other, we will make you one promise, in the name of Israel's God, that you will never be driven from the mountains.--J. of D., Vol. I., p. 319.

It is folly in the extreme for persons to say that they love God, when they do not love their brethren.--J. of D., Vol. I, p. 297.

Speaking as the world view men and things, in the eyes of the vast majority of mankind, the devil is the greatest gentleman that ever made his appearance on this earth.--J. of D., Vol. IV., p. 347.

I hope as I grow old, to grow wise. As I advance in years, I hope to advance in the true knowledge of God and godliness. I hope to increase in the power of the Almighty, and in influence to establish peace and righteousness upon the earth, and to bring all the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, even all who will hearken to the principles of righteousness, to a true sense of the knowledge of God and godliness, of themselves, and the relation they sustain to heaven and heavenly beings.--J. of D., Vol. IV., p. 326.

It would be better if you and I never should have anything pertaining to this world, than to lose the spirit of the gospel and love the world.--J. of D., Vol. IV., p, 342.

The difficulty with the whole world in their divisions and subdivisions, is that they have no more confidence in each other than they have in their God, and that is none at all.--J. of D., Vol. IV., p. 296.

There never was that necessity; there never has been a time on the face of the earth, from the time that the church went to destruction, and the Priesthood was taked from the earth, that the powers of darkness and the powers of earth and hell were so embittered, and enraged, and incensed against God and godliness on the earth, as they are at the present. And when the spirit of persecution, the spirit of hatred, of wrath, and malice ceases in the world against this people, it will be the time that this people have apostatized and joined hands with the wicked, and never until then.--J. of D., Vol. IV., p. 327.

End of Project Gutenberg's Mr. Durant of Salt Lake City, by Ben E. Rich