JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD—PERMANENT EQUALITY SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AMONG THE SAINTS—COVETOUSNESS—TITHING— CONSECRATION—DISTINCTIONS. REMARKS BY ELDER ORSON PRATT, DELIVERED AT THE GENERAL CONFERENCE, IN THE NEW TABERNACLE,SALT LAKE CITY,MONDAY MORNING,APRIL 7, 1873. REPORTED BY DAVID W. EVANS. It is a pleasure to me to bear testi- of Christ. In addition to this, which ren- mony to the great work which God has ders our message of still more impor- revealed, and which he is establishing tance to the human family, is the fact on the earth. It has been a pleasure for that we are living in the last dispensa- me to do so for nearly forty-three years. tion that will be given to mankind, called In the early rise of this Church, when the dispensation of the fullness of times. I was but a youth of nineteen, God re- All preceding dispensations have come vealed to me the truth concerning this to an end, apparently, and those who great latter-day work, and I have felt have embraced the doctrines or princi- from that day until the present time ples communicated to them have passed to bear my testimony to the same, be- away, and darkness has intervened. But ing commanded so to do. I have es- in this last dispensation which God has teemed it above all other things. The given to man, there will be no uproot- things of this world have been nothing ing and destruction of his kingdom from to me, when compared with the min- the earth—it is established never more istry, or declaring the truth to mankind. to be thrown down, in fulfillment of an- We have one of the most important cient prophecy. This is what makes this messages to deliver to the children of dispensation of greater importance than men that has ever been communicated all which have preceded it. to mortals—a dispensation of the same Here in these mountains is es- Gospel as was committed to men in the tablished a kingdom, not earthly or early ages of the world, and in the dif- transient in its nature, with officers ferent dispensations down to the coming who are called by uninspired men 2 JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES. but a kingdom that is divine, and which County, in the State of Missouri, we acknowledges the Great Redeemer and did well in obeying that commandment. Savior as its King and Lawgiver. It must When God, by the mouth of his servant, endure forever. commanded that we should go forth and I look back with great pleasure upon officiate and be baptized for and in be- the history of this people from the com- half of our dead kindred, we did well mencement down to the present time. I in performing that which we were com- see what God has wrought in their be- manded to do. When he commanded his half; I see what he has accomplished Saints, scattered abroad in foreign coun- among the nations. It is true that we tries, to gather to this continent, all who have not continued as faithful in all gathered in obedience to that require- things as we should. We have not made ment, with full purpose of heart to do that progression in this kingdom that his will, did well. When we were driven we ought. We have been perhaps slow from our inheritances in Jackson County, to hearken in all things to the coun- Missouri, and our lands and houses and sels which God has given, and the or- goods were spoiled, we did well in being der which he has revealed, and which faithful to God. When our enemies, a was intended to be of the greatest ad- few years after, rose en masse and drove vantage to, and to produce the greatest us from our beautiful city of Nauvoo into amount of happiness among the Saints these inhospitable western wilds, where of the Most High. I say that, in some to all human appearance we must per- respects, we have been slow to obey the ish of starvation, we did well to brave the order of Heaven. In many things we dangers of the desert, and the difficulties have done well. When the doctrines of we had to encounter in coming to these faith, repentance and baptism for the re- mountains. In many other things, too, mission of sins, the baptism of fire and we have done well. There are some few the Holy Ghost through the laying on of things, however, which I wish to name, the hands of the servants of God, were wherein I think a great reformation is taught to us, we laid hold of them with needed among the people of God. I read full purpose of heart. We covenanted in this book, called the Book of Mormon, before high heaven that we would keep of a certain order, in regard to temporal the commandments of the Lord accord- things, which existed soon after the days ing to the best of the ability which we of Christ, which was revealed and estab- had. We did well in embracing these lished by him for he benefit of the Saints heavenly principles. who lived on this Western Hemisphere. When God spake to us some forty- It was the highest order and law of the two or forty-three years ago, and com- kingdom of God in regard to temporal manded us—then scattered about in the things. I read that the ancient Saints State of New York—to gather up to upon this continent entered into that or- Ohio, we did well in hearkening to that der with all their hearts. They were not commandment, and coming together a small handful of people like the Latter- in Kirtland—then in Geauga County. day Saints, but they were spread over Again, when God gave a commandment the whole of North and South America. through his servant, the Prophet Joseph, Millions on millions of people dwelt in to gather up from all parts of the United States and form a nucleus in Jackson ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, ETC. 3 large and populous cities in the four Saints the necessity of entering into this quarters of this great Western Hemi- heavenly order in regard to their wealth? sphere, and they all entered into this He has. When? When we gathered up to heavenly order which God had estab- Jackson County in the State of Missouri. lished on this continent and continued In the year 1831, the land was conse- therein for 167 years. crated and set apart by revelation for the What was that order? They had all erection thereon of a great and heavenly things in common. Not an isolated few city unto the Most High God. Not the where Jesus ministered to them; not a old Jerusalem, but a new Jerusalem, a few individuals who dwelt in a certain city of Zion. God, by the mouth of his region of country, but the Savior having servant Joseph, who for a short space chosen twelve disciples from among the of time dwelt in the midst of the peo- multitude to whom he appeared, they ple there, revealed the law of consecra- were sent forth upon all the face of the tion, not the law of tithing, but the law land, and so great were the evidences of consecration. Let me repeat that law, given, concerning the appearance of Je- Latter-day Saints, for as it is a law which sus, that the whole people were con- will come in force at some future period verted unto the Lord, and they were will- of our history, it will not be amiss for ing to be guided by those servants who us to understand its nature and to pre- were called and ordained to administer pare to approximate to its requirements, in their midst. so that when it is introduced amongst Prior to that time there were rich us we may take hold of it with all our and poor among the people, and, from hearts. When we went up to that coun- the history given, no doubt an order of try in 1831, the commandment of the things existed on this continent in those Most High to the Saints was that they days resembling that which now exists should consecrate all that they had. Not among all the nations and kingdoms of one-tenth merely, not the surplus of their the earth—some lifted up in pride and property, but, all that they had, whether popularity because of their great wealth, it was gold, silver, household furniture, others bowed down in the dust because of wearing apparel, jewelry, horses, cat- their poverty, and class distinctions pre- tle, wagons, mechanical tools, machin- vailed until this new order of things was ery, or whatever wealth or property they established. What a blessed people! How possessed, they were to consecrate the happy they must have been! No poor ei- whole and deliver it unto the Lord's ther in North or South America. No beg- judge in the midst of Zion. Who was gars in the streets of their great cities, he? The Bishop. In those days we had but all the property—the gold and silver, not the necessity of so many Bishops as the flocks and herds, and everything that now. We were a small people then, and was calculated to make life happy in the the Bishop in Zion, under the direction possession of and enjoyed, as stewards, of the highest authorities of the Church, by the whole people.