JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES. ENJOYMENT IN THE SOUTH—THE BLESSINGS OF A TEMPLE—NEED OF CHASTISEMENT—THE REDEMPTION OF THE EARTH—THE CHRISTIAN WORLD CONCERNED IN REGARD TO THE PRIESTHOOD—THOSE WHO PERSECUTE WILL BE VISITED—THE TEN VIRGINS—THE WISE WILL UNDERSTAND. DISCOURSE BY PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG, DELIVERED IN THE NEW TABERNACLE, SALT LAKE CITY,SUNDAY AFTERNOON,APRIL 29, 1877. REPORTED BY GEO. F. GIBBS. I am thankful to my Heavenly Fa- joyed for many centuries, that we have ther for the privilege of meeting with you any knowledge of. We have been per- again and am happy to say that I am as mitted to enjoy privileges for the pos- well satisfied with my labors during the session of which we have been striving last six months as any of the labors of and laboring for many years. For al- my life. Here let me ask, are you, my most half a century we have been ex- brethren and sisters, satisfied with the erting ourselves that we might have the labors you have performed during the privilege of entering into a Temple of same length of time? This is a question God, there to officiate and receive the you will have to answer for yourselves to ordinances of his holy house, both for your own consciences. If you have done ourselves and for our friends that have well you will be blessed, and you will feel slept without the Gospel. This privilege satisfied; if you have suffered yourselves and blessing we have not enjoyed until to do that which is wrong towards your- within a very few months past. The feel- selves or towards any other person on ing experienced by those who have par- the earth, or to the providences of God, or ticipated in the blessings administered to our Heavenly Father, your consciences in the Temple is something which can- will judge you. not be described to your understanding. Those only who have shared with us in I am aware that you wish to the Temple ordinances know for them- hear something of our labors in the selves the satisfaction there is in realiz- South. I will say that we have had ing that we are indeed co-workers with a blessed time, such a time as no our Lord and Savior; that we bear a other people on the earth have en- humble part in the great work of sal- 2 JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES. vation; that we have the privilege of re- God. Still, when we view the great object ceiving and obeying the truth, and of se- of our life, our being here upon the earth, curing to ourselves that happiness which being brought here expressly to receive the Gospel alone affords; and not only that experience by which we can discover of performing these ordinances for our- between right and wrong, between good selves, but of doing the necessary work and evil, between light and darkness, for our parents and forefathers who have and obtain that experience that angels slept without the Gospel, that they may have, that the gods have, and that all partake also of the waters of life, and exalted beings have, and remember that be judged according to men in the flesh. we are put in possession of those prin- This is a privilege, a blessing, which no ciples that make us wise unto salvation, one can sense unless he is in possession that we should stoop to the sinful deeds of it. We are happy to know by our faith and sinful reflections that many do, is and feelings through the spirit of rev- marvelous and strange. When I think elation within us that our labors have of these things I am impressed with the been accepted of the Lord. We have en- great importance of this life and of ex- joyed ourselves exceedingly in the soci- ercising ourselves in the privileges that ety of each other; the aged, the middle- God has granted to us to prepare our aged and the youth have rejoiced and hearts through obedience to the Gospel been made glad in this glorious work. of the Son of God, for a high station, When I look upon the youth, our for a high exaltation in worlds to come, young brethren and sisters, who are such as we cannot receive whilst clothed more or less unacquainted with the great in this mortal tabernacle. But still, in principles of life and salvation, I wish this life we can receive little by little, that they could enjoy what a few of our and more and more, growing in grace young people did this past winter, their and in the knowledge of the truth, un- minds would be detached from the tri- til our minds are able to comprehend fles and follies of this weak world, and many of the great things of eternity; and they would be placed upon more sacred thus prepare our hearts, by overcom- things, upon the principles that are cal- ing sin and the weaknesses of humanity, culated to exalt them and ennoble every for that exaltation already awaiting the feeling and desire of the heart. righteous. The Latter-day Saints present a Sometimes I am so exercised that I strange spectacle to those that enjoy chastise the people very severely; but I the spirit of revelation. To see them will say to the Latter-day Saints that following after the spirit of this world I have no chastisement for any unless and gratifying the lust of the eye and they deserve it, and if I myself am of the mind, like the rest of mankind found guilty of the same wrongs, I re- who have never enjoyed the spirit of ceive to myself a portion of the rebuke the Gospel of life and salvation; and which I give to others. But my feel- yet not so very strange when we re- ings are very acute; what I see and alize the power of the enemy and hear ofttimes causes me sorrow and won- the thousands of snares which he lays der, and I feel to exclaim, "O Lord, for the feet of the unwary, to draw have mercy upon us, thy people!" How the people astray from the things of easy it is for us to forget the Lord ENJOYMENT IN THE SOUTH, ETC. 3 who atoned for us, and to depart from before entering into the millennium of his ways, giving way to the false influ- rest, when wickedness will be taken ences that are continually prompting our away from the earth? Then the Latter- minds to lust after the things of this day Saints will be able to go forth with- world in their corrupt condition. All this out being persecuted by their enemies, is strange to the mind opened to see and and opposed on every hand by the al- understand the things of God and the luring spirits that are constantly tempt- things of eternity as they are. If we pos- ing them away from the things of God to sessed that power, that influence over follow after the things of a fallen world. ourselves, a proper portion of that sta- Then the Saints will enjoy the privi- bility that belongs to the heavens, when lege of building their Temples unmo- we once embraced the truth there would lested, redeem their friends, and make be no necessity for our being chastened, ready for the time when the nations shall no necessity for our being called upon to come up to the presence of God the Fa- refrain from this or that wrong; but the ther, to be judged according to the deeds weakness of the flesh is so great that we done in the flesh. There are a few of need continually the influence of our Fa- the brethren and sisters who understand ther through our Lord and Savior Jesus things as they are, and who are ready Christ, to hold us to the truth, in order and willing to devote their time and their that we may not fall away therefrom and means for the salvation of the human finally wander into the darkness of the family. If there are any hearts or spir- world, forsaking God and the faith we its in this city, or elsewhere, that are have embraced. fearfully wondering whether or not we are going to be destroyed, or whether It is astonishing that men should do this Church will endure and become the so when we consider things as they are, mighty power in the earth, according to and witness the continued love and kind- the predictions of the servants of God, I ness of our Heavenly Father, in again will say to all such trembling souls, You speaking from the heavens, revealing need entertain no such fears. You need himself and his everlasting Gospel to the have only one fear, and that is with re- children of men, as well as the ordi- gard to yourselves, lest you should leave nances, laws, rules and regulations of his the light that the Lord has imparted House which affect the salvation of both to you and wander into darkness, re- the living and the dead. turning to the beggarly elements of the How is it with my brethren and sis- world, lusting again after the things of ters here? Are they awake to the things the world in their sinful state. The earth of God? If they are we shall have no is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; need of calling upon them from day to even the very things which we are so day, from week to week.