Local Economy

I feel the need of the faith and prayers of the Saints. Unless the Elders are inspired by the Holy Spirit there is little profit in their utterances. May my remarks be of a character to forward the interests of truth and righteousness. I am grateful to the Lord for His mercy and kindness to this people. ¶

We are favored with the presence of a greater number of Apostles now than we have had for several years. We meet under the Presidency of Brother Wilford Woodruff. To those who have been suffering wrong these are great privileges. When we meet as we do now we should beseech the Lord for His Spirit, that we may be united with each other, and exercise a great degree of faith, thus fulfilling the prayer of Jesus to the Father regarding the principle of unity. Unless we are one we are not in the full sense the people of God. We should conduct ourselves in a way to tend to bring this to pass. To be united spiritually we must also be in the bond of union in temporal things. If this course be taken there might be restored the condition which existed among the ancient Nephites, when every man dealt justly with his neighbor. That people, however, lost what blessed state subsequently, indulged in pride, disputations and general unrighteousness. All proper action is the product of correct belief, the former being a product of the latter. ¶

The speaker gave details for the establishment in one of the counties of Utah in 1874 of a board of trade, which undertook the exportation of wheat to the Pacific Coast. A mutual agreement was entered into among the producers for mutual benefit. The business was done through an agent of the people’s own choosing. The transactions opened in that connection with the association, at the time referred to, with wheat at the rate of 60 cents a bushel. By the united method of business adopted in a short time it was raised to one dollar and seven and a half cents a bushel. This was not done by competition, but by unity. The people were united and strong. A similar result was attained by the same process and union of interests in the conducting of contracts for building certain railroads in this region. Subsequently the people became jealous of each other. Contentions appeared, the old condition ensued, and the people have not since been so prosperous. Employment has not been so plentiful. Zion’s Co-operative Mercantile Institution was organized by President Brigham Young. His mind, reaching into the future, comprehending the interests of the people, he was led by the Spirit of God to organize it. It has done a mighty work, but it has not filled its mission. It is paying, perhaps, today a quarter of a million of dollars per annum for labor, and we have a shoe factory here that is worthy of any community. They have established a tannery that gives employment to many men, and they are gradually advancing themselves in the establishment of home industries which bid fair to make Zion’s Co-operative Mercantile Institution what we have long hoped and prayed it might become. But if we seek to undermine its influence, if we seek to show in the midst of the people that God did not inspire President Young in its establishment, or, if He did, that those who have conducted it have departed from the spirit in which it was organized, then its mission will never be successful. But if we shall build safely and energetically upon the broad and deep foundation which the Lord has given us in His revelations, we shall succeed in these things, the busy hum of machinery shall make music throughout the fair vales of Utah, and we shall have our home industries that will teach our youth how to become interested, how to become industrious, how to become self-supporting, and how to become united in things both spiritual and temporal. ¶

Recent efforts have been made to combine, to unite the wealth of this Territory, and we have succeeded to some extent. It was not the fruits of the labor of any one man or any score of men, but it was the result of the Spirit of God acting upon the hearts of those who had influence in financial circles. The object of that combination was not to form a monopoly in the midst of the people. Those who have interested themselves in the movement have never dreamed that it should become a monopoly and a means of oppression to the people; but the object was that, through this union, the several banks throughout the Territory would be enabled to loan their money more closely, and with greater advantage to the people. The cheaper you can make money to a community, the quicker will you give the means of enhancing and fostering those things which we so much desire to see established. When money becomes cheap the avenues of trade are open, and if we had today perhaps five millions of dollars unnecessarily invested in commercial circles, and that amount of means could be employed in building up and furthering home industries, how much happier we would become. ¶

I thank the Lord for the woolen mills in Provo; and I trust that the mills which have been recently erected in Salt Lake City may prove a success. ¶

I heard it said the other day that a gentleman who came from Boston, representing six different woolen mills, went to examine the products of the Provo mill, and after inspecting the texture of the home-made goods, and on learning the price, he declared that he could do no business in Utah and therefore gave an order for a thousand pairs of blankets to be manufactured and shipped to Boston. When we can get on this basis and begin to export from Utah instead of importing everything, we shall become independent. What makes England—that little island—so powerful at the present time is her manufacturing interests, swaying the commerce of almost all the Christian world, and a greater portion of the heathen world also. We shall not become a strong, united and influential people, until the best ability, prompted by the Spirit of God, shall come together of one heart and one mind and unite us in these things, build up Zion, and make the people happy, industrious, and prosperous in all they undertake to do. ¶

God grant that the inspiration of His Holy Spirit may gradually draw this people together and not permit the spirit of the adversary to tear us apart. That which binds together unites. That which softens the heart, that which makes the selfish man lay his money upon the altar and devote it to God, that which makes him feel that the riches of eternity are more valuable to him than the riches of this world is that which purifies and sanctifies, and makes the people of one heart and one mind. That which tends to divide them and array them one against the other in spiritual and temporal things comes from beneath, and is not of God. ¶

I am not afraid of what the world may do. We may be opposed from the outside; but the harder they press us the more cohesive shall we become. It is the dangers inside that I fear—the divisions that are arising amongst the people—that which is selfish, and makes men haughty, proud, and hard-hearted; which does not prompt them to feed the widow and the orphan, but rather to do the opposite—make themselves wealthy and live in palaces which their brethren and sisters whom God created, and whom He loves as much as He loves them, are neglected. ¶

As God’s children, we should feel towards each other as one common family. Let those who have riches in abundance give freely to those who have but little. I do not mean to say encourage idleness; but encourage industry and the prosperity of the people; and may God grant the time is not far distant when all that we have, for the love of the things of God, shall be laid upon the altar of sacrifice for the building up of His Kingdom on earth. ¶