Missionary Labors

I readily discover, my brethren and sisters, that this congregation do hunger and thirst for the word of God, and it is through this that the Apostles and those that have spoken unto you have been given such great liberty, and why you have been fed by the servants of the Lord under the influence of the Holy Spirit—It is now your duty to not only listen but to digest; not only to make resolutions, but to live up to the instructions that have been given, if you expect to receive the blessings of the Lord ¶

There is a principle that I desire to talk upon for a few moments—I have the idea, but it is not yet clothed, but I pray the Lord that He may move upon me through your faith and prayers, to explain my views upon a certain subject—I am very much interested myself in the financial welfare of this people, because I realize from my own experience that when men are in financial difficulties, and their honesty is in question, and they are unable to fulfill their agreements, it is very difficult for honest men who are sensitive to the reproach of the children of men to feel joyous and happy, and to appreciate the blessings with which they are surrounded—I want to say to you that the sun [illegible] not shine brightly to such men, the grass is not green, and sometimes I fancy, they hardly feel that water runs down hill—It is a most terrible condition to be in—One of the great difficulties that menace this people is the lack of employment for our people—I know how some of us worship gold and silver, but I tell you that is not so great a problem among this people as employment—I am not in much doubt that the time will be in these United States when the people will worship work more than they do money, and it is one of the demands that I make upon this people, that they see to it that the people of this Church are employed—If you have large farms, and you are poor and poverty stricken with so much land, see to it that the people are given employment—Then the people must see to it that they are willing to take the produce of the country as pay for their labor, and not ask the farmer to give them gold and silver, which it is very difficult for him to get ¶

With all due respect to some things that are being done, I believe that it is absolutely necessary — God requires it of this people — that they pay their tithes and offerings, and that the offerings be used for the people that are old, aged and infirm—It is one of the most destructive things that has happened in this Church when strong, able-bodied men and women, and young men and women are provided from its offerings which are given for the poor—I know the spirit that is creeping in among this people—I remember a certain experience I had when the scarlet fever struck my family—After they had recovered I sought most diligently in one of our own thriving settlements for a little help—I found families that were poor, and that were being supported by the Bishop—When I asked them to come and assist my wife — and I offered them the best I had (for which I was grateful to my Heavenly Father), that is, tithing office scrip— they said, "we can get enough of that without working." I have told some of my brethren that there is no man in this Church that has been treated better than I have by the authorities of the Church, and I am wonder-struck when I think of how I have been blessed; but I tell my brethren, "when you have not employment for me, say the word, and I will take my family by the hand, and I will again be a pioneer in the land." We have hundreds of brilliant young men, men that have experience; but they are hanging around these streets and starving to death—Do you know what is the matter with us? There is a great deal of pride connected with it—It is not a difficult thing to live in a log hut if you have never had anything better, but it is a difficult thing to drop to a log house when you have been living in a castle—But our pride has got to be humbled, young men—There are a great many of us that ought to be sent out—Talk about missionary work; they ought to call out of this city 500 and send them on missions to colonize and build up the tens of thousands of acres that are in this great State of Utah—If the State of Utah is not good enough for you, go to Canada—That is a wonderful country, and you can get rich and prosper if you keep the commandments of the Lord—Then you can come back to Salt Lake City, and put on all the style you want to, if you pay for it ¶

I desire to read to you from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants—I will put my text to the last part of my discourse, instead of the first—I wish to call to your mind what the Lord says: ¶

"I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth as a very handy work, and all things therein are mine: ¶

"And it is my purpose to provide for my Saints, for all things are mine; ¶

"But it must needs be done in mine own way; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my Saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low; ¶

"For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves. ¶

"Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my Gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment." ¶

So that I fancy we had better commence to get generous and impart of the abundance which the Lord has given us and give employment to the thousands of people that are in need—The trouble that came upon the people in Kirtland was brought about for these reasons which I will read to you: ¶

"But behold they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh Saints, to the poor and afflicted among them, ¶

"And are not united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom; ¶

"And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the laws of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself; ¶

"And my people must needs be chastened until they learn obedience, if it must needs be by the things which they suffer." ¶

Now, Zion will be redeemed, and I want to say to you, my brethren and sisters, that all is not well in Zion; but if you wish to be popular you want to say that all is well in Zion—The Lord requires it at the hands of this people that they pay their tithes and their offerings, and that they see to it that they impart of the abundance which the Lord has given, to those that need work, and give them employment—The hands of the Presidency and the Apostles of this Church are tied because we are raising up among this people, what I call paupers—It is not the fault of the people altogether, it is because they cannot find work—I pray the Lord that He may move upon all of us that are in need of assistance, that we will have the pride of a Latter-day Saint, and not receive anything when we are able to work, unless we be furnished employment—That demand should be made upon the Latter-day Saints, and I felt impressed that if the time ever came that I had no food for my family, I would go among the Latter-day Saints and as a servant of God I would demand work—And if you would not give me work the Lord would take from the abundance which you are blessed with ¶

Now I want to prophesy, as the son of a prophet, that if this people want to be blessed they must labor for Zion; for if you labor for money you shall perish—You are under covenant, and it is a demand that God makes of this people that they redeem Zion—You have got to be generous, and you have got to place all that you have and are upon the altar and learn to live the law of the celestial kingdom ¶

"But," says one to me, "you would not preach that way four years ago when you had something." Well, if you have got to learn to preach the way I am doing you will learn it just the way I learned it—You will pay for it—The Lord will take from you what you have if you don't humble yourselves, and He will chasten you—I want to say to you the Gospel is to be preached to every nation, kindred, tongue and people—We are spending no less than $300,000 a year, if I have figured right—If your Elders are traveling without money they spend an awful sight of it, it seems to me, and you will be called upon to spend a good deal more—You will be called upon to place all that you have and are upon the altar; and if you do not have your feet right and know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when you are asked to give up your means, you will flounder and lose the faith; but if you have not got anything you will be just as Peter was—I am in the same fix—If I leave this Church, where in heaven will I go—That is the way I feel ¶

I feel to bless the people—I feel that you are being blessed and that you will continue to be blessed as long as you keep the commandments of God—When you cease keeping the commandments of God then the judgments of God will commence at the house of the Lord, and I pray that that may be averted—I pray that we may not pass through the experience that the people had in Kirtland because they transgressed the laws of God—May the Lord bless you—Amen ¶