Understanding the Bible and Popularizing the Church

The few moments I occupy I very much desire to enjoy the Spirit of the Lord. I realize that the ways of the Lord are not in harmony altogether with the ways of men. I have labored in the ministry long enough to know that should I be favored to enjoy the Holy Spirit and speak the things that the Lord shall give unto me; they will not be altogether in harmony with people who do not enjoy that spirit. I believe it is proper for us to be conservative and consistent in all that we say and do; but I confess to you that my time is too short on this occasion to prepare your minds for what I may say, for I have not an entire conception of just how I am going to come out in fifteen minutes from now. ¶

I have thought some little lately about the Bible, which we claim to be the word of God, "as far as it is translated correctly." Taking that statement into consideration, there are no people on the earth that quibble so little about the Bible as do the Latter-day Saints. I am strongly impressed with the idea that the Bible cannot be understood only by the same spirit with which it was written. If that statement be true, I am impressed with the idea that the Christian world have not got very much of it, or else they would understand it more alike. There are said to be six hundred or more denominations. I have never exactly found out how many. I have heard Elders talk about it, but I never had an exact statement. And I believe what was expressed in an editorial in the Deseret News — we would like to know which one of them is the Christian church, for we are in some doubt. ¶

Now, we have the Book of Mormon; and if there is anything on earth that has made trouble for this people it is that book. It is largely the means of costing the lives of the Prophet Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, and hundreds of others belonging to this Church. But I am prepared to testify that it contains the word of God. We have also the Book of Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, which are accepted by this people as the revelations of God; and they have made an endless lot of trouble for this people, because they are the word of God. There is only "one of a city and two of a family" that are willing to accept them; so you need not think I am going to get discouraged because they do not believe all I say, and you need not think I am going to stop talking, if permission be given me, because some people do not believe all I say. ¶

Brethren and sisters, I believe I will tell you how to popularize the "Mormon" Church. If you want to be popular, I can tell you how to be so. The "Josephite" church has started out in about the right line to accomplish their purpose, by cutting out a number of truths that Joseph Smith revealed to the Saints, and in this way they are trying to popularize themselves. Now, if you will stop sending out these fourteen hundred Elders, testifying that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, that we have apostles and prophets inspired of God, that we enjoy revelation, that the signs follow the believer, that the sick are healed by the laying on of hands, that we have divine authority from God, then you will be popular. Are you prepared to do it? If you will stop going into these temples and receiving your endowments and being married for time and all eternity, that will help a little. After awhile, it seems to me, if I have the right spirit, they will refuse to allow us to hold offices if we go into these temples and receive our endowments from the Lord. And while they have not rejected us yet, I am rather impressed that they will reject us; for the Christian world have already done it, and I do not know but what this nation will. I do not know but I will be glad when it comes. If the Lord cannot take care of His Church and His people and look after their interests, then we have been mistaken. I tell you we have friends and we have men in the world who have the Spirit of God, who will rise up and protect this people. I am not numbered among those who think that we have no friends, for we have friends; but, brethren and sisters, you are not of the world, and therefore the world hateth you, speaking generally. If you want to be popular, stop doing the things that I have mentioned, and deny their truth. But if you want to stay with this Church, be true to your covenants. The time will come when you will be — as you are now — a light set upon a hill. I tell you, all the devils in hell cannot destroy this Church. And the devil never has been entirely comfortable since that temple (the Salt Lake Temple) was completed. ¶

I would like to call your attention to another subject: I happen to have a little information on paper this morning, which is rather unusual for me. I desire to call your attention to some of the labors of the First Council of the Seventy. Listening to all these presidents of stakes, you would think that their stakes were the only stakes in Zion; and I rather approve of that style. I believe that you ought to love that which is your own. I am learning that slowly. If you have got anything that is not presentable, for heaven's sake do not say anything about it; they will find it out soon enough. We have been laboring among these Seventies for four years — ever since the presidency of the Church notified us that we had a number of Seventies on that book containing the non-tithepayers of the Church. We received reports from these Seventies for two years, 1899 and 1900. Now we have a report here, which is a good deal like the reports Brother Reynolds was talking about — not entirely true, because twenty quorums have failed to send their report in. I feel so annoyed, I can hardly express myself. I have been working with the presidents of those quorums for four months to get their reports. I will say here that we have some Seventies, amongst those quorums that are just about as near dead as they ever will be in the world. They are walking around, but they are dead. From top to bottom they are dead spiritually. We have 143 quorums. Number not reported, 20. We have between 8,000 and 10,000 Seventies; we are not quite clear as to the actual number. There are 14 quorums that have no non-tithepayers. Number of Seventies who do not pay tithing because of neglect and carelessness, 238. Number that do not pay tithing because of sickness and physical ailments, 28. Number on account of debt, 12. Some of these men get in debt, and a few of them have told me that the Lord is so merciful and their creditors are so hard on them that they will pay them first. Number on account of poverty, 77. Number on account of unbelief in tithing, 28. Missionaries that have just returned and are heavily in debt, and make that as their excuse, 15. There are 7 that are disgruntled— that is, they do not like their Bishops, or they have locked horns with the Presidency of the Stake, or else they have not been treated right when they went to pay their tithing. There are 9 that do not like the manner of disbursing the tithing. These make a total of 412. Including the 20 quorums that have not reported, we perhaps have about 500 non-tithepayers out of 9,000 Seventies. ¶

The First Council of the Seventy have been looking after the Seventies during the last year for missionaries. We took up the matter under the direction of the First Presidency. We have had suggested from the different quorums of the Church 497 missionaries, and we have been laboring with those men ever since — that is, writing letters of inquiry regarding their moral, their spiritual, their physical, their financial and their educational condition; and after sending out these letters, I want to say to some of the Presidents of Stakes, you need not be exercised— we did not get all the 497. There is nothing that has been done by the First Council, under the direction of the Presidency, for years that has done as much good as our inquiring after these brethren. I wish we had the time to enquire after every one of the Seventies, and those that are nearly dead, it would doubtless start their blood to circulating, and teach these Seventies the fact that they are witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ to the nations of the earth, and it is their privilege to preach the Gospel continually, and that they ought to be out of debt and prepared to go. Out of the 497 the number reported to the missionary committee of the Apostles was 163. The number excused, on account of financial and physical condition, 138. Number who have not answered letters of inquiry yet, 60; but some of these letters have only just been sent out, and they will answer them. Number notified to report to the First Council in one year, 131. The 131 were in debt, nearly all of them, and we gave them a year to get out of debt. They are now on the anxious bench for a whole year, and at the end of the year, with the blessings of the Lord and a desire on their part to go forth as witnesses, God will be with them; but if they do not get free, all they have to do is to report it, and they will be excused, no doubt. Number who declined to go, 5. Out of 497 only 5 declined; and I believe if we had fully understood their letters and had started the Presidents to labor with them, there would not be found probably more than one out of the whole number who would decline to go. I tell you, it is a remarkable thing. The Christian church cannot show anything like it. ¶

I have not time to talk much about missionary work. In a few words, I want to say that I am strongly impressed that we are spending too much money in this labor. I learned from the Deseret News last night — which corroborates largely what I have believed — that they have seventy missionaries out of Davis stake, and it cost them $15,000 a year. If that statement be true, that every Elder spends at least $200 a year on an average, and we have 1,400 Elders out preaching the Gospel to the nations of the earth, it costs this people $280,000 every year in cash. All I have to say, brethren, if you cannot go on missions; you are too rich to go, or you have too much business, or you have positions in the Church that prevent you from going; then, for heaven's sake, help those who do go. The Church must be protected in its business, in its wards, its stakes and its Church schools. I believe in protection — if I am among the number protected; but inasmuch as I am not, I tell you who are, in the name of Israel's God, if this Gospel must be preached, and we must spend $280,000 to preach it, you men that stay home must help carry the burden, and not have our brethren mortgage their homes and sell out everything to do this work. There are not two rich Seventies in the whole number we have reported to the missionary committee of the Apostles. They are all poor men, and some of their letters would bring tears to your eyes, when they write to us explaining the little they have, but they say "I am ready to go; I know God Almighty will bless us." I will rob you of a little time for the purpose of reading you what the Lord told my father, and I take it as a testimony to me that there is nothing that brings a greater blessing than preaching the Gospel to the nations of the earth. ¶

Far West, April 6, 1839. ¶

"A word from the Spirit of the Lord to my servant, Heber C. Kimball. ¶

"Trouble not thyself about thy family; for they are in my hands. I will feed them, and clothe them, and make unto them friends. They never shall want for food, nor raiment, houses nor lands, fathers nor mothers, brothers nor sisters, and peace shall rest upon them forever, if thou wilt be faithful and go forth and preach my Gospel to the nations of the earth." ¶

I stand before you as a living witness of its truth. I have traveled among this people for eleven years. I have received honors and blessings from among this people, because of my father. I have found fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. I have found friends everywhere I have been among this people. And I attribute the greater part of it to the fact that my father fulfilled that commandment. His children have never wanted for bread, and I tell you, in the name of Israel's God, they never will. They will be mighty poor, but they will always have bread. God bless you. Amen. ¶