Freedom, peace and full salvation

Freedom, peace and full salvation ¶

Are the blessings guaranteed — Liberty to every nation, ¶

Every tongue, and every creed. ¶

Come, ye Christian sects, and pagan, ¶

Pope and Protestant and priest; Worshipers of God or Dagon, ¶

Come ye to fair freedom's feast. ¶

Come, ye sons of doubt and wonder, ¶

Indian, Moslem, Greek or Jew; All your shackles burst asunder; ¶

Freedom's banner waves for you. ¶

Cease to persecute each other, ¶

Join the covenant of peace; Be to all a friend, a brother; ¶

This will bring the world release. ¶

Lo! the King, the great Messiah, ¶

Prince of Peace shall come to reign; Sound again, ye heavenly choir, ¶

Peace on earth, good will to men. ¶

Preparation for Peace Necessary

The point that I wish to make is this : While the numerous prophecies concerning the terrible times of tribulation of the latter days are about to be fulfilled, and are being fulfilled now, yet there should be efforts made to bring about peace, if possible, among the nations of the earth; and it seems to me that it is the province, the right, the duty of Zion -in her beauty rising, in the mountains, to send forth all the aid possible and to lend a ready hand to help bring about peace on earth, good will to men. Do you think, my brethren and sisters, that when Christ shall come as the King of kings, the Lord of lords, that there will be no preparation made for that coming? Do you think that he will come and by a great ■ cataclysm, will turn the warring nations into peaceful, united peoples? Oh, no. Some one will say, perhaps, he is going to utterly destroy them. Don't you believe it. When Christ comes there will be people dwelling on the earth who will not perish; many of the wicked will be destroyed "by the brightness of his coming," but before that a work of preparation will have to be accomplished and the principles which belong to our government and which are now being extended in the efforts to bring about peace will have softened the hearts of nations, the leading nations of the earth, so that they will combine for mutual help, and agree, instead of going to war and drenching the earth with human blood, that they will come together in a fraternal spirit and settle their difficulties by arbitration or submit them to courts of justice, which will be provided for, so that the rights of each other may be fully made plain and clear to all the world. That is the object in view. ¶

I had the pleasure of meeting as a delegate in some of the congresses for the world's peace when I was abroad, particularly on my last mission to Europe, a number of the finest men and women who can be met with outside of this Church, great men, great women, with great minds and of great influence who advanced theories that were not practical. But they were good, philosophical, kind people with splendid desires. But the first real practical thing they tried to bring about was the disarmament of the great nations, that the number of their men in armies and navies should be diminished, that the munitions of war should be decreased in production, and the way be thus prepared for some kind of league or union by which the nations of the earth could come together in a solemn compact for the purpose of bringing about peace, so far as it could be established. I don't think there is any ardent advocate of the measures now being taken who makes the contention that this pact, if it should be signed, will bring about entire suppression of war or the war-like spirit. Not at all, but if there is anything practical that can be done to bring about disarmament among the nations (except by agreement when circumstances may arise to require arms and ammunitions), anything that can bring that about is in the right direction. It may not accomplish all that its advocates expect it to do, but it will prepare the way for that which eventually will come. The ideas will thus be presented to nations that have power and influence in the earth whereby they can make agreements by which wars shall be diminished and eventually abolished, so that the time will come, also predicted by the prophets, when "nation will not rise against nation nor kingdom against kingdom," and they will not even "learn war any more," but every man, spiritually speaking, can sit down "under his vine and under his fig tree ; and none shall make him afraid." ¶

That time will come. I am just as sure of it as I am that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. I don't know whether I will be here to see it, but it will rise just the same, no matter how much the clouds may come up, and I am just as sure that "the Sun of righteousness will arise with healing in his wings," as the ancient prophet predicted, and the bright rays of his glory will penetrate to the utmost parts of the earth, and he will indeed be the King of glory and the Prince of peace. ¶

We Are Not to Cease Our Efforts Against Evils, Because Evils Abound

But before that day comes there will be wars and rumors of wars, and plague and famine, and earthquake and divers evils, as we call them, which will only be, perhaps, the beginning of greater sorrows yet to come. I believe that these predictions will come to pass, but should that prevent all that are lovers of their race from making any efforts to bring about a different condition of things ? If the "flu" or any other plague should go over the land again, are we to sit down and say, "Oh, it was predicted, it will come and we cannot do anything against it?" If iniquity abounds, as Christ said it would, and because of it "the love of many would wax cold," is that any reason why we should not take steps against those iniquities? We are forming a social society, many of our brethren here, men that are capable of handling the subject, and the Lord knows, if he doesn't the devil does that something is needful to be done, needful for our young people, particularly, and those social workers are busily engaged in the good work, and they will be more busily engaged by and by, when they get a routine prepared and methods adopted by which we can reach the evil. Shall we cease from our efforts against evil because evils will abound and because '"evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse," as predicted by the Savior? Are we not to take steps to try and check the evil ? Take the Book of Mormon. That predicts wars and at the same time provides and tells what shall be done. Read the writings of Mormon and Moroni in the Book of Mormon. There is a labor imposed upon us, so it tells. What is it to do? Why, to check these evils, to proclaim against them, to unite together for peace and for harmony and for, brotherly love, for the prevalence of the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So that the words of Parley may come to pass and the heavenly choir will sing again the anthem, "Peace on earth, good will to men." ¶

Read the Peace Pact for Yourselves

Now, I want to feel a good spirit toward my brethren who do not see it the way I do, exactly, and I want them to feel the same way towards me. I have most profound convictions in regard to this matter. I have read the propositions for a covenant of peace carefully, over and over, and over again, and I find that nearly everything that some of the great men and statesmen want to put in the pact is there already, and some things that they want taken out are not there at all. There has been a great deal of misrepresentation concerning it, and another thing I find to my great regret, that I have talked to a large number of our prominent men personally, and they have never read it themselves, they have had to go by what the proponents and the opponents have had to say and they are bewildered about it. They don't see and read and understand for themselves, as Jesus taught in his day, "Whoso readeth, let him understand." And that is something they should do in regard to this covenant, read the articles and compare them and see the bearing of the different articles, one upon another. I say here, that to my mind, it is one of the grandest things ever presented to the people of the world. There is nothing anywhere to be compared with it. Do I say it is perfect? No, but it provides means for its perfection, or for its correction, plenty of means provided for anything that needs to be put into it, or anything that needs to be taken out of it, just ¶

as it was with our great Constitution of the United States. Now, I did not intend to talk directly on this subject this afternoon, but it has come to mind as I have been speaking. ¶

On the Necessity of Obedience to Law

Now, my brethren, men holding the Priesthood of the Almighty ! This has been sent down for the salvation of mankind, not merely for the honor of men who are called and ordained to the several offices in the Priesthood, not merely for that, although it is a great honor to be a priest of the Most High, a servant of the living God, clothed upon with divine authority, for that is what Priesthood means, divine authority, no matter whether a person has but a small part of divine authority or in its fulness, he has it, he is definitely called and ordained to certain duties — what for? For the salvation of the world, of all nations, kindreds and tribes and tongues. That is what that is for, and for the establishment of freedom. The flag of liberty, as Parley says, "waves on high," and "list ye nations, by this token, know that your redemption's nigh!" The time is coming when the nations shall be redeemed from tyranny and oppression and from seeking each other's, blood, fighting for that which they could acquire by proper reason and by reasonable argument and reasonable associations and courts. ¶

Now, my brethren, do you think any of you that may be engaged in the order that President Grant alluded to this morning, have any right to say to a man that because he does not see as you do, and does not carry a card showing that he belongs to a certain society, that he shall not work, you will not work with him ; if he gets a job, and people employ him, you lay down your tools and say you will not work with him? Is that right? Is that reasonable? Is that Christ-like? Is that brotherly? Is it in accordance with the principles of liberty in the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence? I believe with all my heart that if our brethren holding the Priesthood of the Lord were to combine together for everything that is good in these societies, but will not go one step farther than that which is their right to do, that they can control the situation and they will also avoid the great troubles of mob law. There are projects now on foot — I have learned about them — to make a mob and go up to the Legislature to try and persuade the law makers to do or not to do certain things. Will Latterday Saints do that? Men are elected to the Legislature to frame laws for the good of the State and they ought to be left free to use their best judgment. That is what they are elected for. But gathering mobs to try and influence them is all wrong. The right to petition is proper, but there is a proper way to make petitions and we ought to have respect for those who have been selected to occupy places in our government, and all should be obedient to law. Look at the fruits of mobocracy in Omaha, alluded to by President Grant this morning. That is only one outburst. If this is allowed to go on there will be a vast deal more trouble in the land. It is a great menace of the latter times ; and I want to read a few verses from the Book of Mormon in regard to what the Lord said many hundreds of years ago in regard to this very thing. You will find it on page 587. In ancient times on this land there were organizations, "secret combinations" they are called. Now, I don't say that what I am going to read applies directly to a simple order of labor, but it applies to the situation generally, and to what is to come of it. Moroni is writing on the subject of that which was found upon the records that he discovered from the people that came on the land anciently, and it is called the Book of Ether and he is quoting from that arid reasoning upon it and he says : ¶

And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths, and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites, ¶

And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi. ¶

Now, page 588 : ¶

And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed, for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his Saints, which shall be shed by them shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them, and yet he avenge them not; ¶

Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain, and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction, if ye shall suffer these things to be; ¶

Wherefore the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you, that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you, or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who build it up. ¶

For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up, seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents; yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning. ¶

Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things, that evil may be done away, .and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved. ¶

There are glorious promises made in this book to the Gentiles, "if they will obey the God of this land, which God is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world," all on conditions. But ¶

wars will come, no doubt; disputes will arise, but if the efforts now being made are carried out, they will succeed in bringing people together who have good sense and good judgment, representing the leading nations of the world, who will submit their difficulties to one another and then to arbitration, or courts of justice, as may be necessary, and stop the shedding of blood and promote harmony and peace, prepare the world by learning and understanding truth, by understanding real freedom and the proper action of nation with nation until one great brotherhood is established among the nations and the way will be prepared for the coming of the Lord. We do not expect full peace, full justice, full glory and unity and brotherly love until the reign of Christ is established, but it will come just as surely as the light shineth from the East even unto the West, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. Read the 24th Chapter of Matthew, as revised and published in the Pearl of Great Price — I will not take up time to read it now, — there are many passages of old scripture that I would like to read, if there were more time, but I have said enough on this point. ¶

Let Us Unite as One

Now, what I desire this afternoon in my soul is that the Latterday Saints, people who have been reserved in the eternal worlds by our Father in Heaven, until the last days, to come down on the earth and aid in the great dispensation of the fulness of times, which is to bring about the redemption of the human family, living and dead, will unite together and be one. ¶

Let Zion in her beauty rise, . Her light begins to shine; Ere long her King will rend the skies, Majestic and divine. ¶

Let us prepare ourselves for the day, in our. hearts, in our spirits, in our works, in our efforts, let us combine for mutual good and for the good of the world, and understand that the destiny of this great nation, which the Lord has raised up, is to carry the gospel of freedom, of liberty, of union, of brotherly love into all the nations of the earth, if they will receive it, and a great many will. ¶

I here bear testimony that my brethren standing in high places in the Church, through the providence of God, are united in this, That we desire the welfare of mankind ; we desire that liberty shall be extended ; we desire that bloodshed shall be stayed ; we desire that war shall cease ; we desire that men shall meet in a fraternal spirit to bring about harmony and good-will among the nations, and we believe in the doctrine of the Covenant ; we believe it is practical, whether everything that is being done is just exactly that way, we will leave to the wise men among the nations. Some of the very best among them are engaged in the work to bring this about, and if anything appears to be imperfect that can be corrected in due time. ¶