The Gathering of Zion and Temple Marriage

Our attention has been called repeatedly, by various of the brethren, during this most excellent conference, to the purposes of the Lord in gathering the Latter-day Saints in one place, and particularly the advantages which he had in view for our settlement in this particular place; and I have been thrilled in my contemplation of this glorious prospect, and should like to read a few passages from the revelations of the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith on this subject. ¶

PURPOSE OF THE GATHERING. ¶

First, I direct your attention to the Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 29:7 and following, referring to the elders of the Church and the Saints: ¶

"And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect, for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts; ¶

"Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father, that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked; ¶

"For the hour is nigh, and the day soon at hand, when the earth is ripe: and all the proud, and they that do wickedly, shall be as stubble, and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth; ¶

"For the hour is nigh, and that which was spoken by mine apostles must be fulfilled; for as they spoke so shall it come to pass; ¶

"For I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand." ¶

I now ask you to consider this passage from Section 101, reading at the 39th paragraph: ¶

"When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth, and the savor of men; ¶

"They are called to be the savor of men. Therefore, if that salt of the earth lose its savor, behold, it is thenceforth good for nothing, only to be cast out, and trodden under the feet of men." ¶

Still another passage in Section 103, seventh verse: ¶

"And by hearkening to observe all the words which I, the Lord their God, shall speak unto them, they shall never cease to prevail until the kingdoms,of the world are subdued under my feet, and the earth is given unto the saints, to possess it for ever and ever. ¶

"But inasmuch as they keep not my commandments, and hearken not to observe all my words, the kingdoms of the world shall prevail against them. ¶

"And inasmuch as they are not the saviors of men, they are as salt that has lost its savor, and is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men." ¶

And still another passage from Section 86, reading at the eighth paragraph: ¶

"Therefoi e, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the Priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers, ¶

"For ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God; ¶

"For they were set to be >a light unto the world, and to be the saviors of men; ¶

"Therefore your life and the Priesthood hath remained and must needs remain through you and your lineage, until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began. ¶

"Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the Gentiles, and through this Priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel. The Lord hath said it. Amen." ¶

These inspired utterances, full of great promise, and yet guarded with caution and warning from the Lord, are blessings that shall be ours through faithfulness -- these things, I say, are an incentive and an inspiration to all Latter-day Saints. When I think of their import, what the prospects of the future are, as one of the brethren remarked yesterday, great as have been the achievements of the past, they are but the beginning of glorious things that shall be sung of Zion. Notwithstanding the glory of the past, the future is more splendid than the past possibly could have been, because this work, the work of God, is to roll forth until its power, its glory, its influence, shall fill the whole earth, and not be confined to a few valleys up in the tops of the mountains. ¶

THE WORLD'S OPPOSITION TO THE GATHERING. ¶

Brethren and sisters, I am; sure as we read the history of the various movements on the part of the Church to assemble, to establish themselves in one place, we have discovered that surely the enemy of this work, who is the devil, has been opposed to the gathering of the Latter-day Saints. We were not permitted to remain in the place where, ninety-one years ago this very day, the Church was organized. The powers of evil were arrayed upon all hands, and the result was ¶

the Church had to move. Their gathering at Kirtland again was opposed, and the powers of evil were arrayed against the movement to gather in the Saints from the various parts of the world. Again a move was made under pressure and force. Their gathering at Independence, Missouri, was fraught with the same kind of danger and difficulty, mob violence, people fleeing before their enemies, their homes consigned to the flames. Their other effort to establish themselves in another section of Missouri met with the same kind of opposition. Do you recall the individual who harangued the Saints during the time that the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum were prisoners incarcerated in one of the foulest dungeons that has disgraced the footstool of God? They were told never to expect their prophet to return; that "his die was cast, and his doom was sealed," and the voluntary advice given was that if they wanted to live at peace and be happy, never to gather any more, but to scatter and not to organize wards and stakes but to be like other people. That is what the devil has desired from the beginning -- that we should be like other people; but the Lord has decreed that this people should be a peculiar people unlike other people. The answer of President Young and his associates, to this advice, was that they would not desert one another but would enter into covenant to stay by one another until the poorest Saint was brought out of Missouri. Again they had a similar experience in their gathering at Nauvoo. Though they grew here to larger proportions and established themselves on a more firm basis, nevertheless, it was the same spirit of opposition to scatter this people, to divide them, to send them forth, and not to permit them to gather and to organize. The great movement into the west was undoubtedly for the purpose of giving this people the chance to be gathered and established in peace, in security, until they should become strong enough, their works understood well enough, to find favor in the sight of good men who would no longer lend their influence and power to the breaking up of this people and their being scattered any more. And transplanted here in this place, we had the opportunity to take root and to grow, and still in the time of our thriving, behold the enemy was again alert. Through the tongue of lying individuals, misrepresentations were made that brought upon this people an army. No matter what the purpose and motive was, on the part of those who sent them, in their hearts, many of those who came here in what was known as Johnston's Army came for the avowed purpose of again breaking up the foundation of this work. Thanks be to God that they did not succeed, and that the Lord used them as a means to further establish his work, and that the day of animosity that would seek to disturb us and drive us hence has passed and gone, and at last we have earned, in the estimation of the leaders of our country and a great majority of our fellow-citizens, the right to exist as organized bodies. Thank the Lord for that day of triumph. ¶

But do not suppose, my brethren and sisters, that the enemy is satisfied or that he is content to leave us alone, for he still is opposed to the gathering of this people, and if he cannot break them up, root and branch, and drive them forth, he will lay siege against us in devious ways, with cunning craftiness. He will seek by all of his power to nullify, as far as possible, the great blessings the Lord had in view in the gathering of the Latter-day Saints, and to wean away Our sons and daughters, to make paths here and there that shall divert them: away from the gathering place and away from the purpose of the Lord in bringing this people together. ¶

OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS A HERITAGE OF REAL WORTH. ¶

We heard some excellent advice yesterday from Brother Stephen L, Richards, on the question of the financial salvation of this people, all of which is important, of course, and I desire to speak of another phase of this work wherein we must exercise conservation to the accomplishment of the great purposes of the Lord in our assembling here. Valuable as are the material things of this world, nevertheless, more valuable are the sons and daughters of God. Our boys and our girls, as Doctor Holden said yesterday, are our heritage that is of real worth. They are worth more to us than the land, and all the wealth of the hills and the valleys, and it is to the conservation of these sons and daughters of the Latter-day Saints that I desire to direct the attention of my brethren and sisters this morning. One of the means which the adversary has employed to nullify the blessings of the gathering may be noted in our several communities in the disposition that many of our daughters have, particularly, and some of our sons, to consider their birthright lightly, to treat it as a thing of small consequence, and to jeopardize it by forming alliances in marriage with those who do not belong to our faith. My brethren and sisters, when I think of the value of these precious boys and girls, I see also the future of Zion in them. Our baptisms in the mission fields, last year, were the largest in the history of many years, if not in the history of the Church, and from that source, of course, in years that are past, we have drawn great strength to the Church, but while these baptisms shall undoubtedly continue to bring into the fold countless thousands of the honest in heart from the various nations of the earth, nevertheless the source from which we shall draw our greatest strength shall be in the conversion and salvation of our own sons and daughters, because last year, for example, there were more than three times as many children born to Latter-day Saint parents as all the baptisms that were accomplished in the world. ¶

WE MAY LOSE OUR HERITAGE BY WRONG MARRIAGE. ¶

So that, the future growth of this work depends upon saving these boys and girls, that is, so far as numerical strength is concerned; ¶

and one of the most fruitful means of losing them, of causing loss to the community purpose and interest, and weakening the organization of the Church, dissipating our forces, is the movement that would have us enter into marriage with those of unbelieving faith. Then I know, because I have had the opportunity, and not many men have had a better opportunity, to study this situation as I have observed it while presiding over the Northwestern States Mission, for I saw hundreds of our Latter-day Saint girls and many boys living in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and on visits to California, and President McMurrin could also testify to this thing, for he has seen it in that section -- hundreds, I say, of these Latter-day Saint boys and girls who have, married out of their faith who have drifted away -- this movement does not look to the concentration and building up of our communities nor the establishment of this work, but it works to the very opposite. It is scattering, it is dividing, it is dissipating our forces. ¶

THE EVILS OF BEING UNEQUALLY YOKED TOGETHER. ¶

I have no quarrel, nor shall I engage in any quarrel, with those who do not belong to us, who have sought our daughters or our sons in marriage. I do not blame a non-"Mormon" for trying to get a "Mormon" girl, because he would not find anybody better if he went all over the world; but I do seriously question the wisdom of that boy or girl who jeopardizes the glorious purposes and privileges the Lord had for them, who, through much tribulation, brought their parents to this place, where they might provide the opportunity for believing sons and daughters to marry believing sons and daughters; where the opportunity might be provided for them to grow up, like calves in the stall, as the ancient prophet said, to inherit these blessings. I believe there was wisdom in Paul's statement, indeed I know it, for I have heard tales of sorrow and distress too long for me to repeat here, that would make a volume, that have come from those disobedient sons and daughters who have disregarded the desires and wishes of their parents and who have made an alliance wherein they are not evenly yoked together, and Paul's advice was good, that you should not be unevenly yoked together. I recognize that we are not the only Church which believes in this doctrine. We accord to all men the same privilege, to preach this doctrine and to hold their own within their own circle. This is not selfish. We are asking only that which we accord to others, and that which others, many of them, claim for their own; but in asking this we are asking it for the peace and the blessing of our boys, and girls first of all. Is there happiness in the home of those who are unevenly yoked together? My experience is that it is utterly impossible for a Latter-day Saint girl, trained and reared in a "Mormon" home, with "Mormon" ideals of the right relationship of husband and wife, parents and children, the very family institution itself, the care of children, their education, ¶

their training, their care in times of sickness and in death -- there is no possibility for that boy or girl to enjoy to the highest and the fullest extent peace on earth, joy and happiness in this present time, &&d salvation and glory in the celestial kingdom of God, under this arrangement; it is not possible. ¶

AN ILLUSTRATION. ¶

I remember receiving a letter recently from a young man on a mission, who disregarded the advice I gave him, not to take this step. He said ten me that he now regretted it, because, he said, "We do not pull together, my wife and I do not have the same kind of ideals nor ambitions for our children, and when I,would go ahead she holds back." He said it reminded him of an experience he had on the farm. They had a team1 of mules, and one day one of the mules took sick, and in order to let the work go forward, they1 substituted a blooded horse. When the blooded horse was (hitched up with the mule, the horse being faster and more willing to go forward, every time he would get a little ahead of the mule, the mule would stop, and so, he said, it was nothing but a seesaw; they did not get anywhere. He said, "Now, that mule would have been a very good mule hitched up with another mule, but it wasn't a good thing to hitch it up with a blooded horse." The implication is again,that you canjnot work successfully unequally yoked together. I do not mean to imply, of course, that the Latter-day Saints are the only ones that are blooded horses, and all the rest are mules, not at all, but I do mean tot say that you do not work successfully under that combination, and I have received from more than one girl the plea to please convey to the daughters of Israel their experience and their advice not to take the step they took. Now, so much for the individual blessing. ¶

UNEQUAL MARRIAGE IS A LOSS TO THE CHURCH. ¶

Then again, let me say that there is a loss to the Church. How many of those born under these circumstances remain within the fold? Not many. There is a loss that we cannot afford to have constantly dissipating our forces and running away from us. ¶

THE APPROVED AND APPOINTED WAY OF MARRIAGE. ¶

My brethren,and sisters, again, not only do we desire that our sons and daughters shall marry within the fold, but we desire that they shall come into the house of the Lord and enter into the sacred and holy obligations of matrimony in the Lord's approved and appointed way. We desire it again for their peace, for their salvation. Our records show that the divorce rate amiong those who enter into marriage in this holy, approved way is very much lower in the Church among that g'roup than among the group who marry for time only. And why? Of course it is significant to all of us that ¶

those who enter into these holy bonds of matrimony for time and eternity do not begin to' plan to separate and to part, but they begin to plan to live together not only in time but in eternity, for we are not building for time, we are building for eternity also. And there are connected with these blessings certain privileges, of course, that except men shall enter into them in this life, or they are performed in this life for men and women, those who fail to receive these blessings cannot come into the celestial kingdom of God where God and Christ dwell. It is a "Mormon" truism! that is current among us and we all accept it, that as man is) God once was and a(£ God is man may become. That does not signify that man will become God. I am sorry to say, and yet it is a truth, that not many men will become what God is, simply because they will not pay the price, because they are not willing to live up to the requirements; and still all men may, if they will, become what God is, but only those who are heirs of the celestial glory shall ever be possible candidates, to become what God is. We desire, therefore, that these boys and girls shall have the safety and protection of this kind of marriage. ¶

TEMPLE MARRIAGE A PROTECTION TO WOMEN ¶

There are some states that have regulations providing for the physical examination of men and in some instances women before certificates of marriage are issued. I lived for a long time in a state where that practice was in vogue and still is in vogue, and I have wished that this were true everywhere. But even if it should be extended to all the states of the Union, still I say to the daughters of Israel there is a better protection for you than this, and a better protection than ever will be provided by any law of the land, in that you have the privilege of requiring the man who proposes marriage to you to put himself in condition so that he can pass muster before his bishop to ascertain and to know -- that that man is not only physically clean but he is morally clean and that he has faith in God, that he has honored the holy Priesthood and that he is worthy to go into the house of God. That protection is the best that possibly can be provided for the daughters of Israel, and it is yours. Will you not embrace it? Do not jeopardize your happiness, your future success in time and in eternity, by! ignoring this great and wonderful privilege that has been given to the daughters of Israel. Then many a boy who has entered into that solemn and holy obligation in this, the Lord's appointed way, has kept pure and clean by the covenants which he makes that he will be true to his wife, and he has stood in the hour of temptation many a time and resisted it because of the obligation which is upon him. Is that not a strength to the boy as well as a protection to the woman? For I want to tell you that no happiness can come to men or women where confidence is gone, and where there is not absolute trust in one's companion. ¶

NO DOUBLE STANDARD WITH THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS. ¶

Oh, thank the Lord that in this Church we have no double standard. We have heard it, I have, from my childhood. I received from my mother and from, the organizations of the Church this admonition. She taught me to live as clean and as chaste, as pure as the girl I married and asked to be my wife, the mother of my children. She taught me that she would rather hear of my death than that I had been immoral and had debauched myself. Thank God for that advice, and that I had the courage and the strength to keep it and to live up to it. ¶

So, by reason of this provision, there is safety and protection and happiness to the sons and daughters of Zion that cannot come when they go out of their faith and mingle and associate in these relations with those who have entered into no such covenant and have lived no such life as this. And yet I do not wish to imply for a moment that there are not those who are clean, who are chaste and who are pure, who live in the world; I do not imply that at all, but I do say that here are the institutions and organizations that require such a life of Latter-day Saint boys and girls. ¶

THE EVILS OF DIVORCE AND CHILDLESS MARRIAGES. ¶

One of the great sources which brings sorrow and trouble in the marriage state and that is distressing this country is the divorce evil. I notice that at a great gathering of women recently, in Washington, this problem was discussed and it was suggested that the women's vote must come forward to save America or else we shall be on the highway to moral degeneracy, because the divorce rate in this country has been mounting until it is announced that we now excel Japan in the number of divorces in this country and Japan has been leading the world. What is the answer to it? I thought, as I heard Dr. Holden yesterday, there is no problem that now distresses the world, of a moral character, of a financial character, of a social nature, except the key to solve it is in the hands of the Latter-day Saints, even as the Lord said he would make his people a light unto the world. We have just begun to solve these problems; we are going to go forward, and we will solve that problem also. The great contributing cause to divorces in this country are childless marriages, wherein men and women live to themselves the selfish life and pander to make these glorious bodies, with their divine endowment, mere harps of pleasure, and they will reap disgust, discomfiture, and condemnation, when they come to stand in the presence of Him who gave to man as his first great commandment, "Multiply and replenish the earth." ¶

My brethren and sisters, boys and girls who enter into marriage in the Latter-day Saints Church, in the Lord's approved way, enter in properly instructed, and if they live up to their obligations to one ¶

another they will keep, by all the power God has given them, that great and holy commandment, and reap for themselves joy, peace, happiness and blessings, in this life, and blessings of an eternal character in the world to come. ¶

THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS ARE NOT TO BE ABSORBED. ¶

Brethren and sisters, we are not to be absorbed. The Lord has decreed it. He knows how to keep us where we ought to be, and when we get straying off the track he knows how to bring us back, for he will not desert this people. His promise was that this work should never be overcome nor given to another people. He may chastise us, he may correct us, but he will not let us go astray. If we, therefore, keep his commandments, we not only shall escape chastisement, but we shall come into our glorious heritage, and the light of Zion shall continue to rise, for behold, her day has come, her light shall shine, the glory of it shall be reflected to the uttermost ends of the earth, and the men of all nations shall come and say, "Let us go up to the mountain of the house of the God of Jacob, so that we may learn to walk in his paths," and the attention of the angels of heaven shall be called to the earth, and unto this people; and behold, the King shall come and he shall receive his people and reign with them a thousand years. ¶

God speed that day, for Zion's future is as sure as the sun shines, if we will only keep the commandments of the Lord, and all these glorious things shall come to pass. May the Lord find us, and our children, and children's children, identified with this glorious work in the day of its triumph, I humbly pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

A solo entitled, "O Lord, remember me," was sung by Mrs. Ruth Brewerton. ¶