The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-13
THE MoRMoNs.

The polygamists of Utah seem to havecooled
down little from the excitement they were in
when they first learned that United States
army was marching upon them. We appre
bend that they viii be still less excited when
they get report of the debates in Congress
this session upon Utah. lis. g
Files Of the Deseret Meas are before us, but
We find little in them worthy of notice. The
reports of sermons delivered at Salt Lake are
always the most readable part of the Neps, as
the Mormon preachers discuss politics at large
in the pulpit, and indeed it is about all they do
discuss. Elder Taylor gives his opinion of the
Utah army and of the Mormons in the follow
Ing language. We quote from his sermon:
"f you had been among those fellows out
eastward, you would have been worse off a
great deal. I would rather be in our position
than be in theirs. But the future,' say you.
How do We know but next spring they will
come in here and swallow us completely up2 ;
Brother Brigham says we shall have to be
CREASED first And there is no grease on their
cattle to do it at present. What do we know
about these things speak, so that we may
reflect upon them. 'We would q little rather
those men we're away somewhere else.' do not
know that would. / feel that, notwithstand-
ing our inexperience, and the many blunders
we make, and the various evils many of us fall
into, we Are the best people there is under the
face Of the heavens; and that God has called
us, and set us apart, and placed his name
among us, and given unto us the oracles of
God, to reveal unto us his mind and will, that
by rs he may establish his kingdom on the earth.
In relation to anything that has or may
transpire, feel that we are in the hands of God,
and all is right. But we would like to have
whipped those fellows out so say some of US.
We would like to see them turn tail, too, and
go off their own way But / would not, be-
cause the Lord would not. / feel perfectly
easy, that am in the hands of God, and every
thing l have, and so are you, and we are his
people, and he is our God, and hse Spirit die.
tates, rules, controls, and governs; and while
we do right, and keep the commandments of
God, and live up to our privileges, we have a
right to claim the Spirit of God, and live in
the enjoyment of it every moment of our lives"
This is certainly heavenly state of mind,
and we trust Elder Taylor will not lose it, should
those fellows out eastward" not only not
"turn tail" but enter Utah, and enforce some
thug like decent Law in Utah.
Brigham Young, preaching in defence of the
infallbility of bishops, aud of course himself as
their head, says, in Sunday sermon:
al will hken the bishops to some of those
side pipes laid down to conduct the gas. Take a
joint of one of those pipes up, which, in the com.
parison we will call a bishop, and how are the
inhabitants of that ward to receive the light
Place him to one side, despise his counsels, and
how are you to be taught? Will you teach
each other? You are not called to do it in
that capacity. Your bishop is laid down by
the Master Workman, as the conductor of the
Holy Ghost to you if you put that conductor
out of its place, the connection is broken be-
tween you and the fountain of light. If you
see a bishop and his ward in contention and
confusion, you may understand that the pipe
or conductor which conveys the light of that
people is out of its place. Instead of the
bishops being wrong and the people right, or
the people wrong and the bishop right, they
are all wrong; there is little or no right there.
"Take any man in this kingdom, and if the
people say that they will make him president,
or bishop, or elect him to fill any other Office,
and the faith of the people is concentrated to
receive light through that officer or pipe, laid
by the power of the priesthood from the throne
of God, you might as well try to move the
heavens, to receive anything wrong through
that conductor. No matter who you elect for
an officer, if your faith is concentrated in him
through whom to receive the things which he
is appointed to administer in, light will come
to you. And let a presiding officer, or bishop,
turn away from righteousness, the Lord Al
mighty would give him the lockjaw, if he could
not stop his mouth in any other way, or send a
fit of numb palsy on him, so that he could
not act, as sure as the people over whom he
presided were right, that they might not be led
astray."
This is convenient doctrine for the bishops,
if the people can be made to believe it, and
there seems to be no trouble upon that score.