Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-05-11
CURIOUS ORACULAR DELIVER.
ANGE BY BRIGHAM YOUNG.
A Discussion upon POIygaIny and the
killing of Brassf1eld.

comes 10 US Will u report VI Tue AlOFIlOL
Conference lately held in that city. On
Saturday, April 18th, President Brigham
Young made the following address, which
it will be seen relates mainly to the recent
murder of Mr.. Brassfeld, already noticed
in u columns. Brigham Young said:
II will give me great pleasure to speak
a few words to the people, and I shall be
happy if 1 can make myself heard by this
vast assemblage of Saints.
Much has been said by u brethren
since the commencement of OF two days
meeting, and during the Conference, with
regard to the social life of the Latter Day
Saints; and all that has been said is in
| conformity withthat endless variety which
we see in all the works of God for nc
two men express themselves alike in des-
cribing circumstances or in teaching doc,
trine. The doctrines which we have en-
braced are exceedingly dear to the faith
full believer, and l may also say that doc
trines, how erroneous soever they may be,
are as sacred to the person who believes
them as our doctrines are to us.
Our faith and our acts are known to
each other, and also to the world, although
they are held forth by many in an unfair
light. However, when an untruth is told
against the Latter-day Saints, a convic-
ton that it is untrue comes to every per
son who hears il, and the spirit of Christ,
that enlighteneth every mar that cometh
into the world, teacheth the children OF
men true principles.
Twill now give you. in short, my opin-
ion with regard to plural marriage. 1t
| ic of Cod opA He hoe rauaa1a1 - frop,
the Heavens, and made it obligatory upon
the Saints in the last days. l am as much
a believer in plural marriage as any OF
my brethren who have spoken. 1t is
embraced in the faith of the Latter-Day
Saints, and practiced by many of them.
If have q wife who wishes TO leave me,
| let her make it known to me and she is as
free to leave me as she is to stay with me.
This is my doctrine. Every wife l may
possess is as free as the air; if they choose
to stay with me they can stay if they
wish to leave me, they are equally as free
but they must not intrude upon their sa-
cred covenants, nor suffer others TO intrude
upon them. But otherwise from this,
they are as free to go as stay they can
go to the East, or to the West, to the
| North or to the South. They are as free
to go, if they so wish, as they are to drink
the water of City Creek; but if they vic.
late their covenants the curse of God will
rest upon them, and il others intrude
upon u rights in our domestic relations,
we mean them to suffer the penalty.
To ask any person to be a Latter-D Day
Saint, unless he wishes to be, is a thing |
never do. l teach the people the truth
they that receive it in the love of it; will
abide in it; they have the same liberty to
reject it that they have to receive it. 1t
is not required Of me to make people be-
lieve the truth, whether they will or not.
1t is obligatory upon me to tell them the
truth, to teach them correct doctrine, and
leave them to take their choice, whether
they receive itand live by it, and be saved,
or reject it and be damned.
l will now take the liberty Of making a
statement to this congregation, and to this
community-to those who are Saints and
to those who are not Saints-to the Jew and
the Greek-tothe Christian andthe Gentle,
the old, m~iddle-aged, the youth and child
ren-in regard TO the circumstance which
has occurred here in our city within a few
days past. The question is asked by
thousands, no doubt, us this according to
Brother Brigham's counsel? Is this done
by counsel, and does Brother Brigham
justify such things" Whether 1 Justify
that act or not is not the property of any
other person living; it is my own.
"Brother Brigham, did you counsel any
such thing as killing Mr.. Brassfeld?7 ,
did not. l know no more about it
than you do. That which has transpired
1 have merely heard, and that which in
stigated the killing of that man is not
known to me.
Suppose a man should enter your house
and decoy away from you a wife of yours,
what would you do under the circum-
stance p
I would lay judgment to the line and
righteousness to the plummet, so help me
God. l say that for myself and not for
another. l am for defending the truths
of God and the ordinances of His house.
1 have enlisted to be His servant, and a
co-worker and fellow-laborer with him,
and with my elder brother, Jesus Christ,
and to sustain His laws, and the liberty
to proclaim the doctrine Of salvation to
the world; and l am on hand to do so.
We say that this is right, others say that
it is wrong. As was observed by Elder
Amasa NJ. Lyman in his remarks here,
we dare do a great many things, and leave
the result in the hands of God; for He
rules and overrules, guides and dictates,
and controls the acts of the children of
men and He does so in q very different
way from what they wish at many times.
We dare defend ourselves against the
attacks of thieves and robbers; we dare
preach the truth we dare baptize people
into the Kingdom of God-into the house
hold of faith we dare teach them the
principles of life and salvation, though
all hell may growl and roar, and threaten
and vomit forth its dark insinuations. God
will exalt the just, and the wicked and
the ungodly will fail to maintain them
selves in their wickedness. We dare do
all this we dare tell the world that Jo-
seph Smith was q man of Coda prophet
of the Lord-when he was here in the
Aesh-that he is now a man of God, and
still a prophet of the Most High. The
holy priesthood was delivered TO him, and
he delivered it to others, in which priest
hood we have greatly rejoiced. That this
is true, We are my witnesses. This congre-
cation knows whether "Mormonism is
true or not; they know it by the power of
God; they know it, not merely because
some man has said so, but they know it by
the revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ.
l have taken this opportunity on this
occasion to say what I have relating to the
! killing Of Mr.. Brassield for entering the
house of one of the saints and stealing
away his wife. Were I absent from my
home, l would rejoice to know that I had
friends there to protect and guard the viz
tue of my household, and I would thank
God for such friends.
We are still in existence as a people /;
still living and doing. We are constantly
being told that we shall not live; ye, still
we live. When Brother Kimball and
myself were aptized they gave sixmonths
for aMormonism" TO live; it lived out the
six months and spreadand grew, and pros
pered in our hands. They have given us
thirty days and sixty days, and siImonths,
and q year and two years, &C. to see the
destruction of HMormonism; still it grows
and fourishes. It has been said in this
city, 'in sixty days your leader Brigham
Young, will be in our hands The sixty
days passed. 1t was then said that in
ninety days the .tarch deceiver would be
sure to fall into their hands, be taken cap
tive, and be punished for his crimes.
That period also passed, and Brigham
Young still lives, and through the
blessings of the Lord he is going to
live; and this people will live, and spread
abroad, and inherit the valleys of the
mountains, and they'wilI go forth and in
herit other valleys; and in a little while