The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-04-11


the law of man. whatsoever is more
or lesssthan these, cometh of evil.
Therefore, be not afraid of your
enemies. for I have decreed in my
heart. saith the Lord, that l will
nrOye YOU in all things, whether
Won will abide in my covenant. even
into death, that you may be found
worthy for if you will not abide in
my covenant, We are not worthy of
me. This. as | understand it. is the
law of God unto the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-daY Saints in
ali the world, and the requirement
here made on us must be Obeyed
and observed in our lives in order
that we may secure the fultillment
of the promise made to the children
of Zion. And, saith the Lord, if We
do as | command, then am [ bound,
otherwise is there no promise. The
law of the land which we have no
need to break is the constitutional
law of the land, as God himself de-
fines it and whatsoever is more or
less cometh of evil; and there is no
cause for any member of the church
to be in doubt concerning the
meaning of this. l maintain that
| the members of the church have
ever been loyal, and l maintain that,
having been born on American
soil, and from parents who for
generations have been born on
American soil. have the right to
this opinion and express it and con-
strue it. l ask myself what consti-
tutional law have you broken? and
can reply before this congregation
that never broke any law, l am
amenable TO no punishment, but
have ever sustained the law and
preached righteousness. We are
obliged to be subject TO the powers
that be, but if they pass unjust and
unconstitutional laws and violate
their oathS and break their coVen-
ants and their faith with the peo-
ple there is no law, human or di-
vine, which binds me TO openly and
outwardly proclaim my acceptance
of it, and my firm belief is that the
only way to be sustained by our
Heavenly Father is to follow the
way laid down in holy writ and
obey God, for he has commanded
us. and declared that We will not
be under the necessity of breaking
the law of the land. l wish to
enter nv avowal that the people
called Latter-day Saints, as it has
often been repeated here, are the
most law abiding and long suffer
ing people that can be found on the
face of the globe, and we propose
to meet the consequences of our
obedience to the law and the COM
mandments of God like men. He
read a passage Of revelation given
in 1854, TO be found on page 1854:
Behold l will give unto you a rev.
elatiOn and commandment"
1t is written that the enemies of the
people of God cannot do anything
but what will result in favor of
Zion. Let US see how far the acts
Of the people have gone towards
these words of the Scrip |
ture. When Joseph Smith first /
looked upon the face Of the Father |
and Son IN 1920, until the Book OF |
Mormon was translated and pub |
lished to the world in 1929, the enc |
mics of the prophet did not cease /
for a moment to seek his life, TO |
malign him, TO prescribe him and F.
cast his name out as evil from |
men; and during this period .
Joseph Smith was only a lad just
Il years of age, mere boy, and had
ne vast congregation to cheer him,
to succor aud sustain him; he stood /
alone prosecuted on every hand.
Did they stop this boy from accom-
the mission and purposes
he had been sent to perform? You
know, the world knows that they
did not, either by threats, or at
tempts on his life, or imprisoning /
him, impede his progress. He went |
right on, translated the plates, pub
liShed the Book of Mormon and in /
1890 organized the church. After |
that date did they refrain from their |
their persecution No, /
but as the work began TO spread the
feeling of hatred, persecution and |
animosity became stronger and |
the enemies more numerous. |
The saints went on-built a temple |
in Kirkland, settled in Jackson |
County, in Clay, in Caldwell, in
Davis, founded new colonies and the |
power of the church gained both in |
Oulk and acceleration. The mobs |
drove the people from Missouri, |
robbed them Of their possessions, |
fed them on the flesh of !
their brethren, but, Phenix-
like they rose from the ashes and |
gathered in swarms in Illinois, and !
built temple in Nauvoo costing a
million of dollars. They then be-
came noted for their union 10 pTin- |
ciple and determination TO prosecute |
the PRONUNCIATION and advocacy of
heir principles, and though it was
an incessant season OF suffering and |
turmoil for fourteen years, the work
showed not the least sign of being /
rooted up and being left TO dry in
he sun; it was tTansplanted into
,ieher soil, puTer water and a more
lraeing atmosphere. Finally our
succeeded in taking the life
If the prophet and his brother and
iheddTng the blood OF our honored
PRESIDENT who sits here to-day: II
)nly made the work the stronger.
The bleed of martyrs became the
o~I - l