The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-04-13

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unto death, that you may be fonD99
worthy; for If you will not abide in
my covenant, We are not worthy %
me. This, as l understand it. is tba
law of God unto the Church Of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in
all the world, and the requirement
| here made on US must be obeved
and observed in our lives in order
that we may secure the fulillment
! Of the promise made to the children
of Zion. And, saith the Lord. If va
do as command, then am 1 bound
otherwise is there no promise. The
law of the land which we have M
need to break is the constitutional
law Of the land, as God himself do.
! fines it and whatsoever is more or
less cometh of evil; and there is M
cause for any member of the Church
! to be in doubt concerning the
meaning OF this. l maintain that
he members Of the church have
| tver been lOyal, and 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 1t. | ask myself what consti.
tutiOnal law have you broken and
can reply before this congregation
that | never broke any law, I am
amenabIe 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 PEG.
I pie 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 on
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 my 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 a revelation given
in 1884, to be found on page 364:
Behold l will give unto you rev.
citation 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
multiplying these words of the Scrip
ture. When Joseph Smith first
looked upon the face of the Father
and Son IN $50, 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, 10
malign him, to prescribe him and
cast his name out as evil from
among men; and during this period
Joseph Smith was only a lad Just
14yearS Of age, a mere boy, and had
no vast congregation to cheer him,
to succOr aud sustain him; he stood
alone prosecuted ON every hand.
Did they STOP this boy from accom-
pliShing 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
1880 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
became stronger and
the enemies more numerous.
The saints went On-built 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
Uulk and acceleratiOn. The mObS
drove the people from Missouri,
robbed them of their possessions,
fed them on the flesh OF
their brethren, but, Phoenix
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 to prin-
ciple and determination to prosecute
the PRONUNCIATION and advocacy Of
their principles, and though it was
an lncessant 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
the sun; it was tTansplanted into
richer soil, purer water and a more
atmosphere. Finally our
enemies succeeded in taking the life
1f the prophet and his brother and
shedding the blood OF our hJnOTed
president who sits here to-day; II
only made The work tHe stronger.
rhe blood of martyrs became the
seed Of the church. They urUve US
from our homes in NauvOO. | re-
member the day before we left Nau-
700, that my widowed mother made
/ raft and ferried her children
across the river to Iowa, and while