Key:
<angled brackets> = word(s) added in original
strikeout = word(s) crossed out in original
[brackets] = included to point out misspelled words [sic] or for clarification; some of the misspelled words may be typographical

I purpose to speak upon A subject that does not imediatly [immediately] consern [concern] yours or my wellfare.

I expect <in> my remarks <I shall> shall allude to things that you search after as being absolut[e]ly necessary for salvation in the kingdom of God. It is true if you are faithful, and diligent they are things that will be fully made known to you in due time--at the proper time, according to the will of the Lord. But so many of <among> us are preaching, lecturing, contemplating upon, and conversing about things away beyond our reach, sometimes I wish to gratify the people by speaking upon these subjects; for I think upon them as well as you; I meditate upon the future and the passed as well as you, and I now gratify myself by gratifying the people.

In the first place, I wish to say to all men and women who beleive [believe] in the Lord Jesus Christ, ---- in the Holy Bible, which contains <and in the> revelations that have been given at sunndery [sic] times from the days of Adam to the present, I request that I may have your faith and pray[e]rs united with mine that whatever the Lord is pleased to give to the Latter Day Saints through your humble servant this afternoon, he may give it, and that he does not w<h>ish to give he may retain, and keep from you. I make this request of the saints for this reason; I know by my experience, by the visions of eternity that God does reveals things to individuals that does not belong to the Church at larg[e] at present, or that does not <yet> belong to the Mass. That I know.

I know It is natural for the people to disire [desire] that which is not benificial [sic] to them. It is so in temporal things, and it is so in things that spiritual. That I know.

Again, I know the Lord blesses his people with temporal things in abundance, and wishes to bless them with knowledge and understanding that is not for the world of mankind who do not beleive in him. That I <also> know.

I may say things this afternoon that does not belong to the world. What if I do? I know the Lord is able to close up every mans <persons> mind who have eyes but see not, hearts but do not understand; so I may say what I please with regard to the kingdom of God on <the> earth, for there is a vail over the wicked that they cannot understand the things which are for their peace.

Jesus said at one time, "It is not meet to take the childeren's bread and give it to the dogs." This saying applies to all the disspensations that has been brought forth to the childeren of men from the days of Adam until now.

I wish the congregation to understand in connection with my sayings thus far, that the Latter Day Saints beleive in God the Father, in Jesus Christ his son, and in the Holy Ghost God's minister, and in the Celestial law, or, in other words, the ordinances of the house of God, which, if obeyed, are callculated to save intellegent beings, exalt them, and bring them back into the presense [sic] of their God.

I will tell you what I beleive still further than this, though I do not pretend to say that the items of docterin [doctrine], and ideas I shall advance are necessary for the people to know, or that they should give themselves any trouble about them whatever. I beleive in the eternities of worlds, saints, angels, kingdoms, and Gods: In eternity without beginning. I beleive the Gods never had a beginning, and that the <neither the> formation of matter never had a beginning, and <it> is without end; but <it> will endure in one eternal round, swim[m]ing in space, basking, living, and moving in the midst of eternity. All the creations are in the midst of eternity, and that is one eternity, and <so> they move in one eternal round.

Consequently, when you hear philosopher's argue the point how the first God came, how intellegence came, how worlds came, and how angels came, they are taking about that which is beyond their conception; about that which never was, and never will be worlds without end. It manifests their folly. It shows they know nothing <of such matters>; and if they do know some things they have a right to know, there are things they have no right to know, this applies to all classes of mankind.

These are my veiws [views] with regard to the Gods, and eternities. Do you wish I should perticularise [sic]?

Then, can you by any process of reasoning or argument, tell whether it was an apple that bore the first seed of an apple, or an <apple> seed that was <made> the first Apple? Or, whether it was the seed of A squash that made the first Squash, or A squash that made <bore> the first Squash seed? Such abstruse questions belong to the philosohpy [sic] of the world; in reality there never was <and never will be> A time when there was not both the apple, and the Apple seed.

Now, I wish to proceed a little further. (You must be patient with me, as I am not well enough to preach to such A large congregation in the open air, and labor on word without sessation [sic]; you must allow me to take my own time.) I will proceed a little further with my preliminaries before I commence my subject. Inasmuch as I have taken the ground, that there never was a begginning, nor end, I wish to say further; there is an eternity of elements, and <and> eternity of space, and there is no space without a kingdom; neither is there any kingdom without a space. Were the best mathimatician [sic] to multiply figures from the time he first commenced to lean at five or ten years of age, until he is one hundered [hundred] <years old,> or until he has exhausted the capacity of figures none to man, he can, then tell no more about the number of the creations of God <in comparison> than a mere child who knows nothing whatever of figures. There is no <no beginning, no> end; there is no bounds, no time, but it is one endless <when> eternity. the elements will cease to be organized into bodies with all the variety you have a faint specimen of on this earth.

there are philosophers who beleive that this earth upon which we stand has been in existance for millions or ages. I wish to advance a few items that will open the minds of these philosophers, that they may be like well instructed scribes who treasure up in their hearts the mysteries of the kingdom of God, the principles of eternity. Those who wish to be taught eternal principles, and become true philosophers their minds can reach forth into the unlimited feilds [fields] of eternity and <still> discover no end to the boundless expanse, and to it its fullness.

There is no necessity of creating a world like this and and keeping it in one <unalterable> state or condition for the express purpose of bringing intelligent beings upon it, while there is an eternity of matter yet to be organised; and when we have lived as long as the best of <mathimaticians among> you can figure by millions, Billions, Trillions, etc, and <when> exhausted all your wisdom and knowledge, and figures you are then in the midst of eternity where you began.

A true philosopher wishes to grow, and increase continually; he wishes his mind to expand and reach forth, and <until> he will <can> think as God thinks; as angels think, and he will behold things as God beholds them.

You recol[l]ect I told you in the commencement, I should talk about things that did not perticularly concern you and me; but the people want to hear something in advance [of] their present knowledge; they want to find out if there is any thing more for us to learn. When you have lived through eternities to come, and learning continually, you may then inquire, "Bro. Brigham, is there anything more for me to learn." My reply to such an inquiry would be, yes there is an eternity of knowle[d]ge yet to learn.

Search after wisdom, and get knowle[d]ge, and understanding, and forget it not; and be not like the foll [fool] whose eyes are in the ends of the earth, or like the misers who are arround us here; they are craving, and ancious [anxious] after property, that if they save a piciyune [picayune] on the wall op[p]osite to me <there,> they would run over forty dollars to secure that piciyune; their eyes are on earthly riches to the neglect of riches that are more induring [enduring].

There are a great many persons who are so ancious to learn about eternity, Gods, Angels, heavens, and hells, that they neglect to learn the first lessons preparitory to learning the things they are reaching after. They will come short of them.

I wish to speak a few words about the bible as I have hinted at it. The ordinances of the kingdom of God on <the> earth are the same to the childeren [children] of Adam from the commencement to the end of his posterity pertain[in]g to the carnal state of this earth, and the winding up scene of this mortality. With regard to the Bible we freq[u]ently say, We believe the Bible, but sercumstances [circumstances] alter cases, for what is now required of the <people,> may not be required of a people that may live a hundered [hundred] years hence. But I wish you to understand, with regard to the ordinances of God[']s house, to save the people in the Celestial kingdom of <our> God, there is no change from the days of Adam to the present time, neither will there be until the last of his posterity is gathered into the the Kingdom of God.

Those who are not a[c]quainted with our docterine [doctrine] are asstonished, and say, "that is strang[e] indeed; we th[ought] it was not no such thing as preaching faith, repentance, and baptisam [baptism] was practised in antient [ancient], or old testament times." I can tell you that no man from the days of Adam, no woman from the days of Eve to this day, who have lived, and who are now living upon the earth will go into the kingdom of their father and God, to be crowned with Jesus Christ, without passing the same ordinances of the house of God, you and I have obeyed. I wish you disstinctly to understand that.

There are many duties, and callings spoken in the scriptures, and there are many not written, those <for instance> which are handed out to you by your presedent [president] as sercumstances require. Those handed out <imposed> by the presedent of the Church of God, or <by the presedent > of any portion of it, are duties [as] necessary to be observed as though they were written in the bible; but these requirements, duties, callings etc. [change] with the sercumstances that sur[r]ound the people of God. But when you come speak of the system of salvation to bring back the children of Adam and Eve into the presense [presence] of our father and God, it is the smae [same] in all ages, among all people, and under all sercumstances worlds without end Amen.

I think these preleminaries [sic] will satisfy me, and I feel prepared to take my text; it is the words of the Apostles, <Jesus Christ,> but where they are in the bible I cannot tell you now, for I have not taken pains to look at them. I have had as much to do, that I have not read the bible for many years. I used to be a bible student; I used to read and study it, but did not understand the spirit and meaning of it, I knew well enough how it read. I have read the Book of Mormon, the Book of Doc. [and] Cove. and other revelations of God which has given to his people; <in latter times> I look at them and contrast the spirit and power of them with my faithfulness. My clerks know how much time I have to read, it is difficult for me to snatch time enough <even> to eat my breakfast and supper, to say nothing of reading. I tell you my text is in the bible and reads as follows. "This is eternal life

"And" This is <life> eternal, life that they might know thee the only ture [true] God, and Je[s]us Christ whome [whom] thou hast sent." I will now put another text with that this and then after a few remarks, it is one of the sayings of the Apostle Paul. "For though there be that are called Gods, whether in heaven, or in earth (as there be Gods many and Lords many) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whome are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." This God is the father <of> our Lord Jesus Christ and the father of our spirits. I feel inclined here to make a little scripture. (were I under the necessity of making scripture extensively I should get Bro. Heber C. Kimball to make it, and then I would quote it. I have seen him do this when <any of> the Elerders [Elders] have been pressed by their opponants [sic], and were a little at a loss; he would make a scripture for them to suite the case, that never was in the bible, though none the less true, and make their opponants swallow it as the words of Paul, Christ, <an apostle> or some <one> of the Prophets. The Elder would then say, "Please turn to that scripture, <gentlemen> and read it for yourselves." No they could not turn to it but they recol[l]ected it like the devil for fear of being caught.) I will venture to make a little. scripture This God is the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ just <precisely> as he is our father varying from mortality to immortality, from curupable [sic] to incurupable [sic], and that is all the difference. He is the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, both body and spirit; and he is the father of our spirits, and the father of our bodies flesh in the beginning. You will not disspute the words of the Apostle, that he is actually the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the father of our spirits. You may add these words to it, or let it alone, it is all the same to me, that he is not only the father of our spirits, but also of our flesh, he being the founder of that natural machinary though which we have <all> obtained our bodies.

Do you wish me to simplify it? Could you have a father without having a grandfather; or a grandfather without having a great grandfather? I never heard of one sercumstance that varied from this rule, and that was a son of the emerald isle who said he was horn [born] of one of his Aunts. Does this unlock to your understandings how the Lord Almighty is our natural father; he set the great machine to working. If you cannot see this truth now, you will if your are faithful, and patient.

I will now quote another scripture. "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before ap[p]ointed, and the bounds of their habitations." From these words we understand that God has made of one blood all the inhabitants that are upon the earth, that has been, <and> or that will be in the future will be of the same blood as those that have been. Do you beleive [sic] that scripture? I do with all my heart. I beleive we are all of one flesh, blood, and bones. We are made of the same <matter>, --- the same elements, --- we have sprung from one mother earth. Matter was brought together from the vast eternity of it that exists, and this tiny sherma upon which we stand was organised, then comes the world of mankind, the beasts, fishes, fowels [fowls], and every living thing to dwell upon the earth after its kind; and vegetation of every kind to sup[p]ort <the> animal life upon <it,> the earth, until the organisation of this world was perfected in all its variety; being brought from the eternity of matter, and prepared for intellegent beings to dwell upon, wherein to prepare themselves to dwell eternally in the presence of their father and God. Those who keep this their second estate, and do honer to their being, and full answer the disign [design] of their creation, shall be exalted to inhabit the earth, and live upon it when it shall be Celestial, and brought back into the presense of God, there to dwell forever and ever.

Before I proceed any further, I will ask a question And I would like you men, and women of intellegence to understand and watch well, to see if I keep the thread of truth,--whether I preach to you according to the law, and the testemony,--according to the words of the prophets, of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, and according to the words of Angels. Mark <ye> well my sayings, and <see> if you can pick any flaw in them. If you <think you can> do <so,> then when you come to the proper place to be corrected, you may then receive instructions that will do you good. The question I wish to ask is simply this;--and I put it to all the Elders of Isreal [Israel], and to all <the> men <and women> of intellegence in Isreal [Israel] which pertains to the kingdom of God on earth; and if the whole world were before me I would ask them the same question. Can any man, or set of men officiate in disspensing the laws, and administering the ordences [ordinances] of the kingdom of God, or of the kingdoms and governments of the world legal[l]y, without first obeying those laws, and submitting to those ordenances [ordinances] themselves. Do you understand me? If a for[e]igner wishes to become a Citizen of the United States he must first become subject to this government; must you not first acknowlege and obey the laws of this government? Certainly you must Then, to apply this to the kingdom of God on earth, and ask yourselves if any man has the power, the influence[,] the right, the authority, to go forth and preach this gospel, and baptise for the remission of sins unless he himself has, in the first place, been baptised, ordained and legaly called to that office? What would the Elders of Isreal <and every other sensable man> say to this? They would all dicide [decide] at once with me, and, <that> say, no man can lawfully officiate in any office he in the kingdom of God, or in the governments of men, he has not been called to, and the authority of which has not been bestowed upon him. I am not going to talk a thousand things to you, but I wish to tell you a few, and disire [desire] you to understand them, and connect them together.

There are a few more questions I would like to ask, for the simple reason of bringing the minds of the people to bear upon certian [certain] items of principle, and the philosophy of the Kingdom of God on earth, that they may know how heavenly things are. But I will pass on, and notice some of the texts I have quoted. Before I proceed, however, I will put one more question, at the same time I wish you bear in mind the one I have just asked,--do not forget the [that] no man has authority to officiate in the ordenances [ordinances] of heavenly or earthly governments only so far has [as] he has obeyed then [them] himself. Now to know the only wise God and Jesus Christ whome he has sent, will put the man, woman[,] congregation, or nation in possession of eternal life. Are the hearts of the Latter day Saints prepared to have eternal life given to <them> in Mass, and say there shall be no more Apostacy, but bring them all up that they <may> know and understand the Gods, eternities[,] creations, heavens, hells, kingdoms, thrones, principalities, <and> powers? It cannot be done. The sheep and goats are together; the wheat and the tares are growing together; the good and the bad are mixed; and they must so remain until the time when Jesus Christ will say, "gather my sheep into my fold; gather my wheat into my garner, and let the tares, and chaff, and Stubble be burned. This is not yet.

Now if you beleive what you have heard me say you will beleive there is Lords many, and Gods many; and you will beleive that unto us, the inhabitants of this earth there is but one God with whome we have to do; and according to the tenner [sic] of the bible, we beleive there are many very many who have entered into might power, glory, might, and dominion, and are gathering arround them throwns [thrones] and have power to organise elements, and make worlds, and bring into existance intellegent beings in all their variety, who if they are faithful and obedient to their calling will and creation will in their turn be exalted in eternal kingdoms of the Gods. Do you beleive that? You and I have only one God to whome we are accountable, so we will let the rest alone, and search after the one we have to do with; let us seek dillegently after him, the very being who commenced this creation. (asked blessing on bread)

We will now make our inquiries with regard to our possition with the God with whome we have to do. You will please recollect all ye Elders in Isreal [Israel], for I want you to be instructed by my remarkes, that you may not fall into errors, that you have tested the question in your own minds with regard to the rights of officiating in ordenances. Now I wish to ask you if you have any conception or Idea as to the creation of the world? "O yes." you repply. "A great many of us have a tolerable idea of it, but still there are mysteries we do not understand; there are some things in the bible about the creation that seem to be dark: we have learned some things in this kingdom we do not understand, and that do not correspond with the reading of the bible." Let me open the eyes of your understanding.

There has never been a time when the creations of worlds commenced, they are from eternity to eternity in their creations and redem[p]tion. After they are organised they experience the good and evil; the light, and the dark, the bitter and the sweet, as you and me do. There never was a time when there were not worlds in existence as this world is, and they pass through similar changes in abiding their creation preparetory to exaltation. Worlds have always been in progress, and eternally will be.

Every world has had an Adam, and an Eve: named so, simply because the first man is always called Adam, and the first woman Eve; and the oldest son has always had the privilege of being ordained, appointed, and called to be the heir of the family, if he does not rebell against the father, and he is the saviour of that family. Every world that has been created, has been created upon the same principle. They may vary in their varieties, yet the eternity is one; it is one eternal round. These are things that scarcely belong to the best of this congregation. There are items of docterine, with and principles, in the bosome [bosom] of eternity that the best of the Latter Day Saints are unworthy to receive. If the visions of their minds were opened to look unto the vast creations, and gaze upon the power, and glory, and goodness, and exaltation of the Gods they would exclaim; "wo is me I am undone I am of unclean lips."

But we will look at it a little. Do any of you know anything about the creation of this world? "O yes, we understand A good deal about it from the account given in the bible." So you read in the bible of there being three persons in one God; many religionists in the world beleive [believe]in A three one God, however, I do not wish to spend time now to diliberate upon the notions adopted by the sectarians, the world is full of them. There are Lords many and Gods many according to the bible; it does not contradict the docterine, neither can you find a single passage that does away with that idea. But let us turn our attention to the God with which we have to do. I tell you simply, he his [is] our father; the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the father of our spirits. Can that be possable [possible]? Yes, it is possable, he is the father of all the spirits of the human family.

All things are first made spiritual, and brought forth into his kingdom. The spirits of all the human family were born of <begotten by> one father. Now be watchful, for if I have time, and feel able, I shall communicate something in connection with this you are not expecting. Yes, every son and daughter of Adam according to the flesh can claim one parentage; the heathen, and the christian, the jew and the gentile, the high and the low, the king and the beggar, the black and the white, all who have sprung from Adam and Eve have one father. "Then you make it out we are bretheren and sisters." Certainly for the whole human family are made of one blood; - <of> the same material; they are all begotten and brought forth by one parentage, and from one generation to another they are of one flesh and blood, and of one kindered. The God and father [of] our Lord Jesus Christ is the father of our spirits.

I began at the end, and shall probably finish at the beginning of my disscourse; but it is no matter which end a man begins at, for the first shall be last, and the last first; which proves it is one eternal round;- it is <one> eternity. Elohim looks round upon the eternity of matter, and said to his associates, and those that he was pleased to call upon at that time for his counselors, with regard to the elements worlds, plannets, kingdoms and throwns [thrones]; said he, "Yahovah Michael, see that eternal matter on all sides, this way and that way; we have already created worlds upon worlds, shall we create another world? Yes, go and orgaise [sic] the Elements yonder in space;" not empty space for there is no such thing, once in a while, earth quakes, and the extensive desstruction of combustible matter by fire will come nigh making empty space for perhaps the millionth part of a second. "Yahovah Micheal [Michael] go and create a world, make it, organise it, form it; and then put upon it every thing in all the variety that you have see[n], that you have been in the habit of being associated with in other worlds, of beasts, birds, fowels [fowls], fish, and every insect, and creeping thing," and final[l]y, the whole eternity of element is full of life, bring it together and make of it living creatures." Yahovah Micheal

Yahovah Micheal [Michael] goes and does as he is told. What I am now going to tell you, will no doubt asstonish the whole of you. When Yahovah Micheal [Michael] had organised the world, and brought from another kingdom the beasts[,] fish, fowel [fowl], and insects, and every tree, and plant with which we are a[c]quainted, and thousands that we never saw, when he had filled the earth with life animal and vegetable life, Micheal [Michael] <or Adam> goes down to the new made world, and there he stays. Do you suppose he went there alone.[?] Moses made the Lord bible to say his wife was taken out of his side,-- was made of one of his ribs. I do not know but anything to the conterary [contrary] of my ribs being equel [equal] on both sides. The Lord knows if I had lost a ribb for each wife I have, I should have <had> none left long ago. Some try to say how many wives the Governor of Utah has, got but if they can tell, they know can tell more than I can, for I do not know how many I have; I have not counted them up for many years. I did not know how many I had before I left the United States I had so may. I heard that I had nin[e]ty. why bless your souls nin[e]ty is not a beginning. You might ask me if I have ever seen them all; I answer no; I see a few of them I pick up myself here. I have lots, and scores I have <I> never seen nor shall not until the morning of the resurrection.

Now about the ribb. As for the Lord taking A ribb out of Adam[']s side to make a woman of, he took one out of my side just as much. Would

"But," brother Brigham, "would you make it appear that Moses did not tell you the truth"?

No not A partical [particle] more than I would that your Mother did not tell the truth, when she told you that little billy came from a hollow toad stool. I would not accuse your Mother of lieing [lying], any more than I would Moses; the people in the days of Moses wanted to know things that was not for them, the same as your children do, when they want to know where their little brother came from, and he answered them according to their folly, the same as you did your childeren.

Now some will be ready to say, "We always heard these Mormons did not beleive [believe] the bible." I beleive all the truth that is there and that is enough for me, and for you to beleive.

"Then the Lord did not make Adam out of the dust of the earth."

Yes he did, but I have not got to that part of my disscourse yet. Adam was made of the dust of the earth.

"Was he made of the dust of this earth."

No but of the dust of the earth where on he was born in the flesh, that is the was [way] he was made, he was made of dust.

"Did the Lord put into him his spirit.[?]"

Yes, as the Lord put into you, your spirit, he was begotten of a father, and brought forth as you and I were; and so are all intellegent beings brought forth from eternity to eternity. Man was not mad[e] the same as you make an adobe to put in a wall.

Moses said Adam was made of the dust of the ground, but he did not say of what ground. I say he was not made of the dust of the ground of this earth, but he was made of the dust of the earth were he lived, where he honered his calling, beleiving in his saviour, or elder brother, and by his faithfulness, was redeemed, and got a glorious ressurection. All creatures that dwell upon this earth are made of the elements that compose it; which are organised to see if they will abide their creation, and be counted worthy to receive a resurrection.

"What every flesh.[?]"

Yes every flesh, for all flesh pertaining to this world is made of the dust of this earth; it is all made from the same material, according to the will and pleasure of him who dictates all things. Our bodies are composed of the same material that composes this earth; they are composed of the water, air, and solid earth, either of which will resolve back into to their native fountain.

How many elements are there I do not know anymore than you. They have never all been classified by science, though scientific gentlemen have tried to do it.

I tell you more, Adam was <is> the father of our spirits. He lived upon an earth; he did abide his creation, and did honor his calling and preisthood [priesthood], and obeyed his master or Lord, and probably many of his wives did also <the same>, and they lived, and died upon an earth, and <then> were resurrected again to immortality and eternal life.

"Did he resurrect himself," you inquire. I want to throw out a few hints upon the ressurection as it seems to come within the cirket [circuit] of my remarks <ideas> wheither [whether] it ought to come within the cirket of my remarks or not. I beleive we have already accknowleged the truth esstablished that no person can officiate in any office he has not entered into been subject to himself and <been> legal[l]y ap[p]ointed to fill. That no person in this kingdom can officiated in any office ordenance [ordinance] he himself has not obeyed; consequently no being who has not been ressurrected possesses the keys of the power or ressurrection. That you have been told often. Adam therefore was resurrected by some one who had been resurrected.

I will to a little further with this lest some of you will be quer[y]ing, doubting, and philosophising this away. It is true, Jesus said "I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." I do not doubt the power of Christ; but did he prove that in his resurrection? No. But it is proved that an angel came and rol[l]ed away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, and did resserect [resurrect] the body of the son of God.

"What Angel was this.[?]"

It is no for me to say. I do not know him. If I ever did know him it is so long since I have entirely forgotten who it was. <That> Jesus had power to lay down his life. and <power to> take it up again I do not disspute. neither do I disspute, but what an Angel came, that was sent by the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to role away the stone from the sepulchre, and resurrect the son of God. Suffice it to say that he was some charracter who had himself been ressurrected.

"Is there any further proof with regard to <this> sacred order of the kingdom of God on the earth.[?]"

O yes, you can find it in all the scriptures. For instance when the saviour ap[p]eared to Paul of Tarsus, on the road, in answer to the question, "<Lord> what will thou have me do," he was told to go into the City, <of Damascus> and it should be told him <there> what to do. In the mean [time] one Ananies was sent to him, who baptised and ordained him. Jesus would not do this, because he had servants on earth whose <special> duty it was to attend to <administer> these ordenances.

Again the Angel that appeared to Cornelious would not opperated in the ordenances of the Gospel, but told him to send men to Joppa to the house of on[e] Simon the Tanner, and call for one Peter etc. whose duty it was to do it, he being called and ordained to that power. Many more instances of this kind might be quoted but the above will suffice to illusterate [illustrate] the principle.

Now, many inquiries will be made about the saviour such as, Who is he? Is he the Father of Adam? Is he the God of Adam? When Christ has finished his labor and presented it to his father, then he, Adam will receive A fullness. That is all easily understood by me. He cannot rec[e]ive a fullness of the kingdoms he has organised until they are completed. If he sends his servants off to the right and to the left to perform a certian [certain] labor his kingdom is not complete, until his ministers have accomplished every thing to make his kingdom complete and returned home again.

Many inquire who is this saviour? I will tell you what I think about it, and what the revelations say as the [Southerners] say I re[c]kon, and as the Yankys [Yankees] say I guess; but I will tell you what I reakon [reckon]. I reakon that father Adam was a ressurrected being, with his wives and posterity, and in the Celestial kingdom they wer[e] crowed with glory immortality and eternal lives, with throwns [thrones,] principalities and powers: and it was said to him it is your right to organise the elements; and to your creations and posterity there shall be no end, but you shall add kingdom to kingdom, <and> thrown [throne] to thrown [throne]; and still behold the vast eternity of unorganised matter. Adam then was a ressurected being; and I reakon, Our spirits and the spirits of all the human family were begotten by Adam, and born of Eve.

"How are we going to know this?["]

I reakon [reckon] it. And I reakon that Adam came into the Garden of Eden, and did actual[l]y eat of the fruit that he, himself planted; and I reakon there was a previous understanding, and the whole plan was previously callculated, before the Garden of Eden was made, that he would reduce his posterity to sin, missery, darkness, wickedness, wreatchedness, and to the power of the devil, that they might be prepared, for an exaltation, for without this they could not receive one.

I reakon that all things were first made spiritual perparitory [preparatory] to the natural organisation. "What was the use of all this could not spirits be happy"? Yes as far as they could. These Indians that roam upon the plains, and upon the mountains are comparatively happy because in their degraded condition, because they do not know the comforts of civilised life. They can lay upon the ground pull up sage brush to form a temporery [temporary] sheild [shield] against the cold, and get plenty of lizards, and crickets to eat, and they are happy. We would want a comfortable house to live in and something comfortable to eat; something that is suited to our nature, ability, taste, and ap[p]etite. We would not be happy and satisfied without <short of> that. So our spirits are as happy as they know how to be. Were you now to live without a house you could not be happy; neither could the spirit be happy without a tabernacle which is the house of the spirit. Whe[n] the spirit enters the body it is pure, and good, and if the body would be subject to the spirit it would always be taught to do the will of the father in heaven. <But> the spirit is interwoven with the flesh and blood; it is subjected to the body, consequently satan has power over both. I reakon [reckon] the Father has been through all this.

Do you recol[l]ect what I told the bretheren who came accross the plains this season, when they wer[e] perplexed by their oxens [oxen]; and were calling upon God to give you grace to perform the labor which lay before you, he could not sympathise with you, or know the nature of your trials if he had not passed through the same himself. He knew just as much about crossing the plains, and the trials connected with it as any of us.

The inquiry will arise, among those who are strenious [strenuous], and tenacious for the account given by Mosses [Moses], as to Adam.

"Did not Adam die.[?]"

Yes he died.

"Does <not> the Bible say he died.[?]"

I do not know nor care, but I think it would be hard <I think> to find the account of his death in the bible. <where he died; or where Moses died>

[Reporters note. Gen. 5 chap 5 v And all the days that Adam lived were 930 years: and he died. Deut 24 Chp. 5 v. Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a Valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor; but no man knoweth of his s[e]pulchre to this day.)]

though I have no doubt masses [Moses] died, and Adam also; have [how]? Just as you and I have to die, and be laid away in the bowels of Mother earth; that, however, Moses did not see fit to tell us.

Adam planted the Garden of Eden, and <and he with his wife Eve> partook of the fruit of this earth, until their systems were charged with the nature of earth, and then they could begget bodies, for their spiritual childeren. If the spirit does not enter into the embrio [embryo] man that is forming in the womb of the woman, the result will be faulse [false] conception. A living intellegent being cannot be produced. Adam and Eve begot the first mortal bodies on this earth, and from that commencement every spirit that was ever beggotten in eternity for this earth will enter bodies thus prepared for them here, until the winding up scene, and that will not be until the last <of these> spirits enters an earthly tabernacle.

Then I reakon that the children of Adam and Eve married each other; this is speaking to the point. I beleive [believe] in Sisters marrying brothers, and brothers haveing their sisters for Wives. Why? because we cannot do otherwise. There are none others for me to marry but my sisters.

"But yo[u would] not pretend to say you would marry your father, and mother[']s daughter."

If I did not I would marry another of my sisters that lives over in another Garden; the material of which they are organised is just the same; there is no difference between them, and those who live in this garden. The <Our> spirits are all brothers and sisters, and so are our bodies; and the op[p]osite idea to this has resulted from the ignorant, and follish [foolish] traditions of the nations of the earth. They have corrupted themselves with each other, and I want them to understand that they have currupted [corrupted] their own flesh, blood, and bones; for they are of the same flesh, blood, and bones, of <us> all the family of the earth.

I am ap[p]roaching the subject of our marriage relations Bro. Hyde Lectured upon, but I shall not have time, or strength to say much about this. But, I reakon that Father Adam, and mother Eve had the childeren of the human family prepared to come here and take bodies; and when they come to take bodies, they enter into the bodies prepared for them; and that body gets an exaltation with the spirit, when they are prepared to be crowned in father[']s kingdom.

"What, into Adam[']s kingdom"?

Yes.

As to my talking what I want to say at this time I shall not do it. I am exhausting myself; I have to speak loud, and it is hard labor.

I tell you, when you see your father Adam in the heavens, you will see Adam; when you see your Mother that bear [bore] your spirit, you will see mother Eve. And when you see yourselves there you have gained your exaltation; you have honered [honored] your calling here on the earth; your body has returned to its mother earth; and somebody has broken the chains of death that bound you, and given you a ressurection.

How are you going to get your ressurection? You will get it by the presedent [president] of the resur[r]ection pertaining to this generation, and that is Joseph Smith Jun Hear it all ye ends of the earth; if ever you enter into the kingdom of God it is because Joseph Smith let you go there. This will apply to Jews and Gentiles, to the bond, and free; to fr[i]ends and foes; no man or woman in this generation will get a resurrection and be crowned without Joseph Smith says so. The man who was myrtered [martyred] in Carthage Jail State of Illinoi[s] holds the keys of life and death to this generation. He is the presedent [president] of the resurrection of <in> this generation disspensation. and he will be the first to rise from the dead. When he has passed through it, then I reakon the keys of the ressurrection will be committed to him. Then he will call up his Apostles. You know I told you last conference I was a Apostle of Joseph Smith; And if faithful enough I expect Joseph will resurrect the Apostles; and when they have passed through the change, and received their blessings, I expect he will committ to them the keys of the ressurrection, and they will go on resurrecting the Saints, every man in his own order.

I want to say a little more about marriage relations, so that you may understand what my veiws [views] are. When you get your ressurrection, you are not yet exalted, but, by and by, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, the Saviour of the world, the heir of the family, when he has put down satan, and disstroyed death, then he will say, come let us go home into the presence of the father. What will become of the

What will become of the world then? It will be baptised with fire. I[t] has been baptised with water, and it will then be cleansed by fire, and become like a sea of glass, and be made Celestial; and Jesus Christ our Elder brother will take the whole earth, with all the saints and go with them to the father even to Adam; and you will continue to receive more and more intellegence, glory, exaltation, and power.

I want to tell you a thing with regard to parents, wives, Brothers and Sisters etc. The time will come when it will be told where this man, and that woman shall be placed; The real blood of Joseph will be selected out from among the tribes of Isreal [Israel], and every man, and woman will be put in their places, and stand in their order when the Lord dessihns [designs] them to be. When you get back into the presence of God, and the Lord should say who have you got <brought> with you? Your reply would be, my wife and childeren; but in reality you have only got with you your brothers and Sisters. The father would say, "these are my childeren. <When> You meet your father in heaven you will know him, and realise that you have lived with him, and rested in his bosome [bosom] for ages gone passed, and he will hail you as his sons and daughters, and embrace you, and you will embrace him, and halillula [sic] thank God I have got come to father again, I have got back home, will resound through the heavens. There are ten thousand things connected <connected> with these ideas. You see the human family of every coulor, and shade of couler [color] between black and white. I could stand here and tell you what I reakon [reckon] but it would take an age for me to tell you all there is about it.

We have all come from one father even Adam, both the black and the white, the grisseled [sic] and the gray; the noble, and ignoble; and the time will come, when they will all come back again into his presence. When they have behaved themselves, and proved faithful to their calling, and to their God the curse will be removed, from every class, and nation of men that disires to work the work of God. It has been told you that saviours would come upon Mount Zion, and judge the mount of Esau. Let me read <it> for to you, There shall saviours come upon Mount Zion, and Save the Mount of Esau. What does gentile signify? Dissobedience. What does Isreal [Israel] signify? Obedience. What is the name of the first man Adam, which signifies first man, and Eve signifies first woman. And when Micheal [Michael] the arch Angel shall sound his trump and the Antient [Ancient] of Days shall come, all things that we have once been familiar with will come back again to our memory.

In our marriage relations here we are marrying our brothers, and our Sisters. As to a man having more wives than one, this is startling indeed to the traditions of of the people. With regard to it being the law of the Lord for a man to have only one wife, or for a man to have no wife it is no such thing, all that rests in the traditions of the people, and in the doings of legelative [legislative] bodies; that is all there is about wives in the world as to these having many or none. It is curruption for men to deny the truth; for men to work iniquity; to defile themselves, and to betray the innocent.

If there are any of my freinds [friends] who do not belong to the church here, I want to tell you one thing. I will take all the sin there is before God and Angels in men having one wife, way over my shoulders two wives, ten, or fifty wives, that will use them well, upon my shoulders, if they will accknowlege them, sup[p]ort them, raise childeren by them, and bring them up as well as they know how; I say I will take all the sins there is in this, of the whole of the Latter Day Saints, and place them with one sin of your poor devels [devils], who when you were young men courted that poor innocent girl, and made here beleive you would marry her, then got her in the family way and left her to the wide world, you poor curses. This one sin of your[s] will weigh down all the sins of the Latter day saints together, and go down about enough for you to be damned in the bottomless pit; while the elders of Isreal will be exalted among the Gods. There are scores and hundereds, and thousands of these poor girls upon the streets of the Cities of the United States.

Why Gevernor [Governor] did you ever see any of them?

Yes lots of them; in that neighborhood, and in the other neighborhood I have found respectable families, where a young mechanic, a merchant, a lawyer, or a farmer, or some other poor miserable wretch fit for nothing but the fire of hell, would insinuate themselves into the family court the daughter, win her affections, desire her, and then forsake her, and then boast of your acheivements and rejoice over your suc[c]ess; but weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you, you poor damned wreatches [sic]. I want to cut their damned throats and I will if I catch any of them doing it here. I should hold myself guilty before God and Angels if I did not sweep the earth of such lo[w] wreatch. I will not ask the Lord to do a dirty trick I would not do myself. Let them prowel [prowl] arround my daughter, and I will slay them, yes, as fast as I can come to them. What more will I do? When I find a young woman caught in this snare, I will take her to my home <house>, and say, you have a home with me and my family.

I only know these iniquities by observation I was never of such sins; the wickedest day I ever saw I would not betray an innocent female, but instead of prostituting them, I would tell them how to do right, and teach them the way of life and salvation, and see them safe in the kingdom of God if they would obey my counsel. But you will take a poor helpless, innocent creature, and lead the unsuspecting victime [victim] nigh to the Alter [Altar] of marriage, and then ruin the innocent lamb you poor cursed gentiles, go and weep, and howel [howl]. In New York alone there is over eighteen hundered [hundred] prostitutes licen[s]ed in that City, to currupt themselves for hell; and I want to tell every man that is going to hell, that it is full of such creatures, so full that their elbows stick out of the windows.

Instead of creating such an awful state of society as this presents, we take to ourselves wives, accknowlege them, raise their childeren, school them, and try to teach them the way of salvation. Let me tell you what they should [do] in the City of New York, that holy, that righteous City, and to other Cities, where there are thousands of licensed house[s] of ill fame, besides thousands of private ones that are not licensed <but go under different appel[l]ations.> they should set fire to every poor filthy debotcher, and collect, the illigetimate childeren, as they are called, that are running in in the streets, and wash them, and school them, and teach them righteousness, and not suffer them to mingle with those that mingle unlawfully together. Also take the women, and wash them clean, and put them to work, at spinning[,] weaving, and at other useful employment in the countery [country]. As they now existe [exist] they want to die they have lost their character, and nothing ap[p]ears in the future for them but a life of wreatchedness of the lowest -------- grade. There are thousands of these poor women who would bless the first person who would kill them. They do not wish to kill themselves, but live they must and dissguise their own <real> feelings.

Let the world cle[a]nse themselves before they talk about Utah; and when they get san[c]tified, and become purer than we are, they may come and give us a few upon purtity [purity]. It is a subject I do not wish to name, but in my remarks I seemed to run on to it, and could not well avoid it.

I wish you to understand well the position I have taken, and the nature of the remarkes I have made. Profit by them, both saints and sinners. You have had things laid before you that does not particularly belong to you the world, not to men and women, who callculate to apostatise. They belong to the wise; to those who are serving God with all their hearts. Now let me say to the wicked in heart, you cannot remember a word of this disscourse unless you remember it in the Lord. I might reveal all there is in eternity, and those who have not their hearts on righteousness would know nothing about it, nor be in the least instructed.

I commenced with father Adam in his resurrected state, noticed our spiritual state, then our temporal, or mortal state, <and> traveled until I got back to father Adam again. After considering all this what have you seen that make it appear we are not bretheren and Sisters. Does it appear that we are not because we are commanded to multiply and replenish the earth? You think when you run back to your <into> grand childeren and great grand childeren etc. that by and by then will be no connection. They are just as much connected in spirit and body, in flesh, and blood, and bone, as your childern are that you bear off your own body.

This is something pertaining to our marriage relation. The whole world will think what an awful thing it is. What an awful thing it would be if the Mormons should just say we beleive [believe] in Marrying brothers and Sisters. Well we shall be under the necessity of doing it, because we cannot find anybody else to marry. The whole world are at the same thing, and will be as long as man exists upon the earth.

I feel as though I had said enough. I have talked long enough for my own good; and we shall bring our conference to a close. If there is anything to be done or [sentence ends here]

Note: This general conference discourse was unpublished in the lifetime of Brigham Young. An edited version has been published in Fred C. Collier, comp. and ed., The Teachings of President Brigham Young Vol. 3, 1852-1854 (Salt Lake City: Collier's Publishing Co., 1987), 343-68 and in The Essential Brigham Young (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1992), 86-103.