Sunday Jan 4th 1852
President addressed the assembly & took for his
subject sin & the forgiveness of sin. I speak upon this subject
because we are in the midst of it, it has been among all classes
it has been in our houses in our families & in our hearts and
although it has been a constant companion their is but
few that understand the Nature of sin. Many have made them-
selves miserable thinking they had sined against the Holy
Ghost. others that they had sined a great sin. But what
have the revelations of the Lord said upon these subjects we learn
that Jesus Christ came & took a Body & redeemed the world
but rebelled was cast down without any Body and
He has sought to vex & destroy the children of men. He seeks
diligently to draw all from the right path esspecially if a Saint
tries to follow the track & get whare Jesus was then the devil would
try hard to over throw them. Many have thought they have commi[tted]
much sin when they have not understood the nature & work
of sin. we must understand many principles & arive at much
knowledge before we can fully understand the Nature of sin. The
veil of Darkness is over the Earth so that the inhabitants of the
Earth are so overwhelmed in tradition & darkness they do not
know light from darkness truth from error wright from wrong
or the difference between the dictation of the Holy Spirit or that
conscience which has been framed for them by the dictation
of their mothers & priests. many think far more of the
traditions of their youth than of any principle that God
could reveal from Heaven unto them. their Mothers must
not do any thing on Sunday ^to^ darn a stocking would be a great
sin. sin is one thing & tradition is another. The word of God
revealed will tell what sin is while tradition will not
The Education of the world is good as far as they have any
truth found in any science which they possess But they do not
understand truth as connected with the plan of salvation. I
want the Saints Here to understand that they cannot sin against
God, & Jesus Christ & the priesthood, against his family
& the Saints then come & ask forgiveness of the church
then pass on smoothly & ^think they will^ go to Heaven this is to cheap a way
to get to Heaven. I want this subject riveted on your hearts
if it is not you will not remember it. You must remember your
covenants & the Law of the Lord that is given to us. It is written
that sin is a transgression of the Law whare is it, in the Books
that is given us in the main yet this does not go into all the me-
anderings of life. whare do you find a law that you shall
not drive a team across your Neighbors lot, or go to his Hay
stack or suffer your families to take liberties that you are not
willing should be done to you yet you know it to be wrong. But
do unto others as you wish others to do unto you is the Law & the
prophets. Some men who have been ordained unto the priesthood
& are vary high in Authority will take the Name of God in
vain & sware by this & that does such persons suppose that
that the Church can forgive that sin if you do your hope is vain
they can never forgive that sin. No man can do it none
But God alone & it never will be forgiven untill He does it
the time will come that if a man will take the name of God
in vain He will be hewn down without Judgment or trial
Hear it O ye Elders, for it is time. Let this people
sanctify their Hearts & then take the Name of God in vain
& they will not be forgiven the time will also come
when if the parents are before the Lord & their
children rise up in disobedience against them they will
be hewn down. If you sin against God & take the name
of God in vain if you get forgiveness it will have to be forgiven
by Him & not from man. some think if they are alone
& sware or sin nobody will know it but they will find
themselves mistaken still if a man has to sware let
him be alone if a man damns himself let him be alone
that others may not be polluted by his sin. If you take
the name of God in vain will not forgive ^it,^ for I cannot
if the Lord will forgive you I will forgive you for maring
my feelings by speaking int in my ears the more you
see the veil parted & the more you learn the more you will see Gods
ways are not as our ways [Isaiah 55:8] this people are passing through a great
school of experiance. I remember while in if any of the
Brethren felt their rights infringed upon in any wise or abused would
retaliate & be ready to quarrel about it & be ready to get up a lawsuit
for ^a debt of^ three dollars But the minds of the saints have become more noble
Now if a man is abused who understands principle He is above quar-
reling about it and He feels to say it is nothing to me I am not to suffer
by it. But you that have Abused me has the penalty to pay. But
if the devvel can ownly make you think that you are abused or
ill treated And you begin to fret about it and you give the devil
power ^over^ you & in the end it is as bad as though you had done wrong yourself
Now if a man sins against you untill seventy times seven & He repents
& with an humble heart Asks forgiveness you should forgive him
for this is the law & the prophets. [Matthew 18:21-22] He must ask forgiveness & be Humble
or He cannot be forgiven. As much has been said & many fears
entertained By many concerning the sin against the Holy Ghost I will
speak further concerning that subject to sin against the Holy
Ghost is a sin against God the Father the Son & the Holy Ghost that
Bears record of them. A man cannot sin against the Holy Ghost
untill the Holy Ghost has revealed unto him the Father & Son &
a knowledge of Eternal things in a great degree degree
when He has a knowledge of these things with his eyes open He
rebels against God & defys his . He sins against all things
if a man does sin against the Holy Ghost the people Have nothing
to do with it for they cannot forgive that sin & none but God
can do it & probably He will not in this world nor the world to
come for they become sons of perdition & probably will never
repent of or have a disposition to.
If you Blaspheme the Name
of God dont ask this people to forgive you for they cannot do it
you may ask them to pray God to forgive you. If God does
forgive the sin then you can go down into the waters of Baptism
when you get knowledge you will be ashamed to sin
Now I want to Bring this subject Home. what are the acts of the people
do they not sin & trespass against their Brethren Parrents against
their children, & children against their parents the Husband against
the wife & wife against the Husband this is with us & this we
can reach & manage & tell what ought to be done you ought
to cease from taking the liberty of any person but do unto all as you
would wish them to do unto you infringe upon the rights of no
one Borrow no tool but what you will return according to promise
take no wood nor any thing els but what belongs to you and if you
find any thing that is not your own do not Hide it away but
report it that the owner may be found. If had some stones
Here in my hand I could cast them & hit twor or three in this
congregation in the Head who are guilty of these acts you may say
why dont you tell who they are why you poor Devil are you not
going to repent of it by & By. If not when the day of clensing & of Israels comes you will have to be sacraficed & your Blood
spilt upon the ground for the day will come when iniquity must
scease in Zion And the profane man who takes the Name of God
in vain will be slain.
In the days of Ancient Justice
was dealt out in a manner that showed they understood principle &
revered the commandos of God. it was a mercy to many to have
Justice & Judgment executed upon them on the Earth even to
be slain & have their Blood poured out upon the Earth that it
might be tolerable for them God made a with
& his seed that He would save them when they
commit sin He slew them that He might save them by
their spililing their Blood as an offering. Had they have lived
in sin they might have sinned so as not to have Been forgiven
or saved. it was a mercy to slay them. Now Brother if
you sin against God go to God to get forgiveness if that sin is
not unto death their is a sin unto death which we were told we
need not pray for. [1 John 5:16] if you sin against your Brother go to him
to get forgiveness ask forgiveness at the Hands of the inocent
if you sin against your family your parents your Husband your
wife your childrn seek forgiveness at their hands But what
is done in secret should be forgiven in secret & go no further
that sins may be hid. But if sins are committed openly they
should ask forgiveness & be forgiven openly these are true
principles & let them be rememberd forever [Doctrine and Covenants 42:88-92]
Govornor B. Youngs address Before the of the upon slavery
He remarked that the whole world were slaves partook
of the forbidden fruit & also & it brought slavery
upon all their posteriy in some way or other & thi[s] will
continue untill we become righteous enough to drive
the devil & evil from the Earth. Adam had two
sons & . KCain was more given to evil than
Abel Adam was called to offer also his sons the
sacrifice of Abel was more acceptable than Canes & Cane
took it into his heart to put Abel out of the way so he
killed Abel the Lord said I will not kill Cane But I
will put a mark upon him [Genesis 4:1-15] and it is seen in the fac[e]
of every Negro on the Earth and it is the decree of
god that that mark shall remain upon the seed of Cane
& the curse untill all the seed of Abel should be redeemed
and Cane will not receive the priesthood untill or
salvation untill all the seed of Abel are Redeemed
any man having one drop of the seed of Cane in him
in him cannot hold the priesthood & if no
other ever spake it Before will say it
now in the name of Jesus Christ I know it is true
& others know it the Negro cannot hold one particle
of Government But the day will come when all the
seed of will be Redeemed & have all the Blessings
we have now & a great deal more But the seed of
will be ahead of the seed of Cane to all eternity
let me consent to day to mingle my seed with the
seed of Cane it would Bring the same curse upon me
And it would upon any man And if any man mingl
his seed with the seed of Cane the ownly way he could
get red of it or have salvation would be to come forward
& have his head cut off & spill his Blood upon the ground
it would also take the life of his children It is said if
a man kills another that he takes that that He cannot give
if a mans head is cut off his life is not destroyed or his
spirit that lives, his tabernacle is destroyed But I can
make as good tabernacles as I can destroy if you do not
believe it look at my children. Much blood was
shed in ancient days both of man & Beast the firstlings
& best of the flock was sacrafized on the Altar, & in
some instances many men & almost whole Nations was
sacraficed or put to death because of their sins & wickednes
this was the ownly way they could be saved at all
if Jesus Christ had not had his Blood shed the Blood
that He received from his Mother the world
would not have been saved. Their is not one of the seed
of old Cane that is permitted to rule & reign over
the seed of Abel and you nor I cannot Help it
Those that do bear rule should do it in righteousness
I am opposed to the present system of
the Negro should serve the seed of but it
should be done right dont abuse the Negro & treat
him cruel It has been argued here that many of
the Jews were Black. Whenever the seed of
mingled with the seed of Cane they lost their
priesthood & all Blessings. as an ensample let the
, Twelve, Seventies, High Priest Bishops
& all the Authorities say now We will all go & mingle
witth the seed of Cane and they may have all the
they want we lift our hands to heaven in support of
this that moment we loose the pristhood & all Blessing
& we would not be redeemed untill Cane was. I
will never admit of it for a moment some may think
I dont know as much as they do But I know that I
know more than they do. the Lord will watch us all the time
the Devil would like to rule part of the time But I am
determin He shall not rule at all and shall
not rule us. I will not admit of the Devil ruling at
all I will not consent for the seed of Cane to
vote for me or my Brethren if you want to know
why we did not speak of it in the
it was because it was none of their Business
any man is a citizens white or red and if
the Jews come here with a part of the Canaanite
Blood in them they are citizens & shall have their
rights but not to rule for me or my Brethren
those persons from the Islands & foreign countries
know nothing about governing the people. The Canaan
ite cannot have wisdom to do things as the white man
has. We must guard against all evil am not going
to let this people damn themselves as long as I can
help it
