Journal of Discourses gems

[_MCB]

What are your favorite eye-openers in the Journal of Discourses? I have worked my way up to vol 4 p 170, but in scanning around at others people have commented on, I missed some.

Here is Brigham Young's justification for the hand-cart fiasco:

JD 4:91, Brigham Young, November 16, 1856
My faith is, when we have done all we can, then the Lord is under obligation, and will not disappoint the faithful; He will perform the rest. If no other assistance could have been had by the companies this season, I think they would have had hundreds and hundreds of fat buffaloes crowding around their camp, so that they could not help but kill them. But, under the circumstances, it was our duty to assist them, and we were none too early in the operation.

It was not a rash statement for me to make at our last Conference, when I told you that I would dismiss the Conference, if the people would not turn out, and that I, with my brethren, would go to the assistance of the companies. We knew that our brethren and sisters were on the Plains and in need of assistance, and we had the power and ability to help them, therefore it became our duty to do so.

The Lord was not brought under obligation in the matter, so He had put the means in our possession to render them the assistance they needed. But if there had been no other way, the Lord would have helped them, if He had had to send His angels to drive up buffaloes day after day, and week after week. I have full confidence that the Lord would have done His part; my only lack of confidence is, that those who profess to be Saints will not do right and perform their duty.

[_Fence Sitter]

Not from the JD that I know of, but when the Martin Company was still struggling through the mountains BY said

I believe it is better for the people to lay down their lives by the way side, than it is for them to stay in the States and apostatize.

[_MCB]

Did a search and it wasn't there. Googled part of the sentence, and didn't find it anywhere??????

That was certainly his attitude, however.

[_Fence Sitter]

Did a search and it wasn't there. Googled part of the sentence, and didn't find it anywhere??????

That was certainly his attitude, however.

Turns out it is from JOD. That is not where I first saw it. I remembered it from a Will Bagley essay I read. Here is a link.

http://jod.mrm.org/4/89

I mistyped the quote so that may have been part of the problem. Instead of "lay down their lives" it should read "lay down their bones".
It is mid way down page 90 on the left side.

[_MCB]

Yep. Thanks. I was so offended by the next paragraph that I missed it. LOL

[_MCB]

And of course, this one.

JD 4:219-220, Brigham Young, February 8, 1857
Brother Cummings told you the truth this morning with regard to the sins of the people. And I will say that the. time will come, and is now nigh at hand, when those who profess our faith, if they are guilty of what some of. this people are guilty of, will find the axe laid at the root of the tree, and they will be hewn down. What has been must be again, for the Lord is coming to restore all things. The time has been in Israel under the law of God, the celestial law, or that which pertains to the celestial law, for it is one of the laws of that kingdom where our Father dwells, that if a man was found guilty of adultery, he must have his blood shed, and that is near at hand. But now I say, in the name of the Lord, that if this people will sin no more, but faithfully live their religion, their sins will be forgiven them without taking life.
You are aware that when brother Cummings came to the point of loving our neighbours as ourselves, he could say yes or no as the case might be, that is true. But I want to connect it with the doctrine you read in the Bible. When will we love our neighbour as ourselves? In the first place, Jesus said that no man hateth his own flesh. It is admitted by all that every person loves himself. Now if we do rightly love ourselves, we want to be saved and continue to exist, we want to go into the kingdom where we can enjoy eternity and see no more sorrow nor death. This is the desire of every person who believes in God. Now take a person in this congregation who has knowledge with regard to being saved in the kingdom of our God and our Father, and being exalted, one who knows and understands the principles of eternal life, and sees the beauty and excellency of the eternities before him compared with the vain and foolish things of the world, and suppose that he is overtaken in a gross fault, that he has committed a sin that he knows will deprive him of that exaltation which he desires, and that he cannot attain to it without the shedding of his blood, and also knows that by having his blood shed he will atone for that sin, and be saved and exalted with the Gods, is there a man of woman in this house but what would say, "shed my blood that I may be saved and exalted with the Gods?"
All mankind love themselves, and let these principles be known by an individual, and he would be glad to have his blood shed. That would be loving themselves, even unto an eternal exaltation. Will you love your brothers or sisters likewise, when they have committed a sin that cannot be atoned for without the shedding of their blood? Will you love that man or woman well enough to shed their blood? That is what Jesus Christ meant. He never told a man or woman to love their enemies in their wickedness, never. He never intended any such thing; his language is left as it is for those to read who have the Spirit to discern between truth and error; it was so left for those who can discern the things of God. Jesus Christ never meant that we should love a wicked man in his wickedness.
Now take the wicked, and I can refer to where the Lord had to slay every soul of the Israelites that went out of Egypt, except Caleb and Joshua. He slew them by the hands of their enemies, by the plague, and by the sword, why? Because He loved them, and promised Abraham that He would save them. And He loved Abraham because he was a friend to his God, and would stick to Him in the hour of darkness, hence He promised Abraham that He would save his seed. And He could save them upon no other principle, for they had forfeited their right to the land of Canaan by transgressing the law of God, and they could not have atoned for the sin if they had lived. But if they were slain, the Lord could bring them up in the resurrection, and give them the land of Canaan, and He could not do it on any other principle.
I could refer you to plenty of instances where men have been righteously slain, in order to atone for their sins. I have seen scores and hundreds of people for whom there would have been a chance (in the last resurrection there will be) if their lives had been taken and their blood spilled on the ground as a smoking incense to the Almighty, but who are now angels to the devil, until our elder brother Jesus Christ raises them up − conquers death, hell, and the grave. I have known a great many men who have left this Church for whom there is no chance whatever for exaltation, but if their blood had been spilled, it would have been better for them. The wickedness and ignorance of the nations forbid this principle's being in full force, but the time will come when the law of God will be in full force.
This is loving our neighbour as ourselves; if he needs help, help him; and if he wants salvation and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it. Any of you who understand the principles of eternity, if you have sinned a sin requiring the shedding of blood, except the sin unto death, would not be satisfied nor rest until your blood should be spilled, that you might gain that salvation you desire. That is the way to love mankind.

[_MCB]

Reading this **** is sort of hypnotic. Unless I use some other lists as a guide, I do miss stuff.

[_MCB]

OK. I got:
JD 1:2 − p.3, Brigham Young, January 16, 1853
JD 1:11, Parley P. Pratt, April 7, 1853
JD 1:22, John Taylor, August 22, 1852
JD 1:36 − p.37, Heber C. Kimball, July 11, 1852
JD 1:44, George Albert Smith, July 24, 1852
JD 1:50-51, Brigham Young, April 9, 1852
JD 1:56 − p.57, Orson Pratt, August 29, 1852
JD 1:59, Orson Pratt, August 29, 1852
JD 1:64-65, Orson Pratt, August 29, 1852
JD 1:83 Brigham Young, March 27, 1853
JD 1:108 − p.109, Brigham Young, May 8, 1853
JD 1:122 − p.123, Orson Hyde, October 6, 1853
JD 1:230, John Taylor, April 8, 1853
JD 1:345 − p.346, Jedediah M. Grant, August 7, 1853
JD 2:37, Edward Hunter, April 6, 1853
JD 2:143, Brigham Young, Dec., 3, 1854
JD 2:150, Heber C. Kimball, April 2, 1854
JD 2:172, Brigham Young, February 18, 1855
JD 2:184, Brigham Young, February 18, 1855
JD 2:299, Brigham Young, June 3, 1855
JD 2:358, Ezra T. Benson, April 8, 1855
JD 3:24 − p.25, George Albert Smith, August 12, 1855
JD 3:30, George Albert Smith, September 23, 1855
JD 3:125, Heber C. Kimball, October 6, 1855
JD 3:247 Brigham Young March 16, 1856
JD 3:266-267 Brigham Young, July 14, 1855
JD 4:31 − p.32, Brigham Young, August 17, 1856
JD 4:49-50, Jedediah M. Grant, September 21, 1856
JD 4:53-54, Brigham Young, September 21, 1856
JD 4:89, Brigham Young, November 16, 1856
JD 4:91, Brigham Young, November 16, 1856
JD 4:173-174, Heber C. Kimball, January 11, 1857
JD 4:218, Brigham Young, February 8, 1857
JD 4:219-220, Brigham Young, February 8, 1857
JD 4:223, Heber C. Kimball, February 8, 1857
JD 4:226, Heber C. Kimball, February 8, 1857
JD 4:259, Orson Hyde
JD 4:298, Brigham Young, March 29, 1857
JD 4:373 − p.374, Brigham Young, June 28, 1857
JD 5:28, Heber C. Kimball, July 12, 1857
JD 5:91-92, Heber C. Kimball, July 26, 1857
JD 5:92, Heber C. Kimball, July 26, 1857
JD 5:133, Heber C. Kimball, August 2, 1857
JD 5:134, Heber C. Kimball, August 2, 1857
JD 5:140, Orson Hyde
JD 5:186, John Taylor, August 30, 1857
JD 5:200, Parley P. Pratt, September 7, 1856
JD 5:266, John Taylor, September 20, 1857
JD 5:291, Erastus Snow, October 4, 1857
JD 5:331 − p.332, Brigham Young, October 7, 1857
JD 6:3-4, Joseph Smith, April 6, 1844
JD 6:6, Joseph Smith, April 6, 1844
JD 7:289, Brigham Young, October 9, 1859
JD 7:290 − p.291, Brigham Young, October 9, 1859
JD 8:61, Brigham Young, May 20, 1860
JD 8:104, Orson Pratt, June 24, 1860
JD 8:105, Orson Pratt, June 24, 1860
JD 8:115 − p.116, Brigham Young, July 8, 1860
JD 9:312, Brigham Young, July 13, 1862
JD 10:109 − p.110, Brigham Young, March 8, 1863
JD 11:268 − p.269, Brigham Young, August 19, 1866
JD 11:271 − p.272, Brigham Young, August 19, 1866
JD 12:127 − p.128, Brigham Young, December 29th, 1867
JD 13:95, Brigham Young, January 2, 1870
JD 13:264, Brigham Young, October 6, 1870
JD 16:161 − p.162, Brigham Young, August 31, 1873
JD 19:269, Erastus Snow, March 3, 1878
JD 19:371, Daniel H. Wells, June 1, 1878
JD 21:129, Orson Pratt, September 7th, 1879
JD 24:321 − p.322, Daniel H. Wells, October 28th, 1883
JD 24:325 − p.326, George Teasdale, November 4th, 1883

I am using http://www.jhuston.com/jod.htm in case anyone wants to look up what I found.

Anybody else have some impressive ones? I really enjoyed comparing the changes in BY's attitudes towards slavery, just depending on how the wind blew. Remember, I am also looking for teachings that are offensive and contrary to Catholicism.

[_Inconceivable]

For those members unaquainted with the JD, let's first seek the inspired counsel from the Prophets and Apostles of god lest anyone be led astray:

The Journal of Discourses deservedly ranks as one of the standard works of the Church, and every rightminded Saint will certainly welcome with joy every number (issue) as it comes forth.
President George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, Preface, Vol.8.

1. Each successive Volume of these Discourses is a rich mine of wealth, containing gems of great value, and the diligent seeker will find ample reward for his labor. After the fathers and mothers of this generation have made them the study of their lives their children’s children will find that they are still unexhausted, and rejoice that this Record has been handed down from their fathers to also aid them in following the way of life.
Apostle Orson Pratt, Preface. Volume 3.

It is impossible to give monetary value to the past volumes of this publication, … Those who read the utterances of the servants of God, contained in this book, under the same influence by which the speakers were inspired, cannot fail to receive profit from the perusal.
President Joseph F. Smith, Preface, Vol.18.

We take great pleasure in presenting to the Saints and the world the … the JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES, which they will find contains rich treasures of information concerning the glorious principles of Eternal Life, as revealed through God’s anointed servants in these last days. All who read the discourses contained in this Volume are earnestly recommended to adapt them to their lives by practice, and we can confidently assure them that, in doing so, they are laying up a store of knowledge that will save and exalt them in the Celestial kingdom.
Apostle Albert Carrington, Journal of Discourses, Preface, Vol. 15.

That would be a green light brethren, carry on.

[_MCB]

Thanks. I had a feeling I was missing something.

It appears that financial problems with the perpetual emigration fund led to the handcart disaster. The handcart disaster led to Ann Eliza's rebellion and the terror of the reformation. BY was a despicable character, yet because he was a prophet, he could do no wrong.