Erastus Snow

“ If I understand myself correctly, I feel this morning, as I have felt the greater part of my life, to be devoted mentally and physically, as far as duty requires and circumstances permit, and as the Lord and my brethren call, and as the Spirit of the Lord shall dictate, to the happiness of my fellow-men and to the advancement of the kingdom of God upon the earth. ”

“ It is their privilege to learn themselves and their position before God, and to study the interest and happiness of those with whom they are associated, to do all they can to fit them for that higher position and order of intelligence and glory which has been referred to this morning by our President and which are touched upon in the vision which God gave to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in February, 1832.
We are called upon by the revelations that are given to us, and by the living oracles, to be Saints of God and heirs of celestial glory. Are we heirs to celestial glory? ”

“ If they cling to that which is given, and set their hearts upon the things of this world, and love them more than they do the kingdom of our God, those blessings will be withdrawn, the Holy Ghost will be taken from them, and that light received through obedience to the first principles of the Gospel will flee away; that love which they possessed will leave them, and they will become weak as before and darker than ever, unless they speedily repent and turn unto the Lord with all their hearts. ”

“ We are very differently situated from the world of mankind, who are without the Gospel, without the light of truth, and who have not received the Priesthood, who have not received the revelations of the Holy Spirit to teach and guide them: they possess not the advantages of acquiring this understanding and of perfecting themselves in the knowledge of God as do the Saints. ”

“ The Lord has said that he cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance, and that he has not placed the spirit subject to this tabernacle, and will not justify it in being dictated or governed by the body. He has required of us to study to understand our true position before Him and before each other as the offspring of the Almighty here upon the earth; and as we study our own positions, and study ourselves properly, we shall at the same time comprehend measurably, the condition of those of our fellows around us with whom we are surrounded ”

“ I understand that it is useless for us to talk about being justified in our ignorance or dereliction of duty,—at least so long as light is placed before us, and we have the privilege of becoming acquainted with the things of God and doing our duty. ”

“ Through our ignorance, we may oftentimes do things that will operate both against our own interest and happiness, and against the interests and happiness of those with whom we are associated, and whose interests and happiness we desire to promote. ”

“ With the Latter-day Saints, who are favoured with the light of the revelations of heaven, with the voice of Prophets, with the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, with the privilege of walking in the light of Christ, and the privilege of obeying the everlasting Gospel, in all things it is vastly different. ”

“ The body was not first created and afterward the spirit formed in the tabernacle, but we are informed in the revelations that God has given, that we were created and organized in the spirit-world, in the image and likeness of our Father in heaven, and consequently our physical tabernacles were formed for the benefit and in behalf of the spirit and adapted to the use of the spirit prepared for its habitation and dwellingplace ”

“ Finally, we should all feel that all we possess is the Lord's—that he adds to our labours and gives us our reward, whether we deserve much or little; and when we have this feeling, and acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all things, we are right—we are in the path of duty and of safety. ”

“ As we have received freely, so we should be willing to freely impart, and as God had mercy and regard for us and our fellow-creatures, so we should give to those who are waiting to receive, who are of our Father and heirs to all his blessings. ”

“ I have not altogether lost the power of discernment, or the power to appreciate the sweet sounds of the heavenly music; and I oftentimes feel that it were far better to exercise upon those gifts and callings of God whenever we are called to act ”

“ Yes, I understand that our Heavenly Father excuses them. We all have a great desire to excuse ourselves, and we desire to be excused by our friends and by our brethren and sisters, and in turn we try to excuse their faults and imperfections in like manner. ”

“ And when they have experienced wretchedness until, like Nebuchadnezzar, they have learned that the Most High reigns, and that he gave them all they have, and that they are nothing but his stewards, then they may peradventure receive again the favour and blessings of Heaven. ”

“ To be sure, this is and ought to be secondary with us; for as the life we possess and enjoy is more than meat and the body more than drink, so is the spirit being first created, of paramount im-portance, and consequently the body is secondary. ”