--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1845 to 1846. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 6 number: 13 published: 1845-07-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Speech Delivered by Heber C. Kimball,” *Times and Seasons* 6, no. 13 (July 15, 1845): 970–973." printed_title: SPEECH DELIVERED BY HEBER C. KIMBALL. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-07-15_6_13 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v6n13.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-07-15_6_13 start_page: 970 end_page: 973 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1845 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-07-15_6_13 publication_year: 1845 --- # Speech Delivered by Heber C. Kimball AS REPORTED BY G. D. WATT. City of Joseph, April 8, 1845. There are many things that are necessary to lay before this congregation to day, as there are a greater number of visiting members, from the different branches, than our own citizens, they have not come out to day, it is so cold and disagreeable. There are some matters it is necessary we should know; but let us act in concert, and be agreed in one thing, not to give counsel contrary to the advice that shall be given from the stand. It is the case many times that persons receive counsel, that is not for their benefit, peace, nor salvation; and these are matters pertaining to the saints here in the City of Joseph; cultivating the earth; for every man to do all he possibly can; to put all the seed into the earth they can. It is wisdom that this city and the regions round about shall be cultivated, for we may as well cultivate first as last; to raise our own wheat, and our own corn, and oats, pease [pea's], and beans, and barley, and cheese, and butter, and eggs, and every other thing that is for our comfort; for we are not considered suitable to live among 'white folks;' therefore we'll cultivate the earth for ourselves, and make our own cloth, and our own stockings, and shoes, and our own bonnets, and caps, and every other thing we need for our comfort: and what we cannot make we will buy, and we will buy the best. But we shall not be under the necessity of buying but few things from the Gentiles. Is there any woman in this congregation, from any part of this State, or from Massachusetts, or from New Hampshire, or from Vermont, or from New York, or from any State in the Union, that can make good bonnets of straw, for I want as good a bonnet as ever was put upon a female's head, for my wife, and for my daughter, and I will pay them for it. I want a very good thing, for the ladies of the city of Joseph are very dressy, and desire good things. There are many of them that have said, and have thrown out the proclamation, that if they cannot have good bonnets and caps, and ribbons, and shoes, and stockings, they will go to St. Louis, and to Boston, and to Salem to get them; and some to Pittsburgh, with Sidney Rigdon, for some of his apples, and peaches. These things are true. I have heard these observations myself; and if the females cannot make their own bonnets, they can be employed in making something else that will buy as good a bonnet, in the city of Joseph, as you can buy from Boston, or from Salem or any of these places; or any thing else that is manufactured, in this city. And we can make the ribbons of cotton wood, it will make a substantial article. Those posies you wear round your faces, are only made of paper, some are made of cloth covered with paint or dyed. Well we can make a more substantial ribbon of cotton wood, and there are thousands of it in this county. And we want to see every lot in the city of of Joseph fenced up and cultivated, and let every street that is not used, be fenced up, and planted with corn, and with potatoes, and with cabbage, and every good thing we want to eat. And if the brethren who live in the country, upon the prairies, have more land than they want themselves, let them let their brethren have it, that they may cultivate the earth, and raise what grain they want for their consolation and comfort. This is essential and necessary, more so this season than it has been before. The reason is we want to finish the Temple, and attend to our washings and anointings, so that a good deal of our time will be taken up next winter, to prepare ourselves for the time of its dedication. For it is necessary that this people should have these things, both male and female, young and old. Brethren and sisters, you see the necessity of being diligent and not to stay your hands for a moment, from working upon the Temple, and taking stock in the Nauvoo House. I will do all that I can for both. I have not got much at present, but I shall have an abundance by and by. If I had it now, I have no time to take care of it; therefore I do not want it. It is enough for me, and my brethren to take care of you. With regard to the Temple and Nauvoo House, these are our feelings, and we want this people to hear and understand, and universally, to pay their tithing. Let all go and labor, and do all that lies in their power to build up these houses; and in the remaining time they can cultivate the earth, and attend to their mechanic shops. And you that are mechanics and work in you [your] shops, there is one tenth of that belongs to the Temple, and you can do as much good in your shops, as you can by working at the Temple, so go ahead and stick to your shops and do all you can. I have another thing to lay before this congregation; it is that every man and every woman stay in this county, and not go out of it, to work for the Gentiles at all; but let them harvest their own wheat, and plough [plow] their own ground, and dig their own potatoes, and we intend not to preach to them this summer;-therefore let not any man, from this time henceforth, come to us and ask, 'shall I go to preaching? I want to go down country, shall I go?" No; you must not go, unless it is on business necessary to be done for the church, or to save some-body's life. We all go for that, but upon any other business, it is not necessary. This counsel is good for us to observe, that we stay in the city or somewhere else, in this country. What is the object do you suppose of making the proclamation for all the saints to gather in, from all the United States, if we want to send them back again? We want them here, that they may help us to build the Temple, and the Nauvoo House; and want them to bring their firelocks, and learn to use them, and keep them well cleaned and loaded, and primed, so that they will go off the first shot, that every man may be in readiness, and prepared, that is, every man shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (holding up his cane as a sample;) that is the way. We want the brethren to stay in the City of Joseph, as much as possible, and those who cannot stay in the city, to remain in the county, where they can, to urge on the work of raising grain.; &c., that the saints may have a plenty to eat, while we are attending to the ordinances of the House of God. After the endowment we want the brethren to go to the nations of the earth, before that satan tears you asunder; for he will be heavy upon you when you get this. I would not advise any man, or any woman, to go the east, after money or any thing else, until they get their endowment; then they may go, if they please, if they go by counsel; and you will never go astray, if you take this course. If you go astray it is because you go upon you own hook, not understanding what is in the future. Let fathers, inasmuch as they have daughters, keep them at home in the City of Joseph, among the saints of the Most High God, and watch them, and if they want to go to any place, go with them, to that place, and see that they do have kind treatment, for I know the Gentiles have no regard for us, as a people, nor for our women, and thy would abuse them, and the very best of them would think it no sin. I have travelled [traveled] upon the rivers, and by land, and by sea, and I have had an oportunity [opportunity] of seeing their treatment. They consider you the offscouring of the earth but I know this to be the best people of the age, and God knows it, and the devil knows it, and every body else knows that this is not a bad people. We have on our every day clothes, now; if you would see us in our fine dress, you would say we are the best looking fellows in the world. Here are my brethren the Twelve; we have been sitting in the dust these three days, and where will you see a better looking set of chaps, when our faces are clean, and our hair combed out. We have had our women insulted many times by men in Warsaw, (who are the meanest people that ever God suffered to live.) If our women should call there, the gentlemen there would very politely desire an introduction to them, and they will be so obliging to wait upon them at the table, &c, and you would think they were the finest men in the world, but they do this for the purpose of destroying the females. I saw this myself, (and I wished I had the preparation of the gospel.) I have seen these men since; but I have never spoken to them, and I do not consider they are fit to speak to. It is true they are fine looking men, and well dressed; yea, they are gentlemen, in appearance; but they are villains in their hearts. If we let our females go, the first that we know, they will be going to Carthage, and Warsaw, and I would rather my family would go to hell, for it will be no worse than these places, for it is where the inhabitants of these places will go; but we will be on the earth, and they will be sent to hell, because they are not fit for our society or the society of the saints; those who have their names put upon the books, that are not blotted out, for you will be judged out of the books kept by the church; and they will be of great consequence to look upon in the morning of the resurrection. What a pleasure it will be for our children to look upon these books, while we are in our graves, sleeping. They can see what an interest, and labor, and toiling, their fathers accomplished, when we were building the Temple, in order to get our endowments. While we were building the Temple, in Kirtland, we were poor, and in worse circumstance than we are now, or ever will be; for at that time we were persecuted and were under the necessity of laying upon the floor with our fire-locks by our sides to sustain ourselves, as there were mobs gathering all around us to destroy us, and prevent us from building the Temple. And when they were driven, every man that was in the church, arose, and we took our fire-locks, to reinstate our brethren and in the night we laid upon the floor; we laid upon Brother Joseph's floor, and upon Sidney Rigdon's floor many a night to save his live, and to save the lives of his family; and he is now exerting every effort to take away our lives; but he will see the day when he will be glad to come into the cellar kitchen and become a cook, and to black the boots and shoes of the servants of God; and it will be the case with thousands of others. They will be glad to black our boots and to lick the dust that is under our feet, and this is nothing to what will come to pass. I might stand here all day, and tell you things of the future, and you would not believe the half of it. Brother Cahoon and Br. Cutler can tell you how many hands worked upon that Temple at one time; I think there were not more than five or six. Father Cutler, and Elder Cahoon, can tell you that there was not left in Kirtland more than ten or fifteen men, when we left with the camp to go to Zion, to Jackson county. And my wife took one hundred pounds of wool and got it carded and spun it, and wove it, and made it into garments for the men that were laboring upon the House; not only did my wife assist in this thing, but a great many of our sisters; and they were not the tenth part as well off as you are, taking you as a people. But I do not say this in order to insinuate that our sisters, in the City of Joseph, are not willing to render their assistance to build the Temple. No, for we have a great sum subscribed, by the sisters, to get our window glass, and nails, yea, it is a mighty sum; and shall we send our daughter to Warsaw, and to Carthage, and to Madison, and to Burlington, and to the Devil knows where? Shall we dot? No. Now I ask of the brethren and sisters, universally, shall we withdraw our support from our enemies? Yes. I speak of this because it is better for you, and you will find it so, in eternity. They need not go out of the city, for I know there is labor enough for them. I could employ three or four myself, in my family, for the more we get the more we want to wait upon the rest. If you cannot get business try to make it for yourselves. I can make business plenty, for myself; I will leave it to the saints if I cannot. Now, shall we go and reap their wheat and plough [plow] their ground, and dig their potatoes? Shall we let our girls go and wash their clothes, and boil their potatoes, and make their Johnny cake? No. They did not know how to make a short Johnny cake until our girls taught them [He proposed to withdraw fellowship from the Gentiles' eniquity [iniquity], which was done by a unanimous vote.] Now they are disfellowshipt; this is a final decision of all matters before this Conference. I will make a few remarks relative to the penny subscription, I understand that twelve or thirteen hundred dollars have been subscribed. The sisters have been diligent, and they accomplished a great object. Again; I would exhort the brethren to pay their tithing, and to pay the best of your substance, and the Lord will sanctify the elements for our good, and prosperity and comfort. Give honor to him to whom honor is due. Be subject to the powers that be; and let every man and woman be subject to counsel, and you will have favor in the sight of God and angels. This I believe, and I know that he hears our prayers; our enemies may organize wolf hunts; but what can they accomplish? for God has a power in this church, and their plans are frustrated; and God knows how it is. Do you know? I know. When we have asked in faith, I have not known any thing that has not come to pass, these three years. If they would let us be, we are a civil people. I wish the Gentiles would come into the City of Joseph, and go to our Magistrates, they would find there is not a law-suit in this place. I have not had difficulty since I have entered this church, with any man, nor do I intend to have. I would say away with lawsuits, and difficulties, from this time henceforth and forever. Amen. But they would not be here more than a moth before they would kick up their heels and damn us to the lowest hell; but they will be glad yet to grease a fellow's boots for a little corn, and so will the Gentile nations; but let us take care of ourselves, until we get our endowments, and there is a day coming when we can have a situation to dwell in peace, and they will come in ships, upon the great waters, and bring their silver, and gold, and precious things, to build up our Temples, and waste places; and we will build up Jackson county, and they can not help themselves. But we want these boys to get their endowments first, and lay aside their lightness and prepare themselves for these things. A thought has just entered into my head, and I will let it out. I will ask the brethren if they think it is wisdom to start grog shops. Shall we have such places in this city? Shall we buy their whiskey? Shall we turn them over to the buffetings of satan? Yes. Shall we fellow ship a man that will do it? I wont. I will bet you a dollar, I can go and buy, and drink, a gallon of their liquor, every day and I will not get drunk, because it is mostly water. Shall we cultivate a system o f ruin in our midst, and foster whose who are our enemies? Shall we be their subjects for destruction? No. Men, women, brethren, and sisters, if you feel like withdrawing your support from such places, show your hands, (which was unanimous.) They will go now; we will deliver them up to the buffetings of satan.