The Prophet represents God as saying: "I give unto men weaknesses that they might be humble, and my grace is sufficient for all those who humble themselves before me."
To one who inquired how he governed men so well, he said: "I do not govern them: I teach men correct principles, and they govern themselves."
These sayings, with many others of like character, in the future literature of America, philosophical and religious, will make its pages blaze with glory. They are destined to become generally accepted principles of truth. They will become household aphorisms. They are words spoken by inspiration of God. They come from what Carlyle calls, "the inner Fact of things." They will live to influence the future generations of America, and of men everywhere.
VIII.
AN AMERICAN PROPHET.
AMERICA THE "OLD WORLD:" There is one more thought I would like to present to you respecting this Prophet, Joseph Smith. He is pre-eminently the American Prophet. He is not the "boy prophet;" I dislike that term. He is not the "Prophet of Palmyra;" he is the Prophet of the dispensation of the fulness of times; if localized at all he must be known as the "American Prophet."
Never was greater mistake made than to suppose that the disciples of Joseph Smith could be unpatriotic Americans. They must be ardently patriotic Americans. That this is true, let me a little show it. A line in one of our hymns runs:
"For in Adam-ondi-Ahman,
Zion rose where Eden was."
What is the meaning of this? It means that the Prophet taught that the American continents are not the New World, but the Old; Teacher that Eden was here in America. Adam-ondi-Ahman, the place where Adam dwelt after being driven from Eden, the Prophet declared to be in Missouri, in the valley of the Grand River. He represents a gathering together there of the patriarchs of the antediluvian age: and tells how they blessed Adam, or "Michael," the "Ancient of Days;" and Adam rose among them and blessed the patriarchs, his posterity, and told what should befall them to their latest generations.
Among the Patriarchs Enoch was pre-eminent for righteousness. He, in this western hemisphere, founded a city, sanctified it, and called it "Zion," the abode of the pure in heart; "for this is Zion"—wherein that word relates to a people—"the pure in heart." Hence "Zion rose where Eden was," here in America. But in the course of time "Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." That is, according to Paul, God translated him, that he should not see death (Gen. v; Heb. xi); and according to Joseph Smith, this happened to his city also; hence the saying, "Zion's fled."