| 525 grace are advanced in degrees of usefulness. This gives stability to every phase of our faith and all are concentrated upon it, else are we without hope. The resurrection does not depend upon the gathering of the saints, nor does the strength of God depend upon it. The only great object to be accomplished by the gathering is the perfecting of the machinery by which the gospel is promulged [promulgated]; the securing a unity of action after the perfecting unity of thought. The unity of action through every branch of the church polity is to be attained before any political sovereignty will be permitted by that power which has hitherto ruled the church destinies, and it cannot be confidently hoped that any great power will be vouchsafed to a people not prepared to use that power wisely. That which we have fought, bigotry, superstition, intolerance, proscription, and priestcraft, are some of the ruling evils which cannot be permitted to enter into the councils of a free people; nor are they principles which will in any wise govern the ruler of Zion. That some of those things are in the minds of some who are earnestly desiring the gathering of the saints, themselves will admit.
"We are just as anxiously looking for the day when the saints may be at rest in their promised land. But while we earnestly desire this, we cannot by any device known to our philosophy, shut our eyes to the sad lack of mental and moral discipline which is calculated to bring honor to the free citizens of a free Zion.
"Men are discouraged because church authority does not punish departure from church deportment. Men are doubting because new and strange revelations are not made, while long standing commands are not fulfilled. Some there are who mourn for Zion polluted, whose very breath of weeping is defiled by that which pollutes the body. They load the air with lamentations for the departed renown and the future glory, and smile when conscience charges them with lack of virtue.
"We dare not predict a speedy and overwhelming gathering of such elements; nor need any hope for it.
"For our own part we would by far prefer to be a lonely
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