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Show FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. 397 Then he settles down to the duties of home and life among the Saints. He is prospered and blessed, his heart is warm and soft. He enters into all the duties common to a faithful Elder, his family increases, he is persecuted for his belief and practice, all this he stands and feels good in doing his duty and maintaining his principles. Now this man has been gathered out from the Gentiles and will have the privilege of being numbered with the remnants, if he hardens not his heart. Now why should such an individual harden his heart? What motive or cause could there possibly be for the harden-ing of the heart? It may come in this way, the Laman-ites are a poor, and to the rich and refined looked upon as a dirty, degraded people, still the Lord has promised that those of the Gentile world who receive the words of the Book should carry them to the remnants. Now will we do this, or will our riches hinder us when the time comes? Doubtless there will be some who will say, " I am not interested in these dirty Indians." Possibly this is what hardening of the heart means. Some would apply this to the whole world who reject the gospel. I think it more consistent to apply it to the Elder who has received the gospel and had his heart softened to his duty and then allows it to become hardened through prosperity. To those who suppose the Lamanites all low and degraded, I will add this to what I have already said in their favor. There are thousands of the finest artisans upon earth among the remnants. Also many of them are educated and refined, and as for natural intel-lect, who ever saw an Indian who was a dunce? Without the aid of the remnants this people never would amount to much. We have increased and built up beyond any other people, yet our numbers are small |