(Editor’s note: This tape was transcribed by Georgiana Mamlakah. The editors gratefully acknowledge her invaluable assistance.)
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(Tape starts in mid-sentence)
Jones: –say that some others prove that they’re willing to carry the heavy load.
Congregation: Stirs
Jones: Then you know we’ve got a problem of some being field niggers, then there’re– then there’re some house niggers.
Congregation: Stirs.
Jones: Field blacks and house blacks. I’ve run off five, might as well preach five more minutes and see if I can run off a few more.
Congregation: Laughter and applause.
Jones: When I healed that woman of cancer back there, the man clapped his hands, just as– (Quickly claps his hands) He was really raving, but when I got on the good mayor [Tom Bradley of Los Angeles], and I’d– I said I’d voted for him and I think I probably caused thousands of people to vote for him. I– I mean and voted in spirit, because I wasn’t here in actual person, but I– I certainly did all I could to get a change in this country, in this county, but I’m gonna tell you, if you think I’m going to start worshipping any mayor as God, I’m not. (Laughs)
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: I’m not a yes sir, no sir, man. I’m just not. I’m not a kiss–
Congregation: Stirs.
Jones: He needs us, and if he serves the people, he’ll have us, and we’ll be more loyal– I see he traipses around these various churches, and– and speaks to them, and lot of those churches didn’t raise a finger to do anything for him. But we really did something to bring change here. We put our neck out. I prophesied it. I put my words into action and backed up my words with action.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: And some of you need to let him know that, because some devils just went out, to try to stir up trouble, but if he– if– I don’t care if somebody wants trouble, wants to listen to a devil, let them bring all the trouble they want, ‘cause I can handle it.
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: Shift yourself, child. You’re at home.
Congregation: Stirs.
Jones: In other words, if you’re lo– if we elect you to mayor today on the platform, we want you to carry out that platform. We’re gonna watch that platform, and we’ll watch a black man’s platform just as quick as we’ll watch a white man’s platform.
Congregation: Applause
Jones: We want to see that he keeps his promises, and if we don’t, we’ll throw the rascals out.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Folk come up to me and say, well, you got a black rascal, and you got a white rascal. I said, well, we’ve had a white rascal for twelve years, we ought to at least have a chance to have a black rascal for a while.
Congregation: Stirs.
Jones: Because I don’t feel that way, I felt you had a choice of– of uh, dimensions and so and with Mayor Bradley, I took a stand, and it coulda cut my throat, and I’ll always do so. You’re not supposed to take any stand in any church. They can take away your privileges. When I took a stand for Mayor Bradley, they coulda cut my throat. But I don’t care, and I’ll take a stand for anybody or against anybody. Because you see, the church has become an instrument of repression in the society. The preachers are given a draft deferment if they won’t preach what they know. They don’t have to go to war. They’re given discounts at all the stores, if they keep their nose clean and cooperate with the Chamber of Commerce. They are given tax exemptions on their churches if they won’t speak out, and when I spoke out against Mr. [Sam] Yorty, I got a death threat on me. That’s how far I went, and some of these– I say– I see them now that the mayor is going to various churches around, some of those churches didn’t lift their voice. I lifted my voice nine months before he ever got in.
Congregation: Stirs.
Jones: The moment I pastored, I lifted my voice.
Congregation: Stirs.
Jones: But the churches uh, are not supposed to say anything about politics. If they do, they can lose all their exemptions. And I think that’d be healthy, if every church did, but I’m not going to lose mine until the Baptist and the Methodist and the Catholics do, and if they start taking our exemptions away, we’ll fight like (draws out word) tomcats.
Congregation: Applause
Jones: Now I’m not supposed to say anything about Mr. [Richard] Nixon, but I will.
Congregation: Light laughter.
Jones: Mr. Nixon has usurped the power of the judiciary, the Congress, the press. He has usurped power as no one in our history. Yesterday he said– And there’s somebody behind him. Anybody had– that anybody was a coward ought to shut their mouth. Because la– yesterday the press, the chief uh, monitor for CBS [Robert Pierpoint] said, Mr. Nixon, why is it that you are so uh, angry at the press? He said, why are you so angry, and the– he said (draws out word) all those newsman, with all their power, he looked at them and never cracked a– a– as– not a grimace of fear. He knows he’s got the generals behind him.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: (passionate) He’s got the military, he’s got the international bankers behind him. He’s got the Zionist behind him. (Pause) (Voice moderates) All right, and that’s all right. There’s a difference between being Jewish and Zionist. I hope you understand what I’m saying.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: God, I ought to’ve stayed home today, I really ought to. (Laughs)
Congregation: Applause
Jones: (Voice rises) Mr. Nixon looked at the press, and he said, (Pause) you can’t be angry with people you don’t respect.
Congregation: Stirs.
Jones: You think he’s that brave?
Voices in Crowd: No.
Jones: Not on your life. You read the– the uh, uh, San Francisco Chronicle, read the Times. It says the winds of the Gestapo is blowing in America. The winds of dictatorship is blowing. The London Times, the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle said, at any time, the army may move in to back the president. He knows he’s got an ace up his sleeve. He’s got big money up his sleeve, that’s what he’s got. And I’m not supposed to preach against it, (calls out) but I’d rather go to jail than to sell my soul.
Congregation: Cheers.
Jones: (Voice rises) I’d rather lose my life than to lose my freedom to speak.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: (Voice rises) Because wherever the Spirit of God is, there’s liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”). And we’re to stand fast in the freedom with which God has set us free (Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”). And I’ll speak my freedom. If they come in here tomorrow, and take me away with the army, I will tell you that Nixon is a terrible danger to this nation. He’s the most dreadful nation danger that we’ve ever had.
Congregation: Applause.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: And I’m a registered Republican. I’ve been a conservative in my views, because I believe that government that governs least governs best, but I will fight Mr. Nixon with all the power that’s within me.
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: Now go smoke that in your pipe.
Congregation: Cheers.
Jones: (Voice moderates, then rises throughout) I don’t mean with swords or guns. I’m a nonviolent person. But I certainly gonna speak out. And I’ve been– I’ve been told over the telephone, not longer than two weeks ago, you’re going have to get off of Nixon’s back, or we’re going to give you trouble. Don’t you talk to me like that. They told me the same thing. They called in here and said the Muslims, several months ago, said we’re going to continue to threaten to bomb you. We’re going to blow you up, if you don’t quit talking about the Muslims, and I told them you better get off my back or I’ll keep on your back.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Don’t you threaten me. I don’t care who you are. I refuse to be intimidated by black man, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Republican, Fascist. (Sudden pause and intake of breath)
Congregation: Stirs, then applause.
Jones: You don’t worry about it. Uh– That’s what’s so ridiculous. And some of those very people– We’ve put more money into helping Jewish refugees, we’ve put more money into helping Black Muslims when they were in trouble. We’ve been their strongest aid. One time, there was a group that was going to do them in, and we came to their rescue, and uh, what we get as a thanks from some of them, is a spit in the face.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: But I don’t care whether people spit in my face or pat me on the back. I will do what’s right, but don’t you tell me that you’re going to blow me up to keep me quiet, because you have to blow me up to keep me quiet.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: (Voice moderates) And I’d rather be dead than be a slave to any man. We’ve been a slave long enough. I say, we’ve been slaves long enough. It’s high time we had our freedom.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: So if I’m not free to speak in the church, I’ll be free to speak in the jail. Then if they– if they want me to stop speaking, they’ll have to cut my tongue out, and then I’ll give them finger symbols.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: They’ll have to cut my fingers off, and when I can’t give them some finger symbols, I’ll give them some arm symbols, they’ll have to cut my arm off. They’ll finally have to cut my neck off because (voice rises) I will not be silent. Do you hear me?
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Someone called me up not long ago. (Pause) (Voice moderates) Anonymous, always these sneaky cowards, they’re anonymous. Said, you know the laws in the land are against you practicing healing. Said you can’t use oil. And– and oh– oh, that’s true, you can’t use oil. All these churches use it, but they get by with it, ‘cause they’re not standing for anything. You can’t use pictures or oil cloths, anointed cloths, it’s against the law. If you read the laws– the legislation, it is. Ask the attorney there that was healed of cancer of the stomach, the Jewish attorney, and he’ll tell you I’m not anti-Jewish by any means. All my Jewish people will tell you how much I fought for Jewish rights and how I put my money where my mouth was, but anyway– It’s against the law, and they said we’re going to use some of those laws against you, if you don’t quit preaching about political conditions and racial questions and social questions in the church. I said you’ll just have to use the law against me, because I’m keeping right on doing exactly what I’m doing now.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Some of you say, well, nothing can happen to us. It will if you’re afraid. We’ll have to go through the jails, we’ll have to go through the prisons, we went through them once when a mob came out here, and I told you that a mob would come. I told you there’d be riots, not to go out in the street, and they took my black people and kicked them. A woman I resurrected and healed her from paralysis, they kicked her, your fire department. You’ve got a nasty fire department in this town.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: Oh yes, you see, nobody wants to– Everybody wants to be quiet.
Congregation: Stirs, then light applause.
Jones: So there were some good men. There was a good supervisor that came in and said, yes, they did it. I don’t know what to do about it. He said most of the people we got are people coming in from the South that are white, and he was apologetic.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: But uh– but nonetheless, they kicked that sister in, my precious sister, Pinkey Hansberry, and I raised her up, she was paralyzed and she was dead and I raised her. (Claps hands) I said, don’t get a ho– an ambulance, but the nurses were following the usual custom, because we believe in having everything confirmed by a doctor. If a miracle can’t be confirmed by a doctor, it’s not worth much. So anyway, medicine and– and faith-healing should work together. But on that occasion, I said don’t get an ambulance. Don’t go out in the street. But my people did just exactly the opposite. They went one Sunday about a year ago out in the streets. And I’m telling you, you never saw such a barrage. They kicked that woman. They took that woman in the ambulance. She didn’t want to go. She wanted to listen to what I said. And they kicked her in the ambulance right in this town and called her a nigger bitch.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Congregation: Scattered applause.
Jones: They kicked her in there, and there was an upheaval. I come out and I said, let her out. (Pause) And so they cuffed some more and called in the police. The police didn’t know what was going and heads began to be knocked, and they took my black brothers, knocked down one of my children, they hit Sister [Marceline] Jones, handcuffed her. She’d never been arrested in her life. Neither have I, ever been arrested in my life. They arrested ‘em, took ‘em away and charged them with assault and battery, and then I caused the woman inside the ambulance to disappear.
Congregation: Applause.
Voice in Crowd: Hey.
Jones: She got out of there. I either did that, or I caused her eyes not to see when she came out, because they didn’t know what happened. They said, where is the person– What are we fighting about? The woman’s gone.
Congregation: Stirs.
Jones: And they led my wife away. The wonder– the most wonderful mother you’ve ever wanted– the church mother who’s been faithful to you. They led her away in the amb– in the police, and uh– (Pause) I followed them all. My black brother Jackson who’s a– He was a government official, federal government official, and Brother– Uh, Brother Brown who comes on the other Thursday nights when I’m not here, uh, I’m here every other Thursday and Friday, and sometimes the uh, one Thursday I’m not here. Well, he is in my place, so you know who I’m talking about. He’s the head of the Mayor’s Youth Commission. And they chained them up and took them in, and I went down and said now there’s wrong, this is wrong. I said this is evil, what you’re doing is wrong, and I’ve come here to get my people free. And they arrested me. Throwed me in the jail. (Pause) They sure did. Tied me up, put me in the cuffs, and chained me up to the– to the prison bars, and one of them– oh, there’re some mean ones around. It’s all right, they take no fear, they take no fear. Breathe deeply, and then uh, take no fear about it, child. You know they– you know that– what the rule is. The rule is you can’t die here.
Congregation: Scattered applause.
Jones: We don’t want anybody to break the rule. Yes, yes, bless your hearts. Now, my children. Again, keep your mind on this. If you know we’ve had 463 people resurrected in these buildings, and a whole lot of folk that thought they were going to try to die and didn’t get it done. So I wouldn’t worry about it.
Congregation: Scattered applause.
Jones: They’ve come drug in here from hospitals where they were lower than death, come out of their intravenous feedings, and we’ve not lost one yet so I wouldn’t get nervous about it. I would not get nervous about it, if I were you. (Pause) S’all right, s’all right. Bless her heart. (Pause) She don’t want you to– she don’t want you to carry her, and she’s– That’s right, she’s– she’s not dying. Let her walk.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: (Laughs) (Pause) She just– she don’t want to be carried, and if she’s got enough pride to do that, and if she’s got enough faith, she’s not gone die. I sure got enough faith, she isn’t gonna die.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: They give me the signal that she’s having a stroke or a heart stoppage down there, but I don’t get nervous, after 463 successes in that department. If we’re successful in every department as we are in that one, we ought to be very confident.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Anyway, we ended up down there in the jail, and they locked me, they said, now what you gone do, Reverend? I said, I’m gone stay right here. They said, well, you can get bailed out. I said, oh no, the poor can’t get any bail, said, poor blacks, Indians, Mexicans, and whites, they don’t get any bail. So I said I’m staying here until I get my trial, ‘cause I haven’t done anything. They said (calls out) trial? You’ll be here six, eight weeks. The docket’s way behind. I said that’s your problem. (Short laugh) I said I’m going to sleep. And I slid down on the floor and went to sleep. I didn’t get to sleep but three or four minutes, and then they come in here– here come the assistant commander. Afore I was through, they had all the big shots there, and they let me out, and even though they arrested me, they tore up the record, and they let all my people go, ‘cause I said that’s the only way we’re going to settle the case. They dropped all the charges. They– I prophesied they would.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: (Voice climbs) That’s what comes when people will get off their backside and stand up for each other.
Congregation: Cheers.
Jones: (Voice rises) You’ve got to stand behind one another. United you stand, divided you fall.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: You gotta love freedom, and you gotta let them know that you’re not going to let your freedom be taken away. You gotta let them know if they take the freedom of one, they’ve got to take the freedom of all. You got to go on record right now, we must go on record, so that the whole nation and all of Los Angeles County will hear us, if you come in here to take one of us in a concentration camp, you better come to take us all.
Congregation: Cheers.
Voice in Crowd: Yes. Yes.
Jones: (Full throat) We won’t give up one white, we won’t give up one Jewish, we won’t give up one black, we won’t give up one Mexican. We are one family. There’s no races, or creeds, or colors in this Mighty Christ in which we serve.
Congregation: Cheers.
Jones: (Voice calms) Now I think I’ve made this clear to the ratfinks that are in our midst today.
Voice in Crowd: Yes.
Congregation: Stirs.
Jones: (Voice climbs throughout) Say, why are you preaching so long. I’ve got reasons. (Pause) I’ve got reason. I want to set the record straight. Every now and then, you’ve gotta remind, when you’re dealing with a pack of wild animals, you gotta remind them that you mean business. When you got a bunch of bullies around you, if you keep backing off, they’ll push you clear out of existence.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: We want to go on record. We’ll live peacefully with all people, but don’t you try to hurt one of the least of our little ones, because if you do, you’ll have to kill us to get to them.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Hallelujah. And I know you’re saying back there, I know that’s true, isn’t it now, Sister Miller, your– your mind is wandering away. You’re saying, what’s this got to do with God? (Cries out) Everything.
Congregation: Calls.
Jones: (Calls out) Because if you do not love liberty, you do not love God. If you don’t have freedom, you don’t have God.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: If you don’t care about freedom, you can never know God.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: (Full throat) For where the Spirit of liberty is, what? Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17), and you’re to stand fast in the freedom, the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free, and be not a slave again for any man (Galatians 5:1). That’s what your Scripture tells you, and that’s what I’m preaching, and more than that, that’s what I’m practicing, bless your heart.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: (Calms) Hallelujah. Subject settled. (Pause) So don’t tell me what I’ll preach in my pulpit. You can take my tax exemption. You can send us to war, but you better be prepared for a fight, when you come for us.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: (Softly) Hallelujah.
Voices in Crowd: Hallelujah.
Jones: I’m later than I usually would like, but there was business to take care of. The offertory workers have come back. Now this is a dire treasure, the Baptist Convention in Texas. It still is, the official there. I gave him his eyesight back, and the anointing flowed from my hands, the blood flowed from my hands and healed his eyes. And he was prophesied to go tell the truth and he’s been doing it. And he’s 87 now, and when he came here in the wheelchair– wheelchair he was 86. He’s up there with (unintelligible word), he said I’ve never seen a heaven like this. He said, this is a greater heaven than all the heavens I’ve dreamed about. So we’re ready in a case of war or depression or earthquakes, we’re ready. But in the case of a dictatorship where we have to say, Pharaoh, let my people go (Exodus 5:1, “And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go…”), then we have to get land abroad. We have to make a way through the Red Seas through the wilderness (Exodus 13:18, “But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.” Also Exodus 15:22, Deuteronomy 1:40, Deuteronomy 2:1). We’ve got to make a way, and God’s going to help those that help themselves.
Voice in Crowd: Yes.
Jones: I’ve never seen nobody get any help unless they first help themselves. People too lazy, critters too lazy to stand up and help themselves, don’t deserve any help. (Pause) Oh, come on now.
Congregation: Scattered applause.
Jones: When I call Sister White down here that was in the wheelchair for five years, when I called her out and healed her, if I had just called and she hadn’t answered, she’d still been sitting in a wheelchair. But when I called, (voice rises) she answered and she got off of her backside.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: (Calms) She had to take that first step and some of you got to take that first step for freedom today. So I mentioned to some, I uh–
(tape edit)
Jones: –Kingdom come, thy will be done heaven in (voice rises) earth (Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4). (Pause) You’re not going to fly anywhere. They’ve been teaching that for hundreds of years. Every moment, he’s going to come soon. He’s going to come soon to those who get off their backside and recognize the only Christ (Cries out) is in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:26-27, “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”). That’s where it is, down here on earth down in you. (Calms) I want to be ready, I want my children ready, because I’m a good father. And you saw how I fought in the courts and got ‘em all free. I fought for Reverend Jackson, when he was 92– he 93, they put him in jail under a false charge. First time in his life. I didn’t wait twenty minutes till I had the bail, and I told him– I said, you won’t go back, and you didn’t, did you? No, you didn’t. Healed him of a broken leg the same day he broke it, and he was dead a year ago, and I healed him of that, raised him from the dead. And I look after my children, and I’m going to look after them (voice rises throughout) always in every way in all points. I’m going to be ready for all points. I don’t want the enemy to slip up with any points. I want to be ready for everything they bring. If they bring it, we’ll be able to take it.
Voice in Crowd: Yes.
Jones: (Moderates) That’s it. Worship when you’re giving, because it’s a high time when we take money to build this holy family. We’re not getting no preacher’s anniversaries, no rings, these are used shirts, used shoes, used robes, no Cadillac waiting for me out there, but there’s some buses that can get you through. (Chuckles)
Congregation: Stirs, then applause.
Jones: And you know what they told us? Said, buy your bus tires. We had a little bird in a high place, said you better buy some bus tires at a discount now, because you won’t be able to even get these bus tires in a matter of a few weeks. So we had to buy $10,000 worth of bus tires. So we got bus parts, ‘cause honey, we’re not gonna be waiting for anybody, we don’t believe in getting out on the road and praying when we coulda helped ourselves before we got there.
Congregation: Light applause.
Jones: That’s foolishness. If it did– wasn’t written in the Bible, it oughta been. God helps those that help themselves. Anyone else in the last minute, thousand dollars?
(Tape edit)
That’s just a parable. Jesus said when you see me, you’ve seen what? The Father. He said I come in who? My Father’s name. I and my Father are one (John 14). That was just a parable about God so loving the world. If you love the world, you’ll come down and fight it yourself. You won’t send your son.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: Come on now. You don’t send your son to fight a battle for you. You fight your (calls out) own battle (John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”).
Congregation: Light applause.
Jones: I want you to know, God is on the scene today. (Cries out) I said, the savior is on the scene today. He’s fighting his own battles. The Father has come. This is the day of God on earth. He’s come and he’s fighting his own battles. He’s not sending his son, he’s not sending a servant, he’s not sending a messenger. I’m telling you, God is on the scene.
Congregation: Light applause.
Jones: Say, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Well, I do. There’s a few of us that do. You won’t take it away from us, hallelujah, you can’t take it away from us. (Voice rises throughout) If God appeared to Moses (Exodus 3), and God appeared to Manoah (Judges 13), and God appeared to Jacob (Genesis 31, Genesis 35:9-13), and God walked with those old prophets, minor and major, and walked with kings like Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:28) and Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-14) (moderates, then climbs) that had great wealth and didn’t share it and even owned slaves, if God would walk with them and not with us today, he’d be guilty of discrimination. He’d be a respecter of persons, but it says God is no respecter of persons. Respect of person is sin (James 2:9, “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” Also Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 1:17, Deuteronomy 16:19, etc.). If God had a body in the day of Jesus, then he’s got a body today, because God is the same today, yesterday, and forever, if you’re choosing to use the terms of God. (Pause) (Moderates voice) All right, anyhow, it’s truth, whether you want to take it, lump it or like it. (Pause) The ultimate truth is here. God. God is love. Love is God. Apostolic justice communalism is God, and it’s here. In a body. Yes, in a body. Don’t make the mistake they did when they laid Jesus in the tomb. Mary and Martha said, where are they taking our Lord? Where are they taking our Pastor? – Lord means pastor, shepherd – where are they takin’ him? The gardener was walking by them, they said he was a gardener. (Calms) He said well, he’s– they’re taking him nowhere. But they didn’t understand, and the Bible said, as they walked away from him they thought he was the gardener, but it was the same God, the same Jesus. (Voice rises) He didn’t look the same, he had different hair color, he must have had different body shape, he mighta been a little taller, he might’ve been a different race, but it was the (cries out) very same Jesus, and the very same God (John 20:13-15).
Voice in Crowd: Yes.
Jones: (In full throat) That’s the mystery of this great law. God didn’t ever go anywhere, because God is within you. (Luke 17:20-21, “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”) God is here in the midst of his people, mighty to save. (Pause, calms) Say, I’m not shouting or clapping for it. Well, you will when you get this– When you this great salvation. (Voice rises) Oh, when you find out that God is embodiment, when you find out that the Word is made flesh (John 1, esp. 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”), when you know that he’s discerning the thoughts, knowing the intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”). (Pause, calms, then climbs throughout) Yes, you’ll shout, you’ll sing, you’ll clap, you’ll praise, you’ll be on your feet when you know that the revolution has come in bodily form.
Congregation: Stirs.
Jones: (Calms) Hallelujah (Clears throat). Who else will give 50 to make that reality–
(tape edit)
Jones: (Voice calm, then climbs throughout) –What the miracles we’ve had here. No man can do these works. Couldn’t be healed. Cancer couldn’t be healed. Put a picture– Followed my word, and the picture would burn a hole into it. Now he’s able to walk amongst us. Surely, no man can do these things. You say, well, the devil can do these things. What liar have you been listening to? (Mark 3:22-23, “And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?”) All good things come down from above (James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”). They called Jesus the prince of devils. They’re always telling you that lie (Mark 3:22-23), but if it’s good, it’s God. If it’s God, it’s good. If it’s good, it’s God.
Voice in Crowd: Yes.
Jones: (Calm) Don’t listen to people, they’re only trying to– they’re jealous– they’re jealous. They don’t have the goods, so they try to keep you away from the fount of every blessing. They try to keep you away from the law of life in Christ Jesus. They try to scare you away. Said, well, the devil can heal. You never read that in your life. Said, he can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14, “…Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light”). Said, many will come in the name of Christ and will deceive many, but that was fulfilled in (unintelligible word) generation. It had to be fulfilled in twenty years. Read Matthew 13– or Mark 13, Matthew 24, that had to be fulfilled in twenty years. But that doesn’t apply to us (Mark 13, Matthew 24). There’s no lying signs and wonders here. But you never saw anyplace where anyone ever said that anyone could heal, except God or good be in them.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: Said, well, many will say we’ve done it. Sure. There’re all kinds of liars. They’re on every corn– church corner. They’ve got five churches of the same denomination, every block. They’re saying that God sent them, but they’re (shouts) liars.
Congregation: Applause and cheers
Jones: (Calms, then builds) I’m going to tell you, if you had good sense, you’d know God was here. You wouldn’t have to have anybody tell you. You’d know this love that heals the people, that adopts eight children that I have, taken in every senior citizen, takes in everyone that comes, even the little homeless animals. Surely, you had any sense, you’d know that (cries out) God is in this place. (Calms) Hey hey. Spirit (Clears throat)
Congregation: Oh yes.
Jones: Will you give 40 as a brother that came out of a wheelchair? Will you give 35? Will you give 30? Will you give 20–
Part II
Jones: –and these flea markets couldn’t sell things that of no value to you, but the people of the world want–
(Long pause)
Jones: And she was told to go through a window, and like most of us, she’s not small enough to go through a grill, but she listened and she was obedient, and she went through that window, and there’s not a scratch on her back there.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: (Shouts) Good God.
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: (Calls out) Now it tis so sweet to trust in our socialist Jesus. (Pause) (Calms) Bless you. Somebody came by early this morning when I was there. Of course, I steered my bus away from going to Los Angeles and came right to this site while it was still burning, to give comfort. Though I had already made my appearance inside the building. I stood there and someone said, oh, I’m so sorry. I said I’m not. I said we didn’t– we didn’t lose a life. We didn’t get a singed hair. We didn’t even get– we didn’t even get little smoke inhalation. The group that they burned down, to our sorrow, up on Steiner and Macallister just the first part of the week, 21 of their people out of 30 were hospitalized. (Pause) Even one of their leaders said– One of their leaders came by and talked to our people, said, well, we uh, need to find what you’ve got that does this kind of work for you.
Congregation: Stirs, then applause.
Jones: Because that’s no small miracle. I’ve seen many an evening in that vestibule. When people would be slumbering, when six months ago I asked the maintenance people to get a fire and burglary alarm system, and they never did get it done. I remember looking so well down on that vestibule, and I said people’d sleep right here through a fire. And they came through the kitchen, unfortunately, a hole that I’d ordered closed up a year ago in there nearly. We want– I close– I wanted it closed in September when we purchased the building, it’s still not closed. That’s where it came. Something to consider, despite of all the– not in– not in willful harsh disobedience, but just careless lack of following instructions. And he slipped through there, and no one ever knew it, no one ever heard him slip through there and poured gasoline in 10 different spots. And I mean that house was filled with flames when our sister was saved. Smoke and flames that choked the firemen the moment he entered it. He went to the hospital, but I brought her through.
Congregation: Sustained applause.
Voice in Crowd: Praise God.
Jones: Beautiful. I’d talked to security, called them up Wednesday about the security being lax. I didn’t want us to have any scolding, ‘cause I said I need to keep the vibrations high on Wednesday. You remember. I said, don’t want any scolding tonight. Gotta keep faith high, because I won’t see some people alive, if we don’t keep things high.
Voices in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: And so I kept things high and sent the people to counsel, but security was lacking. Now I’ve been telling you that they’re people in this world out to burn black people. I’ve told you, and I’ve had Dr. [Richard] Tropp stand up and he has shown you that he lost all 60 of his family in concentration camps, in gas ovens, and no one really can believe that till it comes home, and I did not say that you wouldn’t go through trials. (Deliberate) I just said, that with every trial and with every temptation I have promised, (Voice rises) I will make a way of escape. That’s what I promised.
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: Peace. There’s nothing more you can do, than to save a building from falling down on people and keep the walls intact. Even today, when someone was trying to go through to get some important things that were amazingly salvaged, Sister Morton had a picture over some valuable things, uh, one of my pictures was hung up. As for instructions, everything was saved, in spite of the building all being burned up.
Congregation: Light applause.
Jones: But every vital thing I had in my own room was saved, because there was a certain aura. Even though it was the place that burned. The back part of the building, or the stage burned the most flagrantly, but every valuable thing I had was saved. Even my shirts. They’d gotten two new shirts. I said, I don’t want those two new shirts. I– I– Someone had gotten them, but I said, oh my goodness, they must not be destroyed. And I went up there, and believe me, people saw me carry them out. They– they– they were not destroyed.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: And I didn’t want them selfishly. They were not my size anyway. I wanted to give them but they were beautiful shirts. And I wanted to give them away, because they were a size 16 and I wear a size 15 ½. And there were four of them – beautiful – and they looked at them and said oh, they’re burned. I said they’re not burned. They looked on the outside they just looked like they just been burned, but that plastic, though it had been burned and scorched, there wasn’t a spot on the shirt, was there?
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Sister Rose was down there, she can tell you, there wasn’t a spot, there not a spot on the shirts. It’s beautiful. And I said I need some socks. I don’t want my socks burned. None of my socks were burned. I had some important books that were valuable. There wasn’t a– wasn’t even a bit of smoke on the books. Though the whole building– the floor burned out of my apartment, yet nothing was lost that I wanted lost.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: I mean– I didn’t want lost was lost, and everything else we can replace. We’ll come out of this. And not only will we come out of it, but as I said on Wednesday before it happened, I said bring us your fire and we’re turn it around and use it for the glory of God socialism.
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: (More emphatic) I guess it had to happen. (Pause) I have warned that we must be obedient. I’ve warned that we must keep our minds and our attention constantly alert to what the Spirit is speaking through this pure channel. I have admonished frequently to listen to every little instruction. As I said, like a burglary alarm system– system that would’ve been as I instructed on every window. If they’d touched the window like they did there in the kitchen, it woulda sent off a signal that in three minutes, the fire department woulda been there.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: So all those things that were not done. Even like the insurance. There wouldn’t have been a dime of insurance on there, if I had not looked at it some months ago. ‘Cause there wasn’t any insurance. I said we’re going to have to have insurance on this place. And then they didn’t follow through and get as much as they could’ve. We only have 75,000 dollars on the building. And 15,000 dollars on personal items and that– Well, if I had had what I wanted done, they would’ve been double that. But people get busy, and neglect what I emphasized, and I think that maybe we’ll learn something out of this. When I tell security, as I did Wednesday, that you’re doing less than the kind of job you can. Now we’re going to have our Temples surrounded, I would think, night and day.
Congregation: Scattered applause.
Jones: I hope to think that we will be able to follow instructions now. Say, how old do you have to be? Is there any danger? No, there’s no danger from thieves like that. They would have– Uh– If one of us would have met them face to face, they’d of fell over. (Quiet) They have to slip in the night. You say, they meant to burn us up. That may be, but they’re no– they’re dealing with one that will end up burning them up.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: I personally took the liberty to announce by faith, if I have to give my own adopted children’s educational fund, then believe that I will recreate it. I have personally announced that I will give 5,000 dollars reward. I already know where it’s at, but you see, I want to get somebody come out. My gift can’t convict anybody in court. My gift can do other things, but I’d like to see them exposed.
Voice in Crowd: Yes.
Jones: I said I would give them 5,000– I will give 5,000 dollars of reward. Reward to those who would give information leading to the arrest and the conviction of those behind this nefarious thing. I said I’ll even plead for leniency for the one that carried out, providing I get the information from the ones behind it. ‘Cause I know who’s behind it. I just want to get a conviction.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Peace. Now I’m not concerned about what they’re going to do to us. But they’re going to end up burning up some people that don’t have God on the scene. Just like that Lutheran group down on Steiner. They don’t have God on the scene there. They– All they can do there is get their leader out in the street, prayin’, while 21 of them were having to be sent to the hospital. But we’ve got God on the scene. So I’m not worried about what was going to happen to us.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: (Voice climbs) I did say there would be fiery trials, but I reiterate and I do declare that I will not allow more to be put on you than you are able to bear. I said it, and I will carry it out.
Congregation: Applause.
Voice in Crowd: Good God.
Jones: (Quiet, then climbs throughout) Spirit. Now I prophecy according to my measure of faith (Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”), and you never met such faith in all your life. And I will adjudicate what I have said. I will carry out every statement. I have said to you that, keep my sayings, you will never– I mean if you live a million years – and I may just do that, allow some of you to live a million years without ever going by the grave – I say to you that I will not allow more to be put on you than you are able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”).
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: I have proved successfully, I have exonerated beyond a shadow of doubt the premise that I can raise the dead, though you are dead yet shall you live (John 11:25, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”). I have proven that, as I did in our campaign all through the whole of the South and the whole of the United States. (Conversational) And incidentally, we’re on the editorial page of the Washington Post, saying it’s the finest group that ever came through Washington D.C.
Congregation: Light applause.
Jones: I have it here, a photostat of it. And it tells the beauty of our work and the beauty of integration. Washington Post is the greatest newspaper in the United States. It’s the one that exposed Watergate and has brought back some semblance of hope to save America, at least momentarily, from fascism. And it says, of all the tourist groups that have ever come, the finest that has ever been– And this is on the editorial page, it’s an editorial comment on the 18th of August in the Washington Post. So on this journey I have proved successfully that I could raise the dead, because we had seven dead in Houston in one moment. They brought them there so sick that seven of them died, one in a wheelchair who’d been taken off of the kidney machine, and I not only healed her, I had her dancing.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: I not only raised her from the dead when she was gone without a trace of life and in a wheelchair, I brought her back and had her dancing.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Voice in Crowd: All right.
Jones: So I have proved that I can raise the dead. Though you were dead, yet shall you live (John 11:25). I have proven that equation. (Voice rises) And I have said something else, that if you will keep my sayings, you that live shall never die, if you will keep my sayings (John 8:51, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”).
Congregation: Applause.
Voice in Crowd: Yes. Hallelujah.
Jones: (Calm) Now in that case, why don’t you take cognizance of this, if I’ve brought back so many dead as I have. And I’ve brought back dead people from Houston, Gulfport, Mississippi, woman dead who was on digitoxin, digitalis, on all kind of (unintelligible word), high– high blood pressure controlled. She had none of it and in her eighties, precious sister. What’s her name? Viola Ewing. Where– There she is, right there. She was dead in Hou– Hou– but she was dead in Gulfport, Mississippi, and that’s an awful place to die.
Congregation: Stirs, then applause.
Jones: Do you know what happens to people who’ve been on digitoxin and digitalis, and they get off of it? (Pause) They haven’t got a snowball’s chance in hell of getting revived. But she was laying out there, and she said, oh, Father, I don’t want to take this trip, then she faded away from me. And I said, I won’t disappoint her. And her body was as cold till I had to take my hand and make– uh, stimulate the movement of her heart. But I would not let her go, and when I got her aroused, she said, I can’t go to the hospital, they won’t let me go (unintelligible word), and then she fainted away from me. And I just kept that heart beating with the palm of my hands. And she rose up from Gulfport, Mississippi to go all through our campaigns, and never have a moment, and here she is tonight, standing in this meeting. Praising God.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Bless you, bless you.
Voice in Crowd: Yeah.
Jones: (Shouts) Do you know? (Calms) People get discouraged, some of our enemies come over and come by, and said, well, we’re so sorry. I said, don’t you worry about it. Everything that happens to us, we make it for good.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: And had more people come by, and got the location of the Temple, and I wish to say that uh, we’ll gain from it. We may lose a little coward or two, but we’ve always been wanting to get rid of the cowards.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: We’ve set in our Temple when they’ve said right there – and I was sitting there – that you ought to have assurance. They’d call in there, you remember how many times been sitting, your Temple’s gonna blow up. The bomb’s already in it. They said the last week in Los Angeles, called up, what are we to do. I said, don’t you move. (Pause) Now you know if I did not know with supernatural power how much I love you, I wouldn’t sent you there if I heard a bomb alert. You remember the last time in San Francisco, they said they’re going to blow the Temple up, the bomb’s already planted in the Temple. I said, when I am here, nothing’s going to happen to you.
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: Peace. (Pause) Sister [Jane] Mutschmann just wanted to send up to another secretary. Her– her building– her room was cut off, and the staircase burned down the roof out, you could see through the sky, and you can see the stars. Everything burned to a crisp up there in her room, but she had put a picture on her desk, and not one important record, file, papers, so important towards the San Francisco work, our mailing list, all of the committees, not one thing was burned, and the picture kept it.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Peace. In my apartment, one room off of my room where I stay and work, the– the floor’s actually burned around like– it looked like a tin can pin– peeled back. ‘Cause sitting in that room was a file with important things in it, and that file doesn’t look like it’s gone through anything.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: And Los Angeles was just raving last night. They said, oh, such expensive equipment, such expensive equipment gone up in the PA room. Then they suddenly (unintelligible word) and says Father, Father. He said, the– what is it they call it, the splicer– the uh, the tape, no, it’s not a splicer but the– the tape mixer, six or seven hundred dollars piece of equipment, said it suddenly materialized here, and it was in San Francisco, but it materialized here.
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: Now I’m not talking about the pragmatics to build socialism. And I would build socialism by any means possible. I’m talking about things that happen from the evolution of the consciousness of socialism God, as we call socialism, that consciousness has brought an evolution that does miracles. Man calls them. We call them perfectly normal. Just extra-normal, paranormal, we’d say it’s just quite ordinary, but believe me in such an atmosphere, we cannot do anything but succeed.
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: When you look over this atmosphere, look over this derrain– this terrain, this geographic situation and consider that we took across America over 700 people– between 700 and 800 ranging as from Ever Rejoicing down here, 98 years of age. One 96, 92, and our sister here in her advanced 80s, who died, people come on that board– bus with– with blood clots, they boarded the bus with gangrene like Mr. Sellers and got healed by a picture. One of our women had six clots in her legs, and uh, her body was just like a rock. Another man, his temperature was thrown out of regulation because of a blood clot, and he went clear out of regulation, and his leg was just like calcifications, just streaks of blood and gangrene going up and down it, and I healed him. Just like I look here and see Sister Cunningham, didn’t I see her, and a stroke had uh– a stroke had struck her while I was gone so bad that it impaired the brain control, the temperature valve. And when a stroke hits you that bad, that’s the end of it. Look at her walking tonight.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Spirit. Peace. General Hospital, Ukiah, I came to her at 4 o’clock in the morning, and set up her healing and brought things in control.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Peace. So that’s beautiful to consider what– a stroke, a total stroke that it– when it affects the brain, temperature mechanisms. That’s a miracle. A miracle of miracles.
Congregation: Light applause.
Jones: (Calls out) I wonder what would happen if we were obedient all the time. When nobody died, people said they were astounded. (Calms) I mean heathens, as you would call them. People that were atheist. We had park commissioners praising us, ‘cause we got in the newspaper up and down America. We caused people to leave the Ku Klux Klan. They turn off the parks, but we’ve got them to turn the park water back on, give us facilities, empty our buses in their septic tanks, uh, Union stations, highway patrol from Alabama to Mississippi, we churn– we churn the bit of love in those Ku Klux Klan and turned them around and caused one Ku Klux Klan to get with Sister Ever who’s 98 and Sister [Marceline] LeTourneau, took his picture on the front page of the Greenville Carol– South Carolina News saying he was leaving the Ku Klux Klan.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Peace. The news came in for the Houston folk. By the way the Houston folk got in and got a job. You know what happened to us on Sunday night. They didn’t know anything about our work, but this whole carload of people’d come, just because they’ve seen so many miracles, seen me take people out of wheelchairs there and heal people in body casts and blindness, so they said (unintelligible word) he’s got more power with Jesus so they just took on the road.
Voice in Crowd: That’s right.
Jones: And they didn’t have any money, but they started on the road–
Voice in Crowd: Wonderful.
Jones: – and they got in New Mexico and they had a horrible accident. They didn’t get proper planning. I told everyone in Houston to make clearance before they came. Well, they didn’t think– they were just anxious. And they got strown all over the highway. They came down Sunday, you saw all the dip– depth of despair over there in our San Francisco church. There was five of them laying in the highway. The time they– the message came, what was to do, a man was bewildered. He didn’t know what to do, they didn’t have any money, didn’t know what to do with the people. Highway patrolman, we had to get a hold of him, had to make arrangements to get to a farm house and so– get the man come to the phone. I said, well, you don’t know as– as much about what I am as my people do, but if you’ll listen to my instruction, I said, I think one of them’s got a picture. He said, I believe they do, and so he said– I said, get that picture and I’ve got some instructions for you to follow. You take that picture and you go down one by one. He said they’re laying there, bleeding, unconscious, waiting on the ambulance. I said, don’t you fret now, you follow my instruction. And he went down there, and ten minutes later, he came to the phone, he said every one of them is standing up.
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: (Calls out) Good God Almighty. Well, last night they not only– they came up there while Sister Rose was (stumbles over words) the workers of the Staff, with the– all the taking of the offering and said they had a job. Every one of them had a job.
Voice in Crowd: Right.
Jones: Got to Los Angeles and they (Shouts) all had a job.
Congregation: Cheers and applause.
Jones: Said, we want to stay here a little while to get some money, ‘cause we don’t want to come up and be any more of a burden. Said your miracle had to bring us here, and now we’re going to go and get us some work. And one of them got a government job. One of them didn’t have a high school education and got a government job. One of the women got a government job.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: Civil Service clerk, and she only sees me as a– She said, you’re a great Jesus man.
Voice in Crowd: Hallelujah.
Jones: Wonder what’s going to happen when she sees me what I really am.
Congregation: Applause.
Jones: So we have too much to be thankful for, to worry about little old sticks and bones and stones over there. And as I said last night, I said they won’t find any mouse, they’ll not even find a mouse, ‘cause those mice have been good to me. I had those mice over in that Temple trained not to bother certain places, and they said when they went through there today, they couldn’t find a mouse, not a cat, nothing– nothing living was hurt, not even the plants.
Congregation: Applause.
Voice in Crowd: So good so good.
Jones: And what do you think– Now we have to– we have to do some quick work on that and we must. They sent a note, the uh, department over there, the mayor [Deputy Mayor Joe Johnson] said he’d (unintelligible word) give us help to get ground if we want it. There are some feeling that the building could be restored, there are some feeling that it can’t be. But it’s the health department, naturally, the city inspector, they he– hesitated and hated to do it, but they had to put the immediate warning because of dangerous conditions, the building must be repaired or destroyed immediately. So when we find out Monday what we can do with it, whether we wish to keep it or not, (pause) we must certainly see that we don’t lose anything on it, ‘cause we are planning for great days. We’re planning for a fire that we’re not gonna be in.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: Peace. (Raises voice) And I think some of you’ll believe now what I’ve been telling you. (Moderates) There’re people in America that will burn you to death. And this was a black man that came in there, and did the honky’s business, full well knowing that– he didn’t know I was who I am. He intended to burn 40 people alive in their sleep, because if I had not delayed that meeting and let those buses– I never hold a meeting till between two and three o’clock. Maybe one, but lately, it’s been 11. And I held it, I just kept holding it, and I kept preaching about what was gonna come our way, and uh, everybody woulda been sound asleep, while he slipped through that kitchen, put all that gas around, and in three minutes, the fire inspector said, nobody coulda got out. Three minutes. That’s what he said. That’s what he told us. Three minutes, he said, it’d been finished. ‘Cause they put it at the staircases. A black Uncle Tom was willing to burn up his own black brothers and sisters. (Pause) Now if you think the Uncle Tom will do that, how much more will Mickey Mouse do?
Congregation: Applause
Jones: And then to think that Lorraine was in it when it was engulfed in flames. They said no more than the fire had begun, they said within six minutes the fire was up the stairs and through the roof. They put that much gas in there. Our people would’ve never known it, but now, I’ll bet– I’ll bet you my eyeteeth, that wherever we are at, every window will be sealed, ‘cause I won’t depend on anybody carrying my instructions out – as busy as I am, it’s a shame, I oughta be able to – but I will see that we’ve got the burglar alarm system myself through every window, through every hole, on every edge on the roof. I kept telling ‘em about what could happen up through that roof, kept warning them, I said that roof is a vulnerable spot, but people just– (Pause) Well, they just don’t realize how serious it is, till it comes home. That’s why I had to let this thing come home to us. It didn’t need to happen, but it’s a good lesson, because when we look at that thing, you’ll know how mean America is, and when I tell you to start and get ready to leave to the Promised Land, you better move.
Congregation: Applause
Jones: Because as the mayor said back there, he said you’re the only s– bit of sanity left in this country. Said, the mayor said, this is the only bit of sanity left in the land. (Pause) He said, naturally they want to put Peoples Temple out, ’cause there’s nothing left sane anywhere, except Peoples Temple. Said, you’re the hope for the world, and that’s the way the papers talked across the nation. And we had that kind of effect, when in Houston we closed down, as Sister Crane called, Brother Archie [Ijames] and said we closed down a whole Ku Klux Klan chapter. The love that was shown there closed down a whole Ku Klux Klan chapter, and I mean, I did not put– pull any punches, I didn’t hold back anything in Houston. The preachers threatened me, the wh– black preachers threatened, if I came outside, they’d shoot me, and I went outside and had more people– I had a house packed inside in a balcony, and I went out and had as many people as the lower floor preaching to them outside, and I said, (Calls out) “Shoot me if you can.”
Congregation: Applause
Jones: One of the officers who wants to get a job here, one of the officers said, “Reverend, they’ll do it, this is crazy country.” I said, now you know you can die with the stroke, you can die of heart trouble, you can die with cancer, I said you can run out and get run over by some fool honky with a Chevrolet, and I said, if they did shoot me, which they’re not, officer, I want you to (tape distortion for one word), I said it’s quick (snaps fingers) (tape distortion), everybody worried about dyin’, and unless I do something about it, you’re all gonna die anyway.
(Tape silence for several moments)
Jones: Say, I don’t want to– want to get back over there, that’s mean people. Honey, you tell me anyplace in America there ain’t mean people today, huh?
Congregation: Calls out
Jones: Said, not safe over there on Geary. (Pause) Well, if we go back on Geary, and that’s not decided, we’ll let you participate, ‘cause we’re a family, we’ll let you participate in that decision, but if we go back on Geary, we’re gonna have a dog that’ll meet anybody that comes through, and he won’t say woof, he’ll just go (sounds of a bite)
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: If they’re fortunate enough to meet the dog, but the system I have set up, if it’d been set up, the moment they touched a window seal, they woulda set off alarm and panic and a siren that woulda raised the dead, if that were possible for anybody else but me. But anyway, we oughta’ve had it in the beginning. But now we’ve got to rebuild, and we’ve got to do it quickly, and I’m sure you’re gonna rally, you need to get projects as you never had, because I said, people, busily, didn’t even carry out the instructions to raise the insurance. (Pause) We’ve got free advertising, I’m sure, the televisions, the newspapers are all talking about the premonition, Mayor Johnson said, he said that people’ve got respect for your gift all over this town that didn’t have it. Said– because, he said, it’s on radio and the TV, how you saved those people’s lives. And certainly– and if anybody had any sense as in that meeting, they know who saved the lives.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: Peace. (Pause) And I mean to tell you, everybody woulda been asleep, cozily asleep at 10:30, and again, people doing that to me, frustrating– people had– they said they had to get up and do certain things tomorrow, there a lot of pressure, people had to get back to the city, and they’d list that and the other, and there was some driver that had something he had to do. I said, now let me tell you, don’t bother me, this meeting’s going to go on till I’m ready for it to stop. But people with– If I’da listened to people on Wednesday night, there’da been 40 to 50, maybe 60 people, burned to a crisp. So when are you going to let me have my way and shut your mouth?
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: (Voice climbs) And I say my way, only in the term that my way is God Socialism’s way. I don’t do anything but to help you. I don’t do anything but to save you. There’ve been fires all over America that have killed church people. In Redwood Valley, people died in that little church, by fire, down from us, that bigoted church, they’ve had accidents that’s killed their leading elders, they’ve only got 75 members. They lost a whole family in a fire. But you’ve had fires, there’ve been fires like the Giegs, like our sister, the Indian sister that sings, all those people, I’ve given revelation, I’ve wakened you up, there’s fires like Zipporah Edwards, Hyacinth Thrash, your fires all around, and I’ve never lost one– not one of you got singed. (Calls out) Why don’t you start trusting me?
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: (Full throat) Some of you would’ve never known I could do it. It took the church to burn down for you to believe that I’ve got power to bring you through the fire.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: You’ve sung– You’ve sung so long, some through great trials, some through the waters, some through the floods, and some through the fire. I did not say you wouldn’t go through fire, I did not say you wouldn’t go through hell, but I said, if you go through hell, (Cries out) I will bring you out of hell.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: It’s a truth too sharp to be denied, too many facts of history (voice moderates) that has documented this holy principle. Socialism is a higher thought, and it brings higher vitality, it brings higher energy, it bertain– it brings life and resurrection. And you talk about wanting to be religious. Who would want to be religious when they can be socialistic, because religious people– they got this religious people down there, that– this Lutheran church, they believe their leader is Paul, Apostle Paul reincarnated, come back. All he could do is get in the street and pray for his people.
Congregation: Stirs
Jones: Twenty-one of them went to the hospital. I didn’t bother to pray. I just stood in the bus. They said the news– My God, we’re on the way to Los Angeles. I said, there nobody hu– nobody hurt. I didn’t say it for a moment, I toodn’t– stood motionless, ‘cause I was there, though I was standing at the front of Bus 7.
Voice in congregation: That’s right.
Jones: Police came up there and stopped, said, your church is burning down. That’s all they said. And I said immediately to the people on the bus, I said, an arsonist. I knew who had done that. Then I said, there nobody harmed. And how (unintelligible word) was I able to say it? Because I put myself there to see that nobody was harmed.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: If one if my children was being harmed, I’d be pulling my hair out. And a whole Bus of 7– How many was on Bus 7? You can tell how calm I stood, right at that front of that bus. You heard my statement. Very well. Now let’s get on with our work. Tonight they took the offering, the offering wasn’t even enough to maintain a regular Friday night meeting, now we’ve gotta rebuild a Temple. Or to rebuild something. We’re gonna rebuild something. Uh, we may do something even better, and get in the better position, that’s up to us. But we want to do something with that building, because if we don’t do some immediate work with the building, it has to be torn down. And that may be what we want to do with it, too. There’s another– uh, enough– there’re several alternatives open to us. The group next door to us want to sell. I was in there, they want 250,000, and we walked out today, I said, won’t pay you no 250,000. Say, well, you need a church. I said we don’t need the church that bad, we’ve been– we– we went to San Francisco for two years, we just drove our buses up and down Redwood Valley, I said, we won’t pay you one dime over 175,000. And oh, that’s a big place, it seat twice what ours will. And it’s got a bent– much bigger kitchen, and the auditorium needs nothing done to it much, and uh, there’s a pipe organ in it and there is uh, I believe the rug, the– I– I thought the carpeting looked as good as our carpeting. And I looked it just– just briefly. That’s a possibility. The mayor’s back there talking about getting us a very reasonable rate, a plot of ground where we could build a church and build housing around it, and put fencing around it. We’ve got some alternatives, but we gotta have some money quickly tonight to do some reinforcement of that Temple, or it’s gonna go down, because the only reason it’s being held up now is because my spirit’s holding it up, ‘cause it was gutted. And to think that not a living thing was hurt, and that our files, where my pictures were, that one woman’s dress, laying on the bed, her clothes, the picture was right there, and the picture didn’t get singed, nor none of the things got singed. Now that’s something to talk about, children, that’s something to talk about.
Congregation: Applause
Jones: Now uh, many of you will have to uh, think of the creative ways – you’re a beautiful bunch – think of things you can sell and do and bake sales, and rally round. We’ve got some friends. We’ve got people who called– strangely enough, people who– one of the persons who’s offered some assistance on the uh, the reward money, the Jewish doctor– and I’m not gone tell on the Muslim, but one Muslim person called me and givin’ a hundred and fifty dollars on the reward money–
Congregation: Delayed applause
Jones: Mmm-hmm. (Pause) I know very well that there some that would like to see us burned up and might even help do it, but there’re all kinds of people– We got friends everywhere. Not as strong as we are, we know we can trust only us, that’s where it gets down to, we’ll carry through, we’ll have to carry our own cost. But we’re gonna get through. I said a thousand will follow our right hand maybe and 10,000 are left (calls out) but we will go through.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Unknown male: (speaks off mike for two sentences in low voice about fire department saying the building will fall when it cools)
Jones: When? Tonight?
Unknown male: (unintelligible)
Jones: Yeah, the fire– the fire department said today that the minute the fire was over, the buil– the building would fall down. (Pause) Well, it hasn’t fallen down yet.
Congregation: Stirs
Jones: But– but, uh, if we don’t do something, as I say, quick, that’s what uh– that’s what’s in store. So if there’s anyone here tonight that can make a sacrifice, in a large sum of money, do it now. Know how to get a hold of some large money. If anybody here that’ll give a thousand dollars tonight, get on your feet quickly. (Pause) Thank you, Brother Johnson. Sweet of you. Anybody that’ll give a thousand dollars with him, ‘cause we gotta do some immediate work there. We don’t want to be pushed into going there if we don’t want to, we don’t want to be pushed into buying a place next to it. Neither do we wish to be pushed in taking what the mayor offered, ‘cause we’ve got this school, due to the connections with some in the city, all we’re paying is the hourly wage of the people who are here in attendance. (Pause) I think it comes to about uh, the engineer for the heating, which I wouldn’t’ve had, except for some of you seniors who think you get cold too, and I don’t want you to get cold, even if you think you’re cold. But I think the combined wage is 27 dollars an hour. There no cost on the building. So I’d rather stay here every Friday, and every uh, other week will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and every other Sunday we’ll have it– Next Friday and Sunday night, we’ll be here, next Friday, Sunday morning, we’ll be here, ‘cause we’re going on, just like the way we did. (Pause) If we decide to take off a couple of weeks, go up in Redwood Valley, after we’ve su– been sure that the morale is all right, a nice time of the year, best time of the year up there is September. Oh, it’s beautiful. We can pick pears on Sunday and run our buses up there, we’ll have our every-other-weekend meeting there, till we get ready to do what we want to do. Because we’re not in a hurry to get anywhere but to get out of Babylon when the time comes.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: Now we know where Babylon is. If some people don’t know where Babylon is, we know where it’s at. You know, you think people can’t burn up three churches in just a matter [of] a few hours– And it’s interesting to know that, you see how they work this, the man that wrote the bad article had indicted all those churches too. He attacked one of them worse than us. All three of the churches that were burned down were attacked by the good Reverend [Lester] Kinsolving. And we’ve got some facts that the Reverend Kinsolving was in a church that burned up on which he collected some insurance.
Voice in congregation: Right.
Jones: Oh, Father is a sleuth.
Congregation: Laughter, cheers and applause
Jones: This may be the thing that’ll fix Kinsolving up for good, and if it co– took our building to burn up, we’ll be glad to give our building to get rid of Kinsolving forever, wouldn’t we?
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: I told you he was a devil. (Pause) I said he was the devil incarnate. And he is, but the people that wanted to take him and use him to destroy us, they didn’t get it done. So if you think the people who couldn’t destroy us in a newspaper, and we turned the fire right around, and the Spirit set fire to the 240 of their newspapers– 240,000 of their newspapers and destroyed it, let me tell you one thing. We will certainly go through that little ol’ bonfire over there. (More emphatic) We’re gonna go through it.
Congregation: Scattered calls and applause
Jones: Not only will we go through it, but we’ll get glory from it. Belva Davis on Channel 5, we– when she was over– she was– she appeared on the uh, TV in Los Angeles, saying it’s the most generous church, the most compassionate church, you’ll never find a church like it, they helped– they gave money that saved the eyes of a little colored child, she told all that, and all up and down, even one white newsman that’s been unfriendly, said, now enough has been done to Jim Jones, leave him alone.
Congregation: Scattered applause
Jones: Kaley’s– KCBS has called me for an interview for their– the release in and throughout their network on Monday, I go Monday to– for that. On Tuesday, we’re on The [Jim] Dunbar Show, and believe me, I’ve got plenty to talk about on the Dunbar Show.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: Tuesday morning, seven– about seven-five– five after seven. Seven– Five minutes after seven, Tuesday morning, you tune in on Channel 7, and you be there, and all of you follow instructions, you that are involved in this holy crusade, because I certainly gonna mention– I said, it’s quite interesting, that the three churches that were attacked in the newspaper by Reverend Kinsolving are burned down. (Pause) Ooh, that’s gonna light a fire under him.
Congregation: Scattered applause
Jones: And I’ll carefully phrase it. And I’d say, I’d think he’d have more empathy, being that he was in a church that burned down once. (Pause) I’ll get– I’ll nose all around him just as close as I can, ‘cause I don’t want to get involved in any low– any court suits with him right now, I want to take care of him without involving our troubles– our time with his troubles. I don’t want to get involved with that old idiot. (Pause) But time’s gonna take care of him. You can see what’s happened to him already. He once had every day in the Examiner, now all he can get’s a little article in it now and then on a Sunday in the Ch– in the Examiner, and he used to have a whole page, near the editorial page, now he’s got a little ol’ column, and he’s been moved clear out of here. He lost his job, he’s not a– he’s not a reporter with them anymore. He just sells his articles to them. He’s clear over in Washington just reportin’ for an Idaho paper. (Pause) So we sure done somethin’ to that man. He was a nationally-known figure, and since he took us on last September, he’s gone down, down, down, down. So I don’t care. I’m glad– I’m glad for whatever have– we have to go through to get rid of him, and this is a bad thing. There’s a whole lot of people mad at him. One newsman called me, asking for comments, he said, this man oughta be hung. I said, oh, we don’t need to hang him, he already hung himself.
Congregation: Delayed and scattered applause
Jones: Very well. Are there others that’ll make a sacrifice to get us on the road? And say, I’ll give a thousand, Father. (Pause) We’ll get through this. And we’ll learn to follow instructions. And I’ll volunteer for security. Write your name down, too, if you’ll volunteer for security, and offertory workers, take it out, because we gonna to have to have security around our Temples all the time, then we won’t have these kinds of things happening. (Pause) Anyone else that’ll give a thousand tonight? You must give quickly, because last night, it was proven. Said, give quickly, and such miracles. One woman paralyzed, her leg was stiff, her arm was stiff, she got her arm movin’ freely, got to walkin’ freely, got to bend a knee that hadn’t been bent for three or four years, and all I called her out was to heal of her feet that’d been operated on, and I just said, c’mon, I feel like I’ll work with you, and we got her walkin’ and jumpin’ around there, and so many like that. Los Angeles really was in the height of glory last night. We just had the– I mean, cripples, people that anybody could see, they were paralyzed, arms pulled up, and drawn up, legs drawn up, but we got some visible, visible healings that showed we were not going to be defeated by a little ol’ fire in San Francisco.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: One Los Angeles sister came up and she said, tell the family, I’m going out and I’m gonna get something, she said, I– I’ve– I’ve got a way of gettin’ the old man that’s been dating me, she said, I don’t want no part of him, but he’s– he’s offered to give me some money, and she said, I’m going over there tonight, and I’m gonna butter him up, and I’m gone get some money to help you build that Temple.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: I said, darling, I don’t expect you to do anything like that. She said, I must. She said, I haven’t got much, but he wants what I got. (Laughs)
Congregation: Calls and applause
Jones: I– I said, I do not want you to give yourself– She said, I won’t have to give him– I won’t have to give him nothing, she said, I’m gonna set him on that couch and give him some sweet talk, and she said, I’ll have five hundred dollars for the family.
Congregation: Applause
Jones: I said, well, dear, I’m going to leave it with your intuition, but you don’t have to– But I thought the love behind it. I insisted she didn’t do it, but the love behind that precious one– but she said, tell my San Francisco family that I’m gonna help rebuild that Temple. Right then. That was beautiful.
Congregation: Applause
Jones: (Calls out) Isn’t it wonderful to see that we got a family spread out all over this United States?
Congregation: Affirmation and applause
Jones: I talked to the mayor tonight, I said, there 400 people stood up– between three and four hundred people, and perhaps over that, I don’t know, I didn’t count them, in Chicago, wanting the Peoples Temple. I said, will you help us get jobs? He said yes. I said, will you help us get jobs, we’ll bring you more people in here, ‘cause we are– wherever I go, my people go. Wherever I vote, my people vote. And he said, I know, and some other folk know that. So I said, you get us jobs, and I said, I’ll bring you folk from Texas, and I’ll bring ‘em from Chicago, and I’ll bring ‘em from Philadelphia, ‘cause I got people waiting back there to come. All they want– They just don’t want to give up their jobs in these hard times right off. They want to save a little more. So, I– I put it in there. He said, I’ll ho– go hunting, I’ll talk to the mayor [Joseph Alioto] right away. I said, you do. (Pause) And if he knows he can get some votes, you know, these mayors know they can get some votes, they’ll probably make some jobs.
Congregation: Stirs, then light applause
Jones: Oh, we have friends, children. And we’re going back two weeks– the last two weeks in October, we’re not going to miss a Sunday, we’re going to leave on Monday. We told you the food plan’s gonna be changed, we’re gonna carry our own food. We’re gonna have food packs, and we’ll– we’ll give the food packs, we’ll sell them so that everyone has the same kind of a pack. We’ll plan out the food. You tell us what you think you have to have, if you are on some special diet, we’ll have in the equal cartons, and we’re not going to carry these great big luggages. Some women come in here with luggages. Why, we had sisters that went through with one dress. And you surely wouldn’t need more than two, ‘cause you can do a little washing out in the sink. Uh– It’s amazing what I did, because I knew I had to represent you, and I was in the back of that bus, and I had me a little ol’ bucket one time, I washed my hair in that bucket, I washed everything off I had in that bucket, and cleaned out that bucket, cl– (Short laugh) Cleaned my shoes, ‘cause I’d been through the mud, I cleaned my shoes in the bucket, and everything else in that bucket, and rinsed it all out in the same water, and I came out, and folks said I looked pretty good.
Congregation: Affirmation and applause
Jones: You can do and– So we don’t want– and– and we don’t want that kind of unnecessary luggage, ‘cause it would’ve been an ideal trip, if we’da had the food thing arranged. This way, we’ll have each bus planning their own schedule, their own food, we can have their food available, there’ll be no problems. ‘Cause the miracle of how I brought these people through is a story in itself. I want somebody to write a book. People got lost within a block, and I never saw such confusion in my life, till I let the sisters get in the hand. And we did then. We then– when they got in the helm, things began to work out. But it was a miracle of miracles, because people did things that coulda caused riots, and I cured the riots, one man got shot, not by officials, ‘cause we were treated by officials beautifully. And Brother Purifoy and Brother Ijames was together with Ron, and the woman shot three times, and I stopped the bullet from doing any harm. It was just miracle. Just miracles, one step of miracles after another.
Congregation: Light applause
Jones: And the only racism we found in a public af– uh, a re– restroom or facility or restaurant or station was in Utah, or Mormon territory outside of Utah, outside of Utah Ci– uh, you– whatever they call that crazy city. Salt Lake City, Utah City, Mormon City. The only place we found any racism– and I’d taken care of him, ‘cause he’s gonna be deader than a doornail on the third, like I said. ‘Cause I just didn’t happen to be immediately present, he refused some of my black sisters, and it’d been better for him if he never been born, but I thought, we went from Mississippi, we were in Georgia, Gulfport, they set us in the finest white part and let us stay uh, where they had showers, and we– as I say, we had out feet– uh, we were tired and we were barefoot, and some of them sisters never would take their wigs off, but that Gulfport humidity, Gulfport heat– heat, a hundred and some degrees, it was so hot, they took their wigs off, I’m telling you, we did look like scarecrows, I mean it.
Congregation: Calls and applause
Jones: But they opened up the finest park and there were facilities, and those Mickey Mouses come walking down, and not a one of ‘em said a word, because we were picking up after ourselves and cleaned up, and the Highway Patrol treated us kindly in Alabama, all the way through, and then to get to Utah, where Mormons should know better. (Pause) So I said, I not gonna fool with that man. I said, his little old runt will be dead on the third. (Clears throat) Because you don’t– you don’t do my black sisters that way. You– You– You better learn one thing. Don’t mess with Father’s children. He don’t like it.
Congregation: Light applause
Jones: Somebody said to me this morning, on the bus, what would– what’ll happen, Father, if anyone– body’s injured. I said, well, San Francisco will have the biggest fire it’s ever had. ‘Cause that’s what would happen. But I said, nobody’s injured. But the fact is, I know that some devil, and some devils behind the devil, tried to burn my children. And do you know, I’m like the hound of heaven, I’m not gonna stop, I’m gonna get my own detection, I’m gonna use my own supernatural power, I’m gonna get every whammy I can get, and I’m gonna get money, because money is– the love of money is the root of all evil (I Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”) – I’m gonna bribe those devils, if I have to go out and sell Coke bottles, I’ll raise the ante, till I’ll get one of ‘em to tell on somebody else, uh, they mess with the (draws out word) wrong one now.
Congregation: Cheers and applause
Jones: (Cries out) Now I warned those people, don’t mess with my children. I’ve told people over and over, don’t you touch my children, because I am a (draws out word) mean Daddy-o.
Congregation: Affirmation and applause
Jones: ‘Cause Father loves his children, and he doesn’t mean for anybody to hurt his children, and– When you even act like you’re gonna hurt my children, you better get ready. I– If I was that guy, I would already take up residence in Siberia, because uh, he’ll have to go at least that far, and I’ll have him then by six months.
Congregation: Calls and applause
Jones: I’ve been on the phone, and I’ve been on a car on the wheel all day long, working out strategies to catch those devils. He’ll be a sad man. I’ll bet he’s already sad. (Pause) I’ll bet he’s sad he come in there. (Pause) (Moderates) He got a little confused anyway, he didn’t uh– We got a little praise in another paper, actually, uh, a praise in another newspapers, partly it. We got burned down partly because the– being praised by leader of a homosexual federation. And uh, some– one of these weak-kneed chauvinistic males who doesn’t want to face his own in– insecurity – that’s where you’re gonna find the dirt lays – but uh, he didn’t know what kind of a group we were, he didn’t know how large we are, and he don’t know how well we can fight.
Congregation: Calls and applause
Jones: I don’t feel sorry for us, I feel sorry for him, ‘cause I never– I never forget when you hurt my children. You can do anything to me, but don’t mess with my children. And I mean that. That applies to anybody here tonight. There might just be somebody lurking here tonight that can go tell news, and you know, how’s five thousand dollars? Think what you can do with that five thousand dollars. You could– You could go to Bermuda, honey.
Congregation: Stirs
Jones: And we’ll do some other things for you, too. Just go out and tell it all around. Just tell it around. We’ll take care of you. Just let us get our hands on that devil. (Pause) Say, what would you do with him? (Pause) The law’s for the laws. And my law is pretty strong law. (Pause) Don’t you worry about it, we’ll take care of it. (Claps hands once) But if– ‘cause I’m not gonna let this happen for two reasons. He might touch some other black people that don’t know God’s on the scene, and burn them down, and somebody gonna get killed. So we want to do as fast as we can, and I hope that a lot of black people learn, you better tell all your friends and your neighbors, say, you better get into Peoples [Temple] church, ‘cause when your church burns down, you won’t be so lucky.
Congregation: Applause
Jones: And this is time for them to get on board with somebody that can look after them. ‘Cause they’re– they’re– all the– all (unintelligible word) some of these churches got, if they call up and say there’s a bomb threat, those jacklegs would break their neck gettin’ off the platform.
Congregation: Laughter
Jones: You know they would. All they have to do– I’ve– I’ve seen ‘em. We were– Where– where was this church? Where was this church, we were uh, in Indianapolis. You remember? Uh, Chrit Christian– First Christian Church. And you never saw anything like it. I was preachin’, and along come a bomb threat. (Laughs) I said, don’t worry, folk, there’s a bomb– (Laughs) I mean folk went out, those preachers, those fat ladies went out the windows.
Congregation: Laughter
Jones: They fell out, climbed over children, I had to protect little children. They climbed over– Nobody was left but us, and nothing happened. They fell over themselves getting out. They invited us, and the bomb– somebody threatened to bomb ‘em out, they were white folk and they invited us, and somebody threatened, they said the bombs are already there and they gonna blow ya up, and I never saw people run so fast in their life, climbing over each other, and the preacher was the first one to leap out the window.
Crowd: (Laughter and applause)
Jones: So they better get over here – and I mean this seriously – better tell people, get over here where somebody’ll look after you, and let everybody know, we’re not gonna stop till we get these devils. Now I’ve made a vow, we’re gonna get these devils.
Crowd: (Applause and cheers)
Jones: Peace. So who’s gonna help us to get rid of the material things so I don’t have to worry about it. If you’ll take care of the material things so I can get my house back for the San Francisco people, then I will be able to spend all my time just looking after getting those devils. And I know you’d like for me to get them, so don’t let me worry about thing like this. Like today, I had to worry about telling people to cut off the telephone over there, and cut off the utilities. A lot of these things, we’re just gonna have to learn to get a powerful committee on each Temple to think for themselves and get some things done fast. And here there was phone service in there, people could climb through the room and make a hundred thousand dollars’ worth of long distance phones [calls], and if your phone is still up to– if it’s still unattached, you have to pay that bill. If somebody breaks in your house by burglary and uses your phone, it’s your problem. (Speaks under breath, unintelligible) Worse things ever invented, that’s why– that’s why I– I– I meditate on ‘em so much. People saw how I meditated on the trip. It’s beautiful. I meditated on ‘em, I– I get all my gambling spirit out with the phones, I just said, I want some– I’m tired of paying these phones, and I’m meditatin’ money to fall out of them, and I start putting money in for them, and they wouldn’t take it, I got one operator, I didn’t want to hurt the operator, I said, well, they’re not taking the money. She said, well, try it one more time. (Makes sound of money falling through pay phone) It went right down through like the uh, loose stool, so I– she said, uh, if it’s working for you, try it, and today it was working for me again, I just workin’ all these phones all over this town again today.
Crowd: (Applause)
Jones: I wish they’d put nothing but pay telephones in our churches because when we needed– really needed to get out, I know how to get out.
Crowd: (Stirs, scattered applause)
Jones: I made today – and I– I’m not gonna tell you where – but I made nine calls this day, long-distance calls, and I didn’t pay for one of them.
Crowd: (Gasps, applause)
Jones: I can’t help it if the money falls out. People can tell you– they can tell you the money falls out on me, I’ll go to a telephone, the money just falls out. So one day, if I get liberty – I haven’t felt the freedom yet – one day I’m going to go over to Reno and see whether I can work one of them things.
Crowd: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: I don’t go– I don’t believe in gambling. You better not mess with ‘em, ‘cause they’re all rigged. But I got somebody uh, inside me that knows how to outrig any rigger. (Short laugh)
Crowd: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Maybe it’s just meant for telephones, ‘cause I’ve had no liberty for anybody to go to Reno. Only one woman, one time. It woulda hurt the family, and she went and got seven thousand dollars. It’da hurt if the family if we’d had to help her, and it was emergency, so don’t you go unless I tell you. She got seven thousand dollars till they said they close down the place, said, we’re not gonna open this place till you go home.
Crowd: (Stirs)
Jones: I didn’t have pictures in those days, so I just (short laugh)– I just took a little piece off the bottom of my shirt, and I said, you use this, honey.
Crowd: (Stirs)
Jones: She’s sittin’ here. She knows who I’m talkin’ about. But it was a matter– we had to have the money quick, and it woulda hurt the family, and so– That’s the only time I’ve had the liberty to do it, but when I do get the liberty, we’ll do– we’ll do it, but if you go on your own, you’ll get in trouble. (Pause) Right now, it’s up to us to take care of this thing. If we’ve got it, we should do it. We should have the faith to give money. If I’ve got the faith to keep things from harming you, get the faith to bring somebody through a grill, when– (pause) six-inch grill (Pause) And Sister Smith’s not a small woman–
Crowd: (Stirs)
Jones: She’s a lively, chubby little gal.
Crowd: (Stirs)
Jones: Well, I know, I’m not be speaking derogatorily, I just think it’s a miracle, ‘cause she– she uh, certainly has got uh, more width and more length than six inches, I’ll tell you. So if I can do that for a person like that, then why don’t we do these things to help me not to have to worry, because I’m not taking a penny of this. So let us– let’s get on– Brother Johnson’s helped it, because somebody–
End of tape