Amasa M. Lyman

“ How shall we determine anything about the value of plural marriage, so that we may know whether it is worth anything or not? I do not know any way better than by determining first whether single marriage is of value or not—whether it extends any advantages or not to those who are parties to this relationship. Were we to ask the multitudes of the earth what the institution of marriage is worth, what the amount of blessing and salvation that accrues from it, to those who are parties to it, we should, no doubt, receive for a reply, "We do not know." ”

“ Now, let us go to work with this feeling, remembering that we have a great deal of responsibility and care upon us; let us not cease to be active, for we have always plenty to do; we have always enough responsibility to keep us busy and to keep the great stone of the kingdom of God rolling onward. It is a common saying that a rolling stone gathers no moss, but I do not care for this saying, for I know to the soul that lives in the Gospel and enjoys its life-imparting influences, there is a stream of imperishable wealth flowing unto such a soul. ”

“ And when I get to know more and become wiser with that increase of wisdom, shall not need to tell any body, it will be evinced in increased propriety of action to the accomplishment of what I seek to accomplish. What duty, then, devolves upon us as the ministers of God—the Priesthood dispersed and living among the people? Why, we should seek for the development in ourselves of that knowledge without which we tell the people that neither they nor we can be exalted to glory and greatness. ”

“ This is the way I view myself as a teacher in the midst of Israel—as one upon whom has devolved the duty of extending the principles of salvation to those around me. When I labor to teach or instruct, I do not feel that they whom I am instructing need instruction any more than I do myself. I feel that all the necessity that may exist for any increase of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in reference to the humblest soul in the kingdom of God, exists in all its force for me. ”

“ In going forth to do our duty in warning mankind we should not have our minds troubled and perplexed on account of our families being destitute of johnny cake at home, and when we have the assurance that our families are provided for, then there is but one labor, but one branch of business in which may be enlisted every feeling of the soul. But if a man has no cause of trouble, he can engage heart and soul in the work of the ministry and think of nothing else but the Work in which he is engaged. "But," says one, "I cannot forget my wife and child that are at home." ”

“ Let us wake up and feel that we are the children of God, and that as God's children, the object of our being here is to find and realize within ourselves that development of our natures that we inherit from our Father and God, that will exalt us till we can be fit associates for Him, that between Him and ourselves there may exist all that wealth of harmony that will constitute the happiness of heaven, the bliss and glory of the saved and sanctified. ”

“ When those charms have faded from her form—when youth is passed and followed by decrepid old age, she becomes the loathsome thing that no one claims or desires, for which none manifests any warm sympathy and affectionate regard. This is the fate of a class of women who were born pure and innocent as you, my sisters, were born, situated as you were, bearing the same relationship to high heaven by creation as you bear, yet she drags out her miserable existence to her resting place, the grave, when death terminates her suffering and wretched existence ”

“ Let me advise all men to be wise, and especially those who are not any older than I am; and if I am not considered to be old, I would say that I mean all men who are of my age, and also those who are younger as well as those who are older; I would advise all such to be sober, to be sociable and to do as much good as they possibly can, by setting a good example before their children, by being an example of propriety of action and by striving to keep far from them faults of an evil character. ”

“ They will compliment us to-day for our persevering industry, for the toil that we have endured, and for the perseverance that we have evinced in working our way, not to where we expected to find hidden treasures of gold and silver, but to the desert, to find a place so poor, so barren, and so forbidding in its aspect that none others would desire it, but that we might, in its desolation and isolation from the rest of the world, enjoy the poor privilege of living there without having our right questioned. ”

“ We expect it for them, we hope for it for them, and we labor for it for them. Will not you labor with us? We tell you that to know God is eternal life, which is simply repeating the truth declared by the Savior of the world; and while we impress this repeatedly, again and again, on your minds, and bring it to your attention, will not you unite with us in struggling for the acquisition of that knowledge for yourselves? Why, says one, can't you get it for us? No; it is all I can do to get knowledge for myself. ”

“ I would really love to see men that would go to drive teams act as though, to a certain extent, the responsibility of God's Church and kingdom devolved upon them; I would like to see them act as men, as Saints and servants of God, and I would like to see them make themselves men of purity, the examples of the rectitude and propriety of their own conduct, so that their actions would be altogether commendable to God and such examples as would be acceptable to all good men. ”

“ In the same locality edifices, whose lofty towers point to heaven, and wherein are held sacred the paraphernalia of Christian worship casts its lengthening shadows over the dens of corruption and crime, where the victims of passion and unhallowed lust live to drag out a miserable existence; in the reeking corruption which is the result of their own sins. The religious sanctuary and the brothel flourish together; they have their development there; in that land we see woman in her most wretched condition. ”

“ I can do what I am doing this morning—making the best effort in my power, within the compass of my ability, to awaken such trains of thought and reflection in your minds as will lead you to seek after the truth, and seeking, find it. ”

“ We say, then, if this is the reason why in Heaven's wisdom it was ordained that man and woman should be married, it was simply to regulate the actions of man and woman in the most sacred, holy, high, and responsible relationships that exist between them, to preserve in man and woman the fountain of life in purity, that there might be given to earth a people in purity, and free from the taint of inherent corruption. ”

“ I would like my family to love God and keep his commandments, to abide by the principles of purity, to love to impart them to their children by practice, by teaching and by example and by every means by which children can be influenced by their parents. ”

“ It may be ground that I have not explored and do not understand, and I feel that his direction and instruction are a blessing to me. So is that a blessing which shall lead and guide the people until the "day shall dawn and the day star shall arise in their hearts," whether it be the kindly instruction of teachers who live in their midst, and with whom they meet and associate from time to time, or whether it be the suggestions of the written history of those who have long since passed away, it makes no difference. ”

“ The Gospel that we have received is something that, as I view it, bears a direct relationship to our condition here and hereafter, and that it proposes to so direct our actions and our conduct in life, that they may all be made to assume a proper character. When our actions are right they have the character of virtues, and virtues commend us to God and to one another. Virtue, when practiced by us, is the surest and best foundation that we can have for confidence, not only in God, but in ourselves, and in one another, a degree of which is necessary to our happiness, to our comfort and joy. ”

“ The man who simply goes to preach the Gospel is no more doing the will of Heaven than the man who drives an ox team for the salvation of his poor brethren. The man who has horses to drive and carry him along over the country to aid him in forwarding the purposes of Heaven, should feel that the position is an honorable and responsible one. No matter what a man's sphere of action be, if he be devoted to his calling, his labor will be acceptable. ”

“ In the admonition that has been imparted we were truthfully told, that we were as yet only in part what we should be as Saints; that with all our labors and experience, with all the advantages for acquiring knowledge that have characterized our history thus far, we have yet much to learn. This truth, it appears to me, should be impressed upon the minds of all who think and reflect. It is one that is evinced in our conduct and actions as a people. ”

“ Why, look at the evil and the corruption, and consequent wretchedness that curse the condition of that broad margin of women that never are made to feel the responsibility, comforts and blessings resulting from a pure, and healthy, and virtuous marriage. Where is this state of things to be found? In every Christian community that I know anything about. It is the root of that festering corruption that is eating out the core and vital energies, and sapping the foundation of life in the race of man. ”

“ It will be a happy one, because it will be a peaceful one and because that home will simply be one sacrifice upon the altar devoted to God, to truth, to principles of purity and to heaven. "But," says one man, "can a brother obtain celestial glory if he has only one wife?" Yes, he can have great glory with one wife. "And," says this brother, "would you not advise some men not to have but one wife?" ”

“ We meet with her when she has progressed, when she has trod far in the path of folly, degradation, wretchedness, and sin; but she is innocent no more. Are the blessings of home extended around her any more? No. Has she the blessings of the warm sympathy of kind friends any more? No; they are frigid and cold; the warm heart gushing out the blessings of friendship is closed against her; she is not fit to be associated with any more; she is unfit to be welcomed to the society of her more fortunate sisters ”

“ It appears to me, as but consistent and truthful, that the enlightenment of the people and the development in them of the knowledge necessary for their blessing and exaltation, should legitimately follow the development of knowledge and a just comprehension of truth in those who minister to them. ”

“ In our going abroad to proclaim the Gospel, we go to preach its principles to the people, and there is nothing else that I know of laid upon us to perform but to preach the Gospel and proclaim that righteousness to the people that has been made known in these last days, that those who believe may continue from their introduction into the Church and kingdom of God to travel onward and upward in the principles of salvation. ”

“ It is found in every community where it is declared that a man shall marry one wife only, and it shall be considered a virtue; but to marry a second wife while the first wife is alive, is considered a crime and punishable by confinement in prison, or the payment of a fine, because it is a sin. What, this in a Christian land? Yes, this in a Christian land! Christianity of the most approved kind is advocated where it exists. In the same thoroughfare the victims of corruption and vicious passion, and the devotees of Christianity jostle against each other. ”

“ There is no one feature in our history that is rendered more distinct or plain to be read and comprehended by the reflecting mind than this—that we, in all our learning, learn but slowly, and have as yet learned comparatively little of that large amount that may be learned, and that we yet manifest in our lives but a small degree of that perfection that should characterize us as the children of God, as the people of the Saints of the Most High ”