Oliver Cowdery

“ You have now beheld the power of God manifested and the power of satan: you see that there is nothing that is desirable in the works of darkness; that they cannot bring happiness; that those who are overcome therewith are miserable, while on the other hand the righteous are blessed with a place in the kingdom of God where joy unspeakable surrounds them. There they rest beyond the power of the enemy of truth, where no evil can disturb them. The glory of God crowns them, and they continually feast upon his goodness and enjoy his smiles. ”

“ There is such a complicated mass of reflection crowding itself upon the mind that no common phraseology can express. To realize that one year and eight months' labor is now before the public; that whether truth or untruth has been disseminated in the same, it must remain, calls for the serious consideration of a candid heart, full with the expectation and assurance, that before the Judge of all, and an assembled universe I must answer for the same. ”

“ I shall not be required to adorn and beautify my narrative with a relation of the faith of ENOCH, and those who assisted him to build up Zion, which fled to God—on the mountains of which was commanded the blessing, life forever more—to be held in reserve to add another ray of glory to the grand retinue, when worlds shall rock from their base to their center; the nations of the righteous rise from the dust, and the blessed millions of the church of the first born, shout his triumphant coming to receive his kingdom, over which he is to reign till all enemies are subdued. ”

“ However, as fate, steam, or power of engine, would have it, the Erie, after touching at Catskill and Westpoint, where the Rochester did not, went into New York a few miles "ahead." Every one on board seemed to be glad, but few to realize, that by such an extra pressure of speed, the lives of hundreds had been made to hang as by a single hair. For one, I thanked God that myself and friends were safely landed.
New York is a large town—I have no doubt but it is as rich, and as poor—as proud, and as humble—as lofty, and as low—as virtuous, and as vile ”

“ We listened—we gazed—we admired! ‘Twas the voice of the angel from glory—‘twas a message from the Most High! and as we heard we rejoiced, while his love enkindled upon our souls, and we were wrapt in the vision of the Almighty! Where was room for doubt? No where; uncertainty had fled, doubt had sunk no more to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever! ”

“ In this same spot, in full view from the top of this same hill, one may gaze with astonishment upon the ground which was twice covered with the dead and dying of our fellowmen. Here may be seen where once sunk to nought the pride and strength of two mighty nations; and here may be contemplated, in solitude, while nothing but the faithful record of Mormon and Moroni is now extant to inform us of the fact, scenes of misery and distress—the aged, whose silver locks in other places and at other times would command reverence; the mother, who in other circumstances would be spared from violence ”

“ And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.—And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nations shall not lift up the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. ”

“ The next generation, perhaps, was favored with equally as righteous men, who were condemned upon the same principles of the former, while the acts and precepts of the former were the boasts of the multitude; when, in reality, their doctrines were no more pure, their exertions to turn men to righteousness no greater, neither their walk any more circumspect—the grave of the former is considered to be holy, and his sepulcher is garnished while the latter is deprived a dwelling among men, or even an existence upon earth! ”

“ East River is lined with craft from the Oyster-man's skiff to the lofty and majestic ship which rides the waves of the giant Pacific. Here the wealth of the world and merchandize of the earth, have been wafted to fill up the blessings of a people, the most favored of any now on earth. ”

“ Alas! who can reflect upon the last struggles of great and populous nations, sinking to dust beneath the hand of justice and retribution, without weeping over the corruption of the human heart, and sighing for the hour when the clangor of arms shall no more be heard, nor the calamities of contending armies be any more experienced for a thousand years? ”

“ There is an eternity, and you, with myself, reader, are fast approaching it. There is no stay with time—it flies—it hastens—it will soon close. The sound of that trump which will awake the sleeping millions, will ere long be heard, and all nations, kindreds and tongues be brought to stand before the judgment seat of Christ—The wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked—no excuse can be offered to prolong the summons, or a show of righteousness, clothed with deception, escape the scrutinizing eye of "him with whom we have to do." ”

“ Not to occupy time on the absurdity of that system which confesses that the great Author of our being once conversed with men, but has now ceased, we pass directly to the last subject of faith or belief. For, after having ranged through the wide field of matter, and seen the great changes in nature, and the consistency, and in fact, the certainty of the continuance of the soul, we confess we have but little faith in a person who may be called our Creator, who once spake to man, but will do so no more! ”

“ To see one coming from the wilderness, clad with camels' hair, drinking neither wine nor strong drink, nor yet eating common food, must have awakened the curiosity of the curious, to the fullest extent. But there was one peculiarity in this man common to every righteous man before him, for which the people hated him, and for which he lost his life—he taught holiness, proclaimed repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, warned the people of the consequences of iniquity, and declared that the kingdom of heaven was at hand—all this was too much! ”

“ It is no more than to be expected, I admit, that men of corrupt hearts will try to traduce his character and put a stop upon his name: indeed, this is according to the word of the angel; but this does not prohibit me from speaking freely of his merits, and contradicting those falsehoods—I feel myself bound so to do, and I know that my testimony, on this matter, will be received and believed while those who testify to the contrary are crumbled to dust, and their words swept away in the general mass of lies, when God shall purify the earth! ”

“ On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice of the Redeemer spake peace to us, while the vail was parted and the angel of God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously-looked-for message and the keys off the gospel of repentance. What joy! what wonder! what amazement! While the world were racked and distracted—while millions were groping as the blind for the wall, and while all men were resting upon uncertainty, as a general mass, our eyes beheld—our ears heard, as in the “blaze of day;” ”

“ The serpent, represented as walking, or formed in a manner to be able to walk, standing in front of, and near a female figure, is to me, one of the greatest representations I have ever seen upon paper, or a writing substance; and must go so far towards convincing the rational mind of the correctness and divine authority of the holy scriptures, and especially that part which has ever been assailed by the infidel community, as being a fiction, as to carry away, with one might sweep, the whole atheistical fabric, without leaving a vestige sufficient for a foundation stone. ”

“ I trust, that as individuals acquainted with the gospel, through repentance, baptism and keeping the commandments of that same Lord, we shall eventually, be brought to partake in the fulness of that which we now only participate—the full enjoyment of the presence of our Lord. Happy indeed, will be that hour to all the saints, and above all to be desired, (for it never ends) when men will again mingle praise with those who do always behold the face of our Father who is in heaven. ”

“ The author of my existence knows the sorrowing of my heart, on the reflection that our country has come to this, that the weak must be trodden down by the strong, and disorder, confusion and terror, must distract our land and sow the discordant seeds of party strife and party animosity in the hearts of ignorant men, led on by infatuated priests, to overwhelm the continent with blood, and spread destruction and devastation throughout our happy asylum, and expose us to the fire, the sword, the rack and to death! ”

“ When I look at the world as it is, and view men as they are, I am not much surprised that they oppose the truth as many, perhaps, and indeed, the more I see the less I marvel on this subject. To talk of heavenly communications, angels' visits, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, now, since the apostles have fallen asleep, and men interpret the word of God without the aid of either the Spirit or angels, is a novel thing among the wise, and a piece of blasphemy among the craft men. ”

“ To grant a humble penitent sinner a refreshing draught from this most pure of all fountains, and most desirable of all refreshments, to a thirsty soul, is a matter for the full performance of which the sacred record stands pledged. ”

“ First, we are here—we exist—we are beings—bodies—intelligences: capable of moving, acting, walking, feeling and thinking: we eat, we drink, we sleep and we rise up; yet we did not create ourselves, nor can save ourselves from dissolution and death, beyond a fixed period; and that period is so near that all may see it.
Now, the question is, whether when we lay down these bodies, we exist in another state or not? It is certain that we had no more agency in forming or creating the intelligence, without which these bodies are a lifeless lump, than we had in forming the body. ”

“ A wise Creator has so fixed our state, that by disappointments and crosses, if not by prosperity and success, we may be admonished of our approaching end, and that this life is not our abiding place. I think, though yet young, that were it not for friends and near relatives, whom I so highly esteem, and whose society and happiness I so much value, I would even now choose rather to take my exit, that I might be at rest, than longer tarry where woes surround and afflictions overwhelm the human heart. ”

“ In vain did the hoary head and man of gray hairs ask for mercy—in vain did the mother plead for compassion—in vain did the helpless and harmless infant weep for very anguish—and in vain did the virgin seek to escape the ruthless hand of revengeful foes and demons in human form—all alike were trampled down by the feet of the strong, and crushed beneath the rage of battle and war! ”

“ Then the plan being different, the agents operating on that plan must of necessity produce a different effect.—Well, as we have seen that God is the same, his gospel the same, is it unreasonable, is it unscriptural, is it unchristian, is it a mark of delusion, to conclude the effect of the same gospel must be the same? Can a rational being be blamed for his incredulity who puts no confidence in any plan or course or procedure, the effect of which is entirely different in many of its prominent features from that which God devised for man's salvation? ”