Amasa Lyman

“ There would be perfection; there would be the beauty of holiness in spirit and in truth.
Now, this is the religion that should be developed at home; it should be of domestic manufacture as well as the clothes that we wear; and their beauty, you know we are told, should consist in the beauty of the workmanship of our own hands.
If we realized that our salvation depended upon our living in peace at home with our wives and children, and upon our cherishing the principles of virtue, of holiness, and of purity, do you suppose that we should ever be at a loss for an opportunity of doing some good? ”

“ This is what the Gospel does for us: it is that which saves and fills our minds with that which we need not be ashamed of; and it is the simple fact that we should carry to our home, to our firesides, to correct the evils that exist between man and man, between parents and children, husbands and wives: but it is, nevertheless, the power of God that saves. It is that which tranquilizes the power of the soul that is not wholly under the principles of truth. ”

“ We may theorize as much as we please, and talk about purity and holiness; and as long as we theorize about them, we shall find that they will do us no good—never, until we reduce them to practice and adopt that kind of holiness that is acceptable to God. How can we know that one great principle of obedience, excepting we comply with the requirements of the Gospel? How can we know what is good for us, excepting we be tried in these things? ”

“ I suppose, when the Bishop was made or ordained, you all thought that you ought to have been made Bishops,—you were so clever, so accomplished, and so well qualified to rule, in your own estimation. I want you to prove that you are capable of being Bishops, by keeping your mouths shut when a storm of passion arises within you. Let it die. Never let the world hear the breath of heaven wafting away the ill-spoken word—the hasty declaration. ”

“ It is not like the empty proclamation of enthusiasm, but it is deliverance to the captives; it is freedom to the sick soul—to the soul that is in the dark, that knows not the truth, that has no hope that reaches into the vast future, and opens up prospects for the immortality and the salvation of the souls of men. ”

“ Brethren and sisters, what greatness you expect to enjoy, what you intend to enjoy in the fountain of bliss that lies before the Saints! The origin of all this, the region where it must be commenced is in the soul, at the firesides, within the circle of your family. Where is it to come from? If the blessings developed that constitute the happiness of the saved and sanctified, that enrich the pleasures of those that have passed away, are attainable, why have we not been blessed? ”

“ What view does this lead us to take of the Gospel that this Jesus has led us to look into? Simply that it is a practical system of piety, purity, holiness, and truth,—truth that is to be exhibited in our actions, purity that is to extend to all our motives and designs, and holiness that is to be a characteristic of our lives, and to extend to all there is connected with our lives, our actions, and all that we do and say; for the action of the mind is considered. ”

“ I want you to go home and let them know that you are better men, that you are improving, that you are better than they, and that you are improving in righteousness faster than they are. Then, if your wife is disposed to quarrel, she will soon get tired of it; she will turn to righteousness and follow your holy example. Then let me urge upon you the necessity of proving to your wives that there is more consistency, in your conduct than there is in theirs, and that you are capable of living without saying harsh things yourselves. ”

“ Jesus could preach of heaven, of the works of Omnipotence, and the vastness of his creations, because he understood them. And if we were only a little more enlightened, we could probably understand a great deal more than we do; but in our present darkness we need further instruction. Truth exists all around us to a vast infinity, yet we pass on in our darkness from year to year, and add folly to our transgressions, and still continue to hope that yet, through Jesus, we shall be redeemed; but it will be when, by our own actions, we shall be released from the thraldrom of sin. ”

“ The Gospel that saved Jesus, that clothed him with power, that bestowed upon him all the perfections that he possessed as a God, why has it not wrought out its work with us? Our firesides have not been blessed with the harmony and bliss that is affected by its purity and hallowed influence. ”

“ Then to think that the same opportunity is extended to us, that we may become all that he is that is great and good—to think that, with all our faults and weaknesses—with all the temptations that hang around us, the same privilege that is extended to him of attaining salvation is also extended to us,—that it is simply salvation that was extended to Jesus, and that the same as that which is extended to us. That heaven of glory and perfection which is offered to us in the Gospel is the same that was offered to Jesus ”

“ There are a great many things connected with the publishing of the Gospel, and its being believed on the part of the people, and being received by them as a rule of practice, that is interesting for us to consider. There is a great deal of variety connected with it, although its principles are ever the same, and the truth is unchangeable. Yet truth never, even with us, puts on all its beauty, until we comprehend it fully, and realize the great influence that the views we entertain with regard to the truth may exercise over our actions. ”

“ I want you that are smart men to resolve yourselves into bishops, and to play the Bishop's part at home, and to adopt the principles that he inculcates in your home circles. How very few there are who do this! But it is not too late to learn to judge righteously—to create quietude and peace, virtue and holiness, at your own homes. Then who will there be to annoy the Bishop with their troubles? Who will be sending to the President for a divorce, when you all get your little wards at home thoroughly disciplined? This you can do, by being united, more effectually than he can ”

“ Our homes and our heaven would ever be with us. The constitution and establishment of our homes in peace, and making that happiness, and giving that satisfaction which will produce it, constitute the burden of our labour at home and abroad.
But we are called to go and preach the Gospel to distant nations, simply that the honest may be gathered. together and have homes like you and I, until a nation shall be imbued with the principle of that heavenly government that we talk and read so much about, that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. ”

“ Some suppose that he has done so much, and has made such peculiar kinds of provisions for our wants and necessities, that there is but little left for us to do,—little more, perhaps, than to attend to a few ordinances that are instituted for us: this is about all; but that the great plan and work that bring salvation are things that belong to the mission of Jesus Christ. If this is correct, it is what we ought to believe; if it is not, it is that which we should expose; and we should labour to undeceive the people; for we certainly ought to begin to entertain correct views. ”

“ If we adopt such views of the Gospel that will lead us to conclude that a large amount of all that has to be done for our benefit and salvation is the work of some other individuals besides ourselves, it would be very natural for this, in its tendency, and in the influence it would have and exert over us, to lead our minds from that which would tend to our emancipation from sin and iniquity. ”

“ Then the Gospel comes to us as a source of encouragement and comfort: therefore it should give us strength in our weakness, when the way may appear dark and almost without hope—when afflicted through the perplexities and hardships that we have to encounter for Jesus has travelled on the way himself: he has travelled it, step by step, and piece by piece, and degree by degree, and has experienced all the grievous afflictions that flesh is heir to. ”

“ We learn that Jesus—the individual whom we have been taught to adore from our infancy,—to worship and revere—God our Father, possessed of an infinitude of power, ability, and capacity for happiness and glory, and for the accomplishment of his own will and pleasure, was once as we are. ”

“ When he was crucified, and for a few days left this state of existence, it was to open the door of salvation to a fallen world. Well, then, it is the Gospel, after all, for which we respect Jesus. There was nothing about Jesus but the Priesthood that he held and the Gospel that he proclaimed that was so very singular. But he died for the world. Yes; and what man that ever died for the truth that he died for, did not die for the world? Prophets have died in our day. Men have testified to the truth, and for that truth have died ”

“ We would not inquire where is heaven, or say how far it is from us, from our homes; for there would be a fountain of bliss to any one who would partake of the food that angels feed upon—who would partake and realize the perfection in which they dwell, and the harmony by which they are associated, and those that dwell with them. ”

“ You poor miserable souls who think thus, if you go home and whip your wives because of what I say to you to-night upon family government, the sin shall lie at your own door, and the lash that will be upon you shall be far more severe than anything that you can inflict upon your poor wives. ”

“ I want you husbands and wives to carry this home with you, and learn to hold your tongue, when you have nothing but some miserable, provoking thing to say. "Well, but," says one man, "my wife acts so like the Devil that I cannot get along with her. I thought I was married to an angel, but I have found out I was deceived, and that she is a fiend." If you were such a fool as to marry a wife of that kind, you ought to learn a little by experience. ”

“ Why, wherever there is a good man—a man devoted to the truth. whose affections are identified with it and for it, and who loves righteousness and hates iniquity, as Jesus did. This is the way I want you to live, and then there will be less wickedness—fewer lies told—less tattling by the fireside about your neighbours. The husband and wife will have less difficulties of a character and kind that are unendurable. If we can come down from the exaltedness of our feelings and humble ourselves, we can avoid most of the evils that are common among mankind. ”

“ And if you have qualified yourselves and cultivated your minds to that degree of perfection that you do not need it here, you may just pass it over to your neighbours. Let righteousness be developed in this Ward, and let that unanimity of feeling be manifested that will cause the instructions of your Bishop to be warmly received; and let faith be exercised for him, that he may be full of knowledge and power, and have influence among the people for whose good he labours day by day. ”

“ I suppose them to be good men. Jesus himself, when speaking in these last days, and explaining to the Prophet of this great and last dispensation, says, "Man of holiness is my name: man of counsel is my name." Well, what does this all show? Simply that Jesus was a man. We also learn that his Father was a man.
Jesus came to do the will of his Father, and none other work than that which he saw his Father do. And we, through our obedience, became brethren and sisters with him, and joint-heirs to the rich inheritances that he is heir to. ”

“ People that are very religious—people that go to church—people that are favoured in various ways, and who preach long sermons for the benefit of such as themselves. What is the reason that they are not saved? Why, simply because they never have time to live their religion—because they never had an idea that to live their religion was to be at peace at home—that the paying their Tithing was offering an offering that would be acceptable to God ”

“ I want you to pray God Almighty to bless you with strength, with forbearance, with charity, that you may be merciful to each other's weaknesses, and that you may look with tender compassion upon one another, as God looks upon us, his children, all the day long. ”

“ Make it your business to know where your sons are, for they have only to go into some of the streets of the city to meet with thieves who tell them there is no harm in stealing from the Gentiles, and who tell them that the Presidency of the Church say so. This is the way the lies were told about us, to lead the unwise and unwary from the truth. Do you want to save yourselves from the scorn and disgrace that will cover your son wherever he goes? ”

“ When he gives his own account of himself, he simply says, "Man of holiness is my name." He did not wish to have it understood that there was any being in existence, no matter by what majesty, might, and power he might be surrounded, that could go beyond the good men—the holy men. ”

“ It is true we can do a great deal towards bringing others to a knowledge of the truth; and if we can preach to the world—to those that are afar off, we can also preach to those that are near to us, and save them ”

“ I would as soon my daughter would associate with some Gentiles as with many that profess to be Saints, especially those who have nothing to talk about but balderdash, and nothing in their minds but the wicked plans concocted by corrupt hearts. ”

“ We shall all say that he has. He has been exalted from that degree of imperfection in which we exist to his present condition, with power, might, and excellence, even all that is possible for him to enjoy. ”