Brigham Young

“ I say, let such persons starve to death, and die Christians, instead of being brought here to live and commit the sin of ingratitude, and die and go to hell; for while they remained in their poverty, they were used to the daily practice of praying for deliverance; and I say it is better for them to die praying, and go into eternity praying, and the Almighty to have bowels of compassion and mercy towards them, than for them to come here, and lose the Spirit of God through ingratitude, and go into eternity swearing. ”

“ We might ask you to reflect upon the days that you have spent in yonder distant land, where you could seldom walk the streets or enter a shop, like another citizen, without the finger of scorn being pointed at you, without suffering the malignant taunts and sneers of the ungodly, for the sake of your religion. ”

“ I do not think a bad man would distribute his means to another individual, or to individuals, who would use them to his injury.
It is the evil actions and covetousness in the hearts of the poor that shut up the bowels of compassion in the rich, and they say they will not help the poor. We could have gathered hundreds of thousands more of the poor, were it not that the rich have been so biased, and still continue to be. Say they "We do not wish our means to be applied to an evil use." ”

“ If you can remember your own feeling then, you can know how others feel, you can realize how thousands and scores of thousands feel at this present moment. There is no hardship they would refuse to undergo, no danger they would not endeavour to surmount, if they could assemble with us here this day. No trial would be too keen for them; there is no sacrifice that they would not readily and willingly make for the privilege you enjoy this day. ”

“ We wish you in the first place to get something to eat, drink, and wear; but when you are in any way comfortable, we wish you to pay that debt the next thing you do, and replenish the Fund. It is built upon a principle, if carried out properly, and the debts punctually refunded, to increase in wealth. The $5,000 that was sent for the poor four years ago this fall, if every man had been prompt to pay in that which he received, would have increased to $20,000. ”

“ I can pick up hundreds of men who have passed by their benefactors, and if they should speak to them, would turn round and say, "I really don't know you." Or if they do, they will speak every thing against them their tongues can utter, or can be allowed to; and they will swear falsely about them—about the very men who have saved them from starvation and death. ”

“ If the clothing you wear each day is all you have, and you have need to borrow a shawl to go out in, and you have only a pin to bestow, bring that, and you shall receive a blessing.
We think it is not necessary to give you the report of the Perpetual Emigrating Fund this Conference. It is doing well, but we want it to do a great deal better. We want to swell the operation, and bring the poor from the nations by scores of thousands instead of by hundreds. ”

“ This is a representation of the feelings of some who have crossed the plains this season. My advice to you is, go and be baptized for the remission of sins, and start afresh, that temptation may not overcome you again; pause and reflect, that you be not overcome by the evil one unawares.
In the first place, if you are re-baptized for the remission of sins, peradventure you may receive again the spirit of the Gospel in its glory, light and beauty ”

“ We pick up, say 200 persons, in, England and convey them across the water, and across the plains; and set them down in this valley. They commence to labour, and in a short time they make themselves comfortable. They can soon obtain plenty of the best kind of pay for their labour, such as bread—the staff of life, butter, cheese and vegetables. When a man gets these things, without the fancy nicknacks, he does well.
Suppose we pick up a company of these poor Saints in England, whose faces are pale, and who can scarcely tread their way through the streets for want of the staff of life ”

“ The plan is to make every thing bend to the revelations of God; this is the object of our Priesthood—to bring into requisition every good thing, and make it bear for the accomplishment of the main point we have in view; and when we get through we shall reap the reward of the just, and get all our hearts can anticipate or desire. To lay plans for the attainment of this, is just as necessary as for a merchant to lay plans to get earthly riches by buying and selling merchandise. ”

“ Let me help a man who makes an evil use of the assistance I render him, and endeavours to injure himself and me, and his neighbour with it, what does the Spirit of the Lord teach me in such a circumstance? ”

“ Except one individual, and that is a man by the name of Thomas Green, who lives in Utah, and one young woman, who came from England, there has never been a single person who has paid one dime towards cancelling a debt amounting to over $30,000, besides other notes, accounts, and obligations which we hold.
Do I mean to be understood that no person pays their passage? By no means. My remarks will not hit those, neither are they directed to them who are thankful to their benefactors, and who do, and are willing to pay. ”

“ Do you think an angel would help a man who would turn round and destroy that angel and himself? I do not, neither do I think the Lord would, and no good man would if he knew it, unless it were done with a view to prove a person. ”

“ They have not been here long when they may be seen swelling in the streets with an air of perfect independence. Ask one of these men if he will pay you for bringing him here; and he will reply, "I don't know you, sir." You ask another if he will work for you, for bringing him out to this place ”

“ Let us now read a chapter on the other side of the page, and we find the hearts of men and women, by crossing the ocean, by travelling a few weeks or months by water and land, appear to become partially closed up, and they lose sight of the object of their pursuit. ”

“ The people are better able to raise $50,000 now, than they were to raise $5,000 then. Suppose we raise $15,000 or $20,000 to send for our poor brethren and sisters, who long to be here as much as any of you did, before your way was opened. ”

“ We bring 200 of them here; instead of their being obliged to work for two or three pence per day, they can get a dollar and a dollar and a half per day. With one day's wages they can purchase flour and meat and vegetables enough to last a moderately sized family one week. ”