Brigham Young

“ As I have told my brethren and sisters a thousand times, I have but one fear, and that is that the Latter-day Saints will not do just right. There is no fear in the life of the man or woman who will serve God with all his heart, keep His commandments, love mercy, eschew evil and promote the principles of right and righteousness upon the earth. ”

“ As a prophet it only requires age to make his character as sacred as that of any man that ever lived on the face of the earth. I want to say a few words with regard to temperance. We are a temperate people; this is what we have set out to be. We have lived in this city a good many years, and, until recently, when a stranger arrived here and wanted to purchase liquor, he had to inquire, "Where can I find a place where they sell liquor?" ”

“ There are a great many men here now in the mining interests, and they want to put up where they can purchase liquor, for many of them drink. As for the temperance societies which we have been hearing about, I can say that with all the stringency in getting laws passed to prevent the sale or use of liquor in the Eastern States, when those who were determined to obtain it could do so in no other way, they would get what appeared to be a beautifully bound book, with "Pilgrim's Progress" on the outside, but in the inside it would be full of whiskey. ”

“ Yes, by the mental force of faith, and by good works, the march forth of the Gospel will increase, spread, grow and prosper, until the nations of the earth will feel that Jesus has the right to rule King of nations as he does King of Saints. ”

“ We can say that we are not bowing down to the wishes of any person in the world any further than it is true policy to let every person have his rights. We can stop this drinking and shut up these grog-shops here. I do not go down the streets to see them, and never have from the time the filth came into the streets. I did when the Latter-day Saints traded one with another in their stores, and there was no liquor, no swearing or low conduct, but every person meeting with and hailing his neighbor like a friend and brother ”

“ We shall continue our course, praying the Father in heaven to assist us in preaching the principles of righteousness, and we shall drive the wedge a little further and a little further, and by and by the world will be overturned according to the words of the prophet, and we will see the reign of righteousness enter in, and sin and iniquity will have to walk off. ”

“ Some people here take the liberty to sell and dispose of their liquor without license from the city. We have a city here—an organized city; we have our municipal laws; we have officers for this city appointed by the legislative power and enactments of this Territory; and we have somebody or other here, who say, "You have no law here only what we give you, and you shall know that we are the law to this people!" ”

“ As far as these are concerned they have a right to get drunk; but we have rights, and have a right to disfellowship them, or cut them off from the Church, and we calculate to do it whenever it ought to be done. We have been found fault with because we cut people off from the Church! What do you suppose the so-called Christian world care about our Church? Nothing on the face of the earth only to annihilate it. That is all they care for us, poor sinners, in the mountains. What do they care about our selling liquor? Nothing, if it will only lead our young men to destruction. ”

“ That is what they want. Men are sent here, ostensibly, to guard the rights of the people, but in reality to destroy the people. What was the counsel and advice of Mr. Cass when the army of King James came here in 1857? Said he, "Send an army of young men to Utah to decoy and destroy the young women there, and that will break up 'Mormonism.'" There are men here now who seem to think that it is their imperative duty to sustain, at all hazards, everybody in all acts which are opposed to the Gospel.
General Riley has been preaching temperance to the Latter-day Saints. ”

“ We are acquainted with the same people, towns, counties, neighborhoods and districts, and we have traveled the roads, and built up the towns and were acquainted in the country, and we know and understand its character at the present time. ”

“ If the strangers who come here to hunt minerals; those who are working them; those who are poor and those who are rich, and all classes, if they would say, "Down with the grogshops," the thing would be soon done. Talking, I understand from the General, has an influence among the people, in helping to form public opinion. ”