Brigham Young

“ Men talk about what has been accomplished under my direction, and attribute it to my wisdom and ability; but it is all by the power of God, and by intelligence received from him. I say to the whole world, receive the truth, no matter who presents it to you.
Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test. We preach the Gospel, gather the people of God from all nations tongues and people, and build up the kingdom of God on the earth, and this calls for manual labor, the affections of the heart, and the devotion of all our powers. ”

“ Who of the Christian divines know anything about the God we serve? I never saw any one, until I met Joseph Smith, who could tell me anything about the character personality and dwelling-place of God, or anything satisfactory about angels, or the relationship of man to his Maker. Yet I was as diligent as any man need to be to try and find out these things. We know more about God and the heavens than we care to tell. And if we introduce a principle and try to reduce it to the comprehension of the people, there will be some even among the Latter-day Saints who would be hard to understand. ”

“ Take the whole world with their contentions and strife, the kings and potentates who make war and murder the people by thousands, those who shoot and kill, who rob the poor, who set at naught the counsel of God, bring them together, read to them the precepts of Jesus, the principles of the everlasting Gospel and see if there is one principle that would injure them or the world of mankind in the least. Will they injure a person, a family, a neighborhood? All would join, if they spoke the truth, in saying no, not one ”

“ The eye, the ear, the hand, all the senses may be deceived, but the Spirit of God cannot be deceived; and when inspired with that Spirit, the whole man is filled with knowledge, he can see with a spiritual eye, and he knows that which is beyond the power of man to controvert. ”

“ To practice the Gospel requires time, faith, the heart's affections and a great deal of labor. Here many stop. They hear and believe, but before they go on to practice they begin to think that they were mistaken, and unbelief enters into their hearts. There has been unbelief since the beginning of the world. ”

“ Anybody ought to be able to see that when one member of a family is pulling away from the others, and living for self alone, it injures himself or herself as well as the whole family. The necessity and beauty of union cannot be better illustrated than by the example of the chief who called his sons together just previous to his death, and, taking a bundle of arrows, asked them each to break it. ”

“ This will give us as good a proof as we can desire, that when we are bound together as a unit, we are strong and powerful, but when we are divided we are weak, and our enemies can obtain power over us. Take our financial affairs, and they will show the same principle. But we are prone to unbelief, and have to learn by the childish principle—a little to-day and a little more tomorrow, and after a while perhaps we will become truly Latter-day Saints. ”

“ When God revealed to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon that there was a place prepared for all, according to the light they had received and their rejection of evil and practice of good, it was a great trial to many, and some apostatized because God was not going to send to everlasting punishment heathens and infants, but had a place of salvation, in due time, for all, and would bless the honest and virtuous and truthful, whether they ever belonged to any church or not. ”

“ That disposition that came from the fall is planted in our hearts, and will occasionally arise in the bosom. Will we ever get experience enough so that we can overcome these temptations that arise in the heart, so that we can say good-bye to the fashions and follies of the world, and instead of them imbibe good and wholesome principles? Certainly we will; this is what we are after. The Latter-day Saints must learn to be one in Christ. ”

“ But to be a Saint in the full sense of the word, is to be something very nearly perfect. If, however, we are striving to the utmost of the ability God has given us to prove that we are willing to serve him and perform our duties, we are justified. ”

“ We have the kingdom of God to build up, Zion to redeem; we have to sanctify ourselves so that we may be prepared to be caught up with the Church of the First Born, and if we improve every day and hour, then if we die we shall be found justified. ”

“ But just as it is with other husbands, she coaxes and persuades, and finally he gives way and partakes of the forbidden fruit. Now do you see how unbelief entered into the world in the beginning? We have to reason with mankind to persuade them to receive the truth of God. ”

“ There is a God who lives, and who framed and fashioned this earth, and who brought forth that which is on the face thereof. He has laws, Everything is controlled by law. The actions of men, however, are left free ”

“ Where is the divine who knows the least thing about that Being who is the Father of our Spirits and the author of our bodies? If we know something about him is there any harm in it? Not a bit. The world of mankind are infidels. ”

“ Take all the money that is spent for tea and coffee and squandered in waste and how much could we get? Why enough to send for the poor, who are begging and pleading to come, by the scores of thousands. ”

“ I am happy to say there is an improvement, still I hear of strife, brother going to law with brother, contention in families and in the community. This should not be. Have we not learned yet to be meek and lowly? Are we not willing to receive and abide the providences of God with patience? ”

“ Do good to all men. We say sometimes, "I will not do any favor for that man, he is unworthy of assistance." I will give you a piece of counsel. Do good to all. It is better to feed nine unworthy persons than to let one worthy person—the tenth, go hungry. ”

“ We believe in obeying the laws of the land, we should also obey the laws of God.
People have found out that we believe in a plurality of wives. The people of this Government say we shall not have a plurality of wives. ”

“ It was a new doctrine to this generation, and many stumbled at it, but Joseph continued to receive revelation upon revelation, ordinance upon ordinance, truth upon truth, until he obtained all that was necessary for the salvation of the human family. All the inhabitants of the earth are called of God ”

“ And if you and I do not learn how to take care of ourselves, and raise and manufacture what we consume, we shall have to go without. If you do not know how, go to work and learn how to knit, sew, weave, make ribbons, raise silk and make up and manufacture your own wearing apparel and all you need. ”

“ Perhaps some neighbor has let down your bars, and the cattle have got in, and you are injured in your feelings and allow anger to enter into your hearts. Perhaps some neighbor has borrowed your plow and broken it, or done something else in which you are aggrieved; you set it down that that person is no Saint. ”

“ But I could see afterwards that if they had nothing else to repent of they could and ought to repent of their false religions, of their narrow, contracted creeds in which they were bound, of the ordinances of men, and get something better. These narrow, contracted religions have spread infidelity in the world. ”

“ You must not believe all that is told you, but think for yourself. Now I will tell you something. If you eat of that fruit your eyes will be opened, and you will see as the Gods." He hands her a little of the fruit, just to try,—no matter whether it was an apple, a grape, or what it was,—she tastes of it, and does not die, and likes it so well that when Adam comes along she says, "Husband, this fruit is delightful ”