Brigham Young

“ If you know what the calling of an Apostle is, and if there were ten thousand of them on the earth at the same time, you must know that the words of an Apostle who magnifies his calling are the words of the Almighty to the people all the time. ”

“ The catalogue of man's discipline he must compile himself: he cannot be guided by any rule that others may lay down, but is placed under the necessity of tracing it himself through every avenue of his life. ”

“ If the Lord designates a plan how his cause and kingdom can be best advanced, whose business is it, if it is the mind of the people to follow it? It is ours and the Lord's; but it is certainly not the business of those who are enemies to his cause. I preached considerably upon this point in Nauvoo, to give the people the understanding of the different callings of men. Joseph Smith was a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator before he had power to build up the kingdom of God, or take the first step towards it. ”

“ Do the Elders of Israel understand all that the Lord requires of them? They do not. This belongs to other branches of the same celestial science. This perfect science requires men and women to be in the school all the days of their lives; and they will not see a single day in which they will not learn some truth with which they were not before acquainted. They can learn from themselves—from the world—from the government of heaven—from the management, government, control, doctrines, and laws of eternity, which will yet be exhibited before us. ”

“ If those who go to California for gold were full of the Holy Ghost, they would clothe their wives and children with buckskin, and wear it themselves to the day of their death, rather than mingle with the wicked and be induced to leave the society of the Saints. The true cause of their taking such a course is, they do not love the Lord.
There is a class of persons that persecution will not drive from the Church of Christ, but prosperity will; and again, there is another class that prosperity will not drive, but persecution will. ”

“ I trust we shall renew our strength, meet here to pray, and to praise the Lord, and partake of the sacrament, until our feelings are perfectly pure; for we are where we can sit and enjoy the society of each other as long as we please, and there is none to make us afraid. Let us be industrious in this great school, nor ever slacken our pace.
There are a great many branches of education: some go to college to learn languages, some to study law, some to study physic, and some to study astronomy, and various other branches of science. ”

“ When we are out in the world we preach faith and repentance, so that the Saints bring the knowledge of first principles with them to the gathering-place. Your next step is to enter into the study of this. A man may learn letters and study all the various branches of scholastic education to the day of his death; but if he does not attain to strict self discipline, his learning will not amount to much. ”

“ If they continue in the same course of conduct, reason the stronger with them, without quarrelling. Thus bring your passions down into subjection to your will, and cultivate an even unruffled temper, until you can perfectly control yourselves at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances. Then our affections and feelings would become congenial to those of the angels of God, and we should continue to increase in that Holy Spirit which would prepare us for the society of holy beings. This is our school, and a profitable one it is to the Elders of Israel. ”

“ This vast concourse of persons are all Elders in Israel, with but a very few exceptions; for there are some Priests, Teachers, and Deacons present, but not a great many. The greater portion of the male members of this community are Elders in the Church; and, as Elders, we are to be instructed so as to obtain an understanding of all things pertaining to our duty.
We have heard and felt sufficient to know that the wisdom which is to be obtained in this kingdom is more satisfactory to us than the boasted wisdom of the world. ”

“ Suppose we admit of malice, anger, and wrath in our hearts,—steep ourselves in wickedness, by taking the name of God in vain, by entering into every kind of outbreak and transgression, by defiance to every wholesome law, by neglecting our families, physically, mentally, and morally, and by neglecting our brethren and ourselves, our former repentance and baptism for the remission of our sins will not profit us, through indulging in sin afterwards; but all our former sins will again be upon us, and we must atone for the whole. ”

“ If gold is a sufficient inducement to lead men off to live in the midst of that society in California, after they know and understand the condition of it, it certainly proves that they love the things of this world better than they love Christ. ”

“ But, as a general thing, our boys, who are from the age of ten to fifteen years, know more of the principles of theology than the most educated clergymen in Christendom. In comparison to what is plainly revealed, the world of mankind are almost entirely ignorant of those principles which to them are of the greatest importance. ”

“ There is not one of the faithful Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but is more or less acquainted with the physical and moral character of the God he serves; which is more than all the world knows, or can know, independent of the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. ”

“ Do you not think that a man or woman, acting in that manner towards his or her neighbour, would be justified by the law of righteousness? Their judgments come together, and they are agreed: there would, consequently, be no need of calling in a third person to settle the difference. ”

“ Then let us cleave unto righteousness, learn to do well, and continue to do so all the days of our lives, that our former sins may not stand against us. This is our duty.
If every person in the community would correct his own errors each day he lives, the errors of the whole would continually be effectually corrected. For where is there a man who, by preaching on a text from the Bible or the Book of Mormon, can correct the faults of the people? ”

“ The Lord has established the world, with its varied productions, for the education of his children, that they may improve upon little things first, and so continue to increase, grow, and strengthen, until they become perfect men in Christ Jesus. ”

“ But when goats are among the sheep, they besmear them with their stink, and they frisk about, and behave so as to actually turn the sheep almost into goats. They will grow short in the hair, look like goats, and stink like them. The master of the flock must therefore do something to preserve the blood of the sheep pure, lest they completely degenerate and altogether become goats. They must be chastened by persecution, to drive out the stinking goats from their midst. The Lord opened the California gold mines to lead them off ”

“ Now, brethren, can we fight against and subdue ourselves? That is the greatest difficulty we ever encountered, and the most arduous warfare we over engaged in. This will apply most perfectly to the brethren who have gathered with the Saints. ”

“ Mobs never have done one thing against this people, but they could trace them, and have known all about it; for you will always find that the goats will run and lick salt with the sheep; and the Lord who made them has placed them in the world to serve his own purpose. ”

“ It is an individual business, over which each man must preside, until every fault in our whole lives is corrected and we are sanctified before the Lord.
If your neighbour suffers his cattle or his children to trespass upon your property, never retaliate or speak an angry reply, for this will engender a spirit of anger in him. Consider well before you suffer your minds to be irritated in the least. Suffer them not to be agitated until your blood is boiling with rage before you are aware ”

“ I think there is not a man here who did not fully understand them while in his native country. There may be a few exceptions among those who have by chance fallen into the society of the Saints at the gathering-place where their first acquaintance was formed, and consequently have not had the same opportunity of hearing the first principles as others have had in the world. ”

“ They are the ones who will wear a celestial crown and have dominion, rule, and government. These are they who will receive honour of the Father, with glory, exaltation, and eternal lives. They shall reign over kingdoms, and have power to be Gods, even the sons of God. ”

“ I say, Cleave to "Mormonism," work with all our might for the Lord, and love him better than any other earthly or heavenly object. And if he requires us to sacrifice our houses, our horses, our cattle, our wives, and our children, let them remain upon the altar ”

“ Those other classes will take different stations and possess inferior glories, according to their works in the flesh. That class who will altogether serve the world and disregard the cause of truth will become servants to the sons of God and be in servitude throughout eternity. ”