Brigham Young

“ They are striving continually, and with all their might, for that which does not add one particle to their happiness, though it may add to their comfort, and perhaps to the length of their lives, if they do not kill themselves in their eagerness to grasp the gilded butterfly. But those things have nothing to do with the spirit, feeling, consolation, light, glory, peace, and joy that pertain to heaven and heavenly things, which are the food of the ever-living spirit within us. ”

“ When you obtain eternal riches, and the true and living faith within you, and the visions of your mind are opened to understand and see things as they are, you will then be made aware that the riches of this world are disposed of by a Supreme Power, and that all that is necessary will be added to you. If it is to die while you are hunting out an asylum for the poor persecuted Saints, die. If, while a missionary to the nations of the earth, you should be shipwrecked on a desolate island and starve to death, die like a man. ”

“ Those who are still and are good children will receive the rich blessing of their Father and God. Be still, and let your faith rest on the Lord Almighty. He is at the helm; he is in the midst of this people, and guides the ship Zion. Be good children until our Father has taught us our present lesson, and be ready to answer every call, to render obedience to every requirement, and have compassion upon each other. But if you should happen to see John or Lucy climb up into a chair in prayer time, and yet have no evil design in so doing, let charity cover that impropriety. ”

“ The Pagan is as fervent in his desires to his god for a good and holy influence to attend him in the worship of his idols, as we are to the God of heaven—the Father of us all—the Being who has brought all mankind into existence and sustains them by his providence and fatherly care. He bestows blessings upon all his children, and enlightens them more or less by his Spirit, and guides the affairs of all nations, states, countries, and peoples. ”

“ My life, existence, intelligence, my organism, the whole man has passed into the great chaos of nature, never to be again reorganized to reflect, see, think, understand, enjoy, or endure: it is all gone for ever." Like brutes they live, and like brutes they die. Like the unconscious bullock that is led to the slaughter-house, they know nothing until the knife drinks the life-blood and they sink into death. ”

“ Hundreds and thousands of the Latter-day Saints, while passing through persecutions, have gone to their graves for want of a little medicine, or that kind of nourishment most proper in their condition. They could not obtain such things, their strength gradually gave way to the diseases that preyed upon them, and they sunk into death for want of the comforts of life. But did they go to their graves mourning, and bewailing their situation? I will venture to state that they felt better than many who die on downy beds with all things around them that earthly riches can command, or heart desire. ”

“ We should not be distrustful, but seek first to know how to please our Father and God—seek to know how to save ourselves from the errors that are in the world, from darkness and unbelief, from the vain and delusive spirits that go abroad among the children of men to deceive, and learn how to save and preserve ourselves upon the earth to preach the Gospel, build up the kingdom, and establish the Zion of our God. ”

“ Doubtless, if, in the providences of God, I am again called to preach the Gospel to the world, I shall have as fervent a desire for them as I have ever had for the Saints. But I now feel to strengthen and comfort the Saints, inasmuch as I have the ability, and the Spirit bearing witness with yours that we should live our religion and be Saints indeed, and feel that affinity one to another that becomes the Saints of the living God. ”

“ Seek unto the Lord for his Spirit, without any cessation in your efforts, until his Spirit dwells within you like eternal burnings. Let the candle of the Lord be lighted up within you, and all is right. Until prayer time is over, be still, keep quiet, and all is right. For the present, let the world go, for they have been repeatedly preached to. It is necessary that all have the privilege of receiving or rejecting eternal truth, that they may be prepared to be saved, or be prepared to be damned. ”

“ Young has stated that "One murder makes a villain; millions makes a hero." Were I to make war upon an innocent people, because I had the power, to possess myself of their Territory, their silver, gold, and other property, and be the cause of slaying, say fifty thousand strong, hale, hearty men, and devolving consequent suffering upon one hundred thousand women and children, who would suffer through privation and want, I am very much more guilty of murder than is the man who kills only one person to obtain his pocket-book. ”

“ Let this people called Latter-day Saints examine themselves and be sure that they are right before God, and do as they should in all things, and hurt not the oil and the wine. Never pray for riches; do not entertain such a foolish thought. In my deep poverty, when I knew not where I could procure the next morsel of food for myself and family, I have prayed God to open the way that I might get something to keep myself and family from dying. Those who do more than this are off more or less from the track that leads to life eternal. ”

“ My desire is that the Saints should understand—that they should be wise, having eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that understand as God understands us, that they may not be ignorant of the providences that attend them. ”

“ And if you do evil ignorantly and in good faith, I promise you it shall result in good.
By-and-by, when prayer time is over, many of those whom you think are nearly gone to the Devil will feel and express their sorrow for their foolishness, and promise henceforth to be good children. But you may as well try to stop with sand the gushing streams that flow down our kanyon gorges as to stop a man from committing sin who is determined to sin. We can cut such persons off from our fellowship, which I am determined to do. We will not fellowship the old, dead, dry limbs. ”

“ Do not be so full of religion as to look upon every little overt act that others may commit as being the unpardonable sin that will place them beyond the reach of redemption and the favours of our God.
Some come to me saying, "Oh, brother Brigham, it does seem that all the people are going to the Devil!" I can foretell a few things. Those who are good children, and behave themselves until prayer time is over, will by-and-by sit down to supper and have a joyful season. Some may say, "I fear there will be but few left to eat supper, there are so many going astray." ”

“ There is one virtue, attribute, or principle, which, if cherished and practised by the Saints, would prove salvation to thousands upon thousands. I allude to charity, or love, from which proceed forgiveness, long-suffering, kindness, and patience. But the short-sightedness and weakness in some are marvellous. ”

“ Let me eternally enjoy the society of those I love. Let our associations in time and in eternity never be destroyed.
In this life we are full of pain, disappointment, and worldly trouble. This gives us a chance to prove to God that we are his friends. ”

“ Food for the mind, to feed the intelligent part of the creature. The Lord has planted within us a divinity; and that divine, immortal spirit requires to be fed. Will earthly food answer for that purpose? No; it will only keep this body alive as long as the spirit stays with it, which gives us an opportunity of doing good. That divinity within us needs food from the Fountain from which it emanated. It is not of the earth, earthy, but is from heaven. Principles of eternal life, of God and godliness, will alone feed the immortal capacity of man and give true satisfaction. ”

“ Our traditions have been such that we are not apt to look upon war between two nations as murder; but suppose that one family should rise up against another and begin to slay them, would they not be taken up and tried for murder? Then why not nations that rise up and slay each other in a scientific way be equally guilty of murder? ”

“ I can make you the sovereign of the universe—the possessor of the gold, the silver, the mountains, the valleys, the rivers, the lakes, the seas, and all that float upon them and that live upon the face of the whole earth ”

“ In those times of severe trial we laid our hands upon the sick, and tried to encourage them all we could; but we had no earthly comforts in the shape of food, clothing, medicine, &c., to impart, nor any physical comfort designed to sustain life. We laid our hands upon hundreds, and saw fathers, mothers, and children sinking and dying. ”

“ But it is very lamentable to observe how so many grovel in darkness, seeming not to understand anything beyond what they can feel with their hands, see with their eyes, and hear with their ears. They seem to feel, "Let me eat and drink today, for to morrow I am not." ”

“ I pray that what I have said this morning may do you good, and do no person any harm, and that your hearts may be comforted and made stedfast in the truth. If you wish to know what you shall do, to do right, I answer—Do all that you know to be good. Pray to the Father to guide you in righteousness, and never permit yourselves to do that which you know is evil. ”

“ We have been tried in losing our fathers, our mothers, our children, our sisters, and brethren. We have been tried in having a mob butcher our brethren before our eyes, shooting them down as deliberately as a mountaineer would shoot a wolf. ”

“ I do know that some people are wanting in understanding when they charge others with sin, which they do not suppose to be sin. They have been differently educated, and consequently each party feels justified in doing that which the other party would feel condemned in; and hence they condemn each other. You may inquire how far a person can go and be justified, and pray and receive a portion of the Spirit of the Lord. ”

“ His kind benevolence and influence, by the power of his Spirit, are over them all. In this Territory are people gathered from almost all nations, where they have been differently educated, differently traditioned, and differently ruled. How, then, can we expect them to look, to act, and to have sentiments, faith, and customs precisely alike? ”

“ God distributes his Spirit to all, both Christian and Pagan. This to some may appear very strange, but it is true; for there is not a Christian or Pagan nation, family, or individual upon the whole earth, to whom the Lord has not more or less at times dispensed his Spirit. ”

“ In other words, "If every man, woman, and child does not act, think, and see as I do, they are sinners." It is very necessary that we have charity that will cover a multitude of what we may suppose to be sins. It is written in the Scriptures, "For charity shall cover the multitude of sins." In its wording this is not literally correct, for charity does not cover up, hide, or justify actual iniquity. It covers up a multitude of improprieties and weaknesses that some are inclined to suppose to be sins. ”

“ I am happy without them They might increase my bodily health, but they have nothing to do with my happiness." Yet how over-anxious the great majority of mankind are for the vain and foolish things of this life! ”

“ In the spring of 1857 we moved from our homes at a time when it was pleasant for living out of doors and lying upon the ground; but hundreds now present have had to leave their homes in the dead of winter, with no habitation to shelter them. The revelations declare that this people shall be tried in all things. If we were not tried in the things that now try us, we should not be tried in all things. We have had the trial of burying our friends: we have been driven from our homes, leaving our possessions, our goods, our farms, our houses, orchards, gardens, and furniture standing in our houses. ”

“ How many of us charge evil upon our neighbours, or upon members of our families, when they have desired, according to the best of their ability, and striven, according to the best of their knowledge, and as fervently as they could, to do right! ”

“ Then the honour and glory and pride of the reigning king must be sustained, and the strength and power and wealth of the nation must be displayed in some way; and what better way than to make war upon neighbouring nations, under some slight pretext?" Does it justify the slaying of men, women, and children that otherwise would have remained at home in peace, because a great army is doing the work? ”

“ After the existence of the Deity, his supremacy, his right to rule, his knowledge, his power, and his great plan of salvation for the children of men have been proved beyond the power of truthful contradiction ”

“ People come here from different parts of the earth to make this their adopted country, and the old residents expect them to at once conform to and adopt their manners, customs, and traditions, or they think the new comers are not worthy of their fellowship. ”

“ The instigators of those wars are just as guilty of murder, before God, as the Indians are for killing the men, women, and children who are passing through their country. What is the difference in the eyes of our Father and God? It is just as much murder to kill unjustly a million at a blow as it is to kill one, though Dr. ”