John Taylor

“ You may take the Methodist society, the Presbyterian society, the Baptist society, the Episcopalian Church, the Roman Catholic Church or any other you please, and you will find that motives of a political character will separate them and make them enemies to one another and make them take up arms against one another, fight one another and shed each others blood. They not only seek to destroy each other, but they all pray to the same God to help them to do so. ”

“ It is simply a nucleus of light, of intelligence, of truth, of virtue, of correct principles, of the holy Priesthood, of the revelations of God, and of something that has got to spread and to grow, increase and expand until it becomes a great nation and fills the whole earth ”

“ The Gospel of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the most comprehensive subjects that mankind can reflect upon. It not only embraces things as they now exist, associated with the human family, but it takes us back to days that are past and gone, to the organizations of this world and of other worlds, and by the principle of revelation it develops, unfolds and makes manifest unto the human family the great purposes of God as they shall transpire throughout every succeeding age. ”

“ Why is it that there has been so singular a religious movement as that which has taken place within the last thirty years, introducing views that are contrary to the commonly established views of the whole religious world? ”

“ There must be something, then, to control this people different from that which seems to control other people socially, religiously, politically or any other way. There is some kind of a cohesive power, some kind of an attractive principle, something that unites and concentrates this people together in a manner altogether different from that of any other people under the face of the heavens; and so singular is it, that it attracts the attention of philosophers, of statesmen, of politicians and of leading men of every grade—they wonder at it, as they wondered at Jesus when he was upon the earth ”

“ This was a certain amount of testimony for the doctrines that had been advanced. But, besides this, there was an inward evidence—an invisible manifestation of the Spirit of the living God, bearing witness with mine that this was the work of God that he had established in the last days, and I knew it for myself and not because anybody said so. At first I believed it on the testimony of others, and then obtained a knowledge for myself. If there is no other man under the heavens that knows that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God I do, and I bear testimony of it to God, angels and men. ”

“ Why is it that this people, say in this Territory, embracing a scope of country of some five hundred miles in extent, with a population that, comparatively speaking, may be called dense for a country like this, has assumed the proportions of a body politic, if you please, that have organized themselves into a Territory and have asked for admission as a State into the great American Confederation? ”

“ The various sects of the world imagined that they had the Holy Ghost, but they forgot that it was to lead men into all truth. That spirit which they have mistaken for the Holy Ghost has led them into confusion, contention and strife, and consequently it is not the Holy Ghost spoken of in the Scripture. ”

“ There are mighty motives underlying, overruling and overreaching all motives of a political character. The first thing that, ever was proclaimed by the Elders of this Church was the Gospel of peace on the earth, and good-will towards men has continued to be preached, and among other influences there has been a certain influence that has gathered the people to together. There has been no influence that could be brought to bear upon this people that could sever or separate them. ”

“ This was precisely the same thing that Peter told the people in his day. Said he, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." What will it do for us, Peter? "It will cause your old men to dream dreams, and your young men to see visions, and your servants and handmaids shall prophecy; it will bring things past to your remembrance, lead you into all truth, and show you things to come." Here was quite a chance for a man to detect whether Peter was an impostor or not ”

“ The ancient Prophets of the two continents foresaw that the issuing forth of that record was to be the commencement of the Latter-day Work; one said, "Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven." "The meek shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." ”

“ Is it because we are more intellectual and refined? because we are greater philosophers, better statesmen, more acquainted with cause and effect, have studied more extensively the position of the world generally and its government and laws? ”

“ This is truly a great Work—a Work with which God and angels and Saints that have lived before us, and the souls that are beneath the altar praying unto God for the accomplishment of these things, are engaged in. The heavens and the earth, at the present time, are in communication, and God is our judge, our ruler, our law-giver, our guide and director to lead us on in the ways of life, and no matter about events that may transpire ”

“ Many of them had a portion of the Spirit of the Lord among them, and as light cleaves to light, truth to truth, and intelligence to intelligence, wherever there was the light of the Spirit of God in the mind of man it discovered, comprehended and embraced the truth. ”

“ We are only just commencing in this Work, which will grow, and spread, and increase, and no power on this side of hell shall stop its onward progress; it is onward, onward, onward, until the purposes of God and all he has designed shall be fulfilled and accomplished. ”

“ Freemasonry is one of the strongest binding contracts that exists between man and man, yet Freemasons are mixed up in those different armies, trying to kill each other, and so they have contended against each other for generations past. ”

“ Joseph Smith, having found and made manifest these things, and having turned the key that unlocks the destinies of the human family, having had committed unto him the key of this dispensation, he began to unfold and make manifest the things of God to the world, to all who were desirous to listen and yield obedience thereunto. A good many felt as the people felt when Jesus came, that "This man speaks with authority and not as the Scribes;" ”

“ There are thousands of details or minutiae mixed up with these great projects, purposes and designs, some of them we comprehend correctly, or think we do; others are not so clear and comprehensible to our minds.
There are some things we, as a people, have to do with perhaps more than any other people that exist, though they have to do with all people, if the people would have to do with them. ”

“ God has spoken; a record has been revealed, making manifest the events that have transpired on this Continent, and prophecy, and revelations, and visions, and the purposes of God, &c. This agrees with the Old Record; there is no need to bring argument here on that question, for it has been argued and investigated throughout the world. What then? Did I know because Joseph Smith knew? Not exactly. Joseph Smith had certain things revealed to him, and he was commanded to communicate those things unto others. ”

“ Then it follows, as a natural consequence, that if there is nothing to unite the people together they are deficient in some principle, doctrine, faith or practice. Philosophy has not united the people together ”

“ Then it needed some instrument, some individual, some messenger, some communication, because it would be impossible without something of this kind that these things could transpire. There needed some authorized messenger, some communion from the Lord to reveal, unfold and make these things manifest. To talk about the world as it is, and the authority they have to preach the Gospel and administer the ordinances and dictate the affairs of the kingdom of God, is foolishness to reason upon ”

“ He presented himself before the world and informed the people that God had spoken, and that he had spoken to him. He told them that the heavens had been opened and that angels clothed in light and glory had appeared to him and revealed unto him certain things. Then we have Oliver Cowdery, who tells us something about these things, and gives his testimony as a living witness. Again, there were eleven witnesses in relation to the Book of Mormon, who testify that the Book of Mormon was a divine revelation from God. ”

“ We are naturally led to inquire how these things originated; from whence springs this principle, this influence this power, for it is a very important one. It has dragged us from our homes; it has sent hundreds of Elders wandering up and down the earth for these ten, twenty and thirty years past; it has made us, in the estimation of our friends we used to associate with, laughing-stocks and fools, and it has finally brought us together in this place ”

“ She had embraced the Gospel, and it revealed certain things to her that she could not know in any other way. "Your old men shall dream dreams," &c. Can you keep people in the dark in relation to these things? No. And when a people live their religion, and all the Quorums of the Church are walking up to their privileges, then a certain ancient aphorism would be correct, "The voice of the people is the voice of God," and the voice of God is the voice of the people—it would suit either way. It is upon this principle that we are united ”

“ Such movements are not very common in the world. It is common for various religious societies to arise in the world; but, generally, they are very narrow and contracted in their notions. They are not adhesive or cohesive, they do not unite or combine. ”