John Taylor

“ It seems strange to many, perhaps, that a people like us—a people as innocent as this people are—a people who have desired to serve God as sincerely as this people have—a people who are living up to the principles of truth as near as we do,—I say, it seems strange to them that we should have to meet with any difficulty, be persecuted, that our names should be cast out as evil, and we be treated with contumely and bitter reproach, as the offscouring of all things; and that even a nation like that of the United States should array itself against us. ”

“ God has set his hand to work to accomplish his purposes, to gather together his people, to establish the principles of righteousness among men, and overthrow the kingdom of darkness, and establish his kingdom, and afford protection to the honest in heart among all nations, to introduce a reign of righteousness that shall ultimately prevail over the world. The Devil has had rule and dominion, and brought men into bondage, and subjected the righteous to be overthrown and trampled under foot by evil men in every age ”

“ Must the wicked always triumph? If a man dare to rise as a man of God, cut off his head and trample him under foot! What chance has the principle of truth to obtain a hearing on the earth under such circumstances? There is none. So far as national power has existed to protect right on the earth, we cannot find it anywhere. ”

“ The Lord has introduced a people, at last, among the human family that will protect the people in their rights; that is, they can have a right to do good, but not evil; and if they do evil, they will tremble. Where you see a man shaking—his nerves unstrung, if you could open his heart, you will see something black, unholy, and contrary to the principles of righteousness. But there is nothing here that will make men fear that work righteousness. ”

“ Where is there a people that have suffered as we have, in any country, for a number of centuries back? And yet we have lived in this model republic, where they proclaim liberty to every man—where they have declared that all men shall worship God according to the dictates of their conscience. ”

“ These are some of the reasons why we act as we do. Would you like the prospect of having such a set of scamps as those to rule over you—to have them crammed down your throat, whether or not, and be obliged to swallow them and everything associated with them, and allow them to carry on their abominations here, to corrupt your wives and daughters, and spread desolation around? Do you like the picture? The great difficulty in the matter is that we are the people of God, and they are not. ”

“ And so fifteen or twenty thousand American citizens were disfranchised, robbed of their inheritances, and many of them murdered in prison, many put to death, and hundreds perished in consequence of privations they had to endure; and the chief magistrate of the U.S. Government and people could do nothing for them. There is no justice for the servants of God: you must not ask for it or look for it. ”

“ The thrones of many kings have been supported by a pyramid of human carcasses slain to gratify their thirst for power and influence. There are heroes and great men—statesmen, to whom we are to look upon as examples of power, of dignity, and glory on the earth. ”

“ What makes men tremble here? Because there is a concentration of the same power, which is the power of God in opposition to the power of darkness. One thing I feel—I feel like singing Hosanna—Glory to God for ever, that we have found a place where a righteous man can live and be protected in his rights. ”

“ It says, "When you shall go forth and deliver your testimony, men shall rage against you and tremble because of you. How many of you Elders, when you have borne your testimony, have seen priests tremble like an aspen leaf! ”

“ Yet, when we come to reflect, and look back upon men who lived in other ages, whom we have been taught to believe were honest and good, as we profess to be, and see their names cast out as evil too, and that some of the best of men had to wander in sheep-skins and goat-skins, and dwell in deserts, and dens, and caves of the earth,—that they were destitute, afflicted, tormented, whipped, stoned, imprisoned, and put to death,—we see that it is only now as it has been heretofore. ”

“ You may go, for instance, into some of the galleries in France, and you may read on the canvas the history of that nation from the third century to this time, and it is a history of battles and combats, blood and destruction, wherein the fiercest passions of the human mind are developed. ”

“ It is true that, on the continent of Asia, the Jews might be considered an exception in this respect. They had a government which lasted for a certain period of time; they made their own laws, and governed themselves; and yet even among this people, who professed to be God's people, those men who really did fear God, tell the truth, and dared work righteousness, were generally trodden under foot. ”

“ Wherever the Spirit of God operates upon the human mind in any part of the earth, it is productive of the same results; and hence you see people coming in from the east, the west, the north, and the south to this place, led and impelled by the same Spirit. ”

“ Thousands and thousands of dollars in labour had been expended by this people at the instance of that Judge, which, remains unpaid. Such men are infernal scoundrels, and ought to be damned; and they will be. Yet they are the representatives here of Uncle Sam, and everybody must take off their hats and bow to such mean reptiles. ”

“ In the name of the Lord God of hosts, they will not. The hand of God is over them, and it will continue to be until they shall be; wasted away and destroyed, and every power that is raised against Zion shall perish and be brought to naught. ”

“ They recommended us to leave our homes, our possessions, and to let a beautiful city then inhabited become desolate, our gardens and fields laid waste, and 30,000 American citizens to be disfranchised. ”

“ Is there a Methodist here, a Baptist, a Presbyterian, a Jumper, a Shaker, a Spiritualist, or any other kind of religious person? They can be protected here. Who injures them? They profess in the States to protect everybody in their religious rights ”

“ On the back of these things, the Legislature last year petitioned Congress that they would not send such men here, but send men that had some claim to decency and propriety. But this is one of the greatest insults considered to be, to petition Congress. What right have American citizens to petition? ”