John Taylor

“ As intelligent beings, as men possessed with the spirit of truth, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, as men who believe that we are acting with reference to eternity, it is well for us at all times to ponder well the path of our feet, and understand the position that we occupy on this earth, to know as near as possible the relationship that we sustain to God, to each other, to the world, and, as near as we can, the various duties that devolve upon us to attend to. ”

“ We are now laying a foundation for ourselves and our posterity; and what is it that will flash upon our minds if we turn away from the truth? We shall think of the time when we thought we were the Saints of God; we shall think of our associations with this people, and these reflections will greatly increase our misery.
Are we not the framers of our own destiny? Are we not the arbitrators of our fate? This is another part of my text, and I argue from it that it is our privilege to determine our own exaltation or degradation ”

“ It is well to study the world and the overruling hand of God. You will see many pursue the path of luxury and ease, and neglect their Priesthood and their God, and the result will be as those mentioned. I speak of this as a general principle—as one that exists between God and this earth. Man, assisted by the Lord, is the founder of his own destiny. We do not always see this principle developed at once. Sometimes the hand of God is withheld, and he suffers his people to be chastened. ”

“ Will righteous men always be trodden under foot by their enemies? No; for it is contrary to the design of God: he has given us ability to choose the good and refuse the evil. We can work iniquity or righteousness, just as we please; and the Devil has taken advantage of this, and tried to surround men's minds with such influences as would bring about their ruin, that he might lead them captive at his will. The Lord has not bound them, nor controlled them; but the result of their actions he has controlled, whenever they have taken a course that was of itself calculated to injure his people. ”

“ He says, "Man is the founder of his own destiny."
Wherever there is a true principle presented, it is well to investigate, and see how far it is applicable to us. We find here remarks made and uttered, of the greatest importance to the human family. We do not realize or appreciate their bearing fully, neither do we comprehend how far they concern or will affect us or the society with which we are associated. ”

“ We profess, further, to be the elect of God—set apart elected, chosen by him to be his servants to accomplish his work upon the earth;—in the first place, to establish correct principles among ourselves, and then to teach these principles to others, no matter what they relate to, whether to family matters, to the state, to a town, a corporation, or a government,—no matter whether they relate to the Government of our own country, our own family, or a world. ”

“ Then let us gird up our loins and maintain the principles of truth—do all we can to root out iniquity from our midst, but let the wicked wallow in the filthiness of their own debaucheries.
We have separated ourselves from the world in which we live ”

“ There is not a man upon the earth that has put his trust in God, I do not care what part of the world he has been in, but what can say that he delivered him. I know that has been the case with me, emphatically so. ”

“ The Lord says, "The wrath of man shall praise me, and the remainder I will restrain." He will let mankind pursue happiness in their own way; and according to their desire, he will let them drink the cup of their own iniquity in their own way. On the other hand, he has manifested his goodness, and will continue to do it to all his children. What does he design to accomplish? The building up of this kingdom upon the earth, the establishment of righteousness, the driving back of the Adversary, and the banishing of his Satanic Majesty from the earth. ”

“ I know it is the case that many men would like to have everything they can desire or think of; and I used to think, if I were the Lord, I would give the people everything they wanted—all the money, all the honour, all the riches, and all the splendour their hearts could desire; but experience and observation have caused me to change my mind, for I know that such policy would not be good for the human family. ”

“ We know that God lives, because we have the things that we ask at his hands. Taking it then, in this point of view, What is it that can cause us, as a people, to suffer any difficulty, or trouble, or privation? It is our own acts, our own corruptions, our own faults and weaknesses. Did we not have a sample of it this morning in the President's remarks? He said, "I have, in years gone by, gone almost shirtless, and I have gone to men who had plenty, but they would not trust me ten dollars." ”

“ He is bound to take care of his people, if they take care of themselves. If they honour their calling and priesthood—if they magnify and do credit to the power and authority that is conferred upon them—if they do not deviate from correct principles, God is bound to fulfil all things according to the obligations that he is under,—one of which is to provide for his Saints. Now, where does the matter rest taking it in connection with the first part of our text? ”

“ This principle has existed to a great extent among the nations of the earth. They are raised up and cast down. They come into existence, grow, flourish, and expand, and are powerful; and by a touch they crumble, wither, and decay. But the nations know not God; they do not observe his laws, and have no claim upon his protection. It has been so from the commencement and it will continue so until the winding-up scene. It will apply to the human family until the earth shall be redeemed. ”

“ It will be the destruction of the ungodly, and the exaltation of the Saints to a celestial kingdom and glory. It will be the resurrection of the dead, and the exaltation of all who have obeyed him to thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers in worlds that are prepared for the faithful. Then he will have accomplished his purposes with regard to this world. Then those men who have suffered for a long time will feel like old Job, when he said, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth ”

“ Those who have held the Melchizedec Priesthood, many of whom had the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and much of the spirit of prophecy, even where there was no organization of Priesthood or of the kingdom of God upon the earth, stood as isolated characters in the world, and maintained their integrity before God. ”

“ But we have a kingdom, the pattern of which has been revealed from the great God, given for our own happiness and salvation. And with the laying of the foundation of his kingdom on the earth there is a promise given unto us that the powers of darkness and all the power of hell combined shall not prevail against this kingdom. In this respect we differ from all others.
At the time that Jesus lived, the Apostles entertained this hope respecting the kingdom that he organized ”

“ Job, who was said to have been a very patient man, spoke of it in his day, and the Apostles of our Lord talked about the time when Jesus would come to reign upon the earth. Visions, dreams, and revelations are multiplied upon this subject. The Lord is a little more capacious in his views than we are, and calculates more largely; and things that look very great and important to us are very small with him. ”

“ Good men have had to endure affliction, privations, trials, and sorrow, it is true. Abraham had to pass through afflictions that were harrowing to his feelings. Men of God have had to wander about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, and been considered the scum and offscourings of society, by men who understood not their relationship to God. ”

“ One of the ancients said, "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall: yet I will rejoice in the Lord ”

“ We are still here, and God is controlling matters for our good. President Young says, "It will continue to be so, if we live our religion as we understand it, and leave the wicked alone; for those who are opposing the Church of Christ cannot hurt us, and all such characters will have their portion in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. ”

“ I have seen the meek exalted, and the poor made to rejoice in the Holy One of Israel, and seen peace and plenty poured into their lap, so that they have been comfortable and happy, while the other class have been cast down—become poor and destitute ”

“ These are things that we profess more or less to be governed by. We profess to have a portion of the Spirit of Truth, and we pray frequently that that Spirit may guide and direct us in our movements among the children of men. ”

“ It is true that these things are not always visible to our senses. We sometimes see the wicked flourish, just as David said he did; but by-and-by they are cut down. There is no pity in their death, neither is there that kindly feeling that is manifested for the righteous. ”

“ By this means, the principles of truth will be extended throughout the length and breadth of the earth, and all will bow to God and his Christ, and the chosen ones will administer the ordinances of his house for ever and ever. ”