John Taylor

“ We are the Saints of the living God, and let us bow down and worship him, and by our obedience to the principles of life show that we are the servants of God without rebuke.
How is the world going to be redeemed think you? If the kingdom of God is ever built up the Almighty will have to dictate things himself. Through what medium will he do this? Is he going to send his angels to gather the people? He has got thousands of them but he has his own way of doing things and that is through the Priesthood. If we are teachers we think faithful people ought to listen to us ”

“ I expect one nation after another to rise against us until they will all be broken to pieces. We have a great many things to accomplish; we need not think that we have no business to attend to or that the world has gone through its regeneration, for it has got to be struggle after struggle, and power after power will be arrayed against us, and then, if we have not learned it we shall learn that God is our strength, and that in him only can we trust. ”

“ All people in this government should listen to the head, for that is the order of God. It is all very nice; it is a beautiful theory; everybody under our rule must submit, our wives and our children must yield obedience; we all admire the beauty and order and harmony of the Church of God until it comes to touch us, and we are the only people exempt. We are very apt to show that we like a little of our own way, and that although God's government is very good for others that we do not like to be interfered with so much. ”

“ This is as important as anything else, for us to know ourselves, to understand ourselves, to bring ourselves up to a mark, and see if we are ready and know whether we can yield our stubborn will or not, and if we can yield to the dictation of the servants of God, and if we are willing to be subject to that which is wanted. If we are, then we shall understand what Jesus says:—"If any man will do my will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." ”

“ Now as to the great future what shall we say? Why, a little stone has been cut out of the mountains without hands, and this little stone is becoming a great nation, and it will eventually fill the whole earth. ”

“ It is pleasant to enjoy an opportunity of coming together as we do from time to time to listen to the words of eternal truth as they flow from the lips of the servants of God, and especially as they have been communicated unto us during the Conference that is past. We have all of us been very much interested and edified, and the only thing for us to do now is to seek to improve by those teachings that we have received, that they may not be lost upon us; but against the time that another Conference comes round, let us be able to feel that we have very much progressed in the things of God. ”

“ Apostles and Prophets have desired to see the day that we see, and to participate in the blessings that we enjoy, but have died without the sight. They used to talk of the kingdom that should be established; they also talked of the time when the powers of darkness should be destroyed, and when God would organize his kingdom upon the earth, control his people and become ruler and dictator of the world. He will then fully deliver them from the mists and darkness with which they have been enveloped, and give light, life, wisdom, and power to all the obedient of the human family. ”

“ How many things are transpiring among us as Saints, how many hard speeches, contentions and strifes there are, and how much we are desirous of enforcing upon other men our own views and feelings, and perhaps we have a very imperfect conception of what is right and what is wrong ourselves. ”

“ It is true when we have the Spirit upon us we look forward to the time when we shall have the literal kingdom of God established, and when we shall exercise rule and dominion, and when we shall increase, and so continue until the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ. ”

“ The world has been full of darkness and wickedness, and has not under-stood the things of God; but many of the past as well as the present generations have been full of blood-thirstiness, fraud and oppression, without any correct principles, without the Spirit of the Lord to direct them. ”

“ Well, now, is it consistent that all the churches that are spoken of in the Book of Mormon as well as in the Bible, that have been and still are being built up to get gain, and for the purpose of keeping hordes of men living upon the people in comparative idleness; I ask is it reasonable that all these systems and organizations of men will give up without a struggle? I tell you nay. If such be the position of the religious world, I would further ask, is it reasonable that the political powers of the earth will give up without a struggle? ”

“ There are very few of our Elders that would fear combating the doctrines of the ministers of the world; they all feel that the knowledge which God has communicated unto them is superior to everything else, they feel to rely upon the Almighty, and ask no odds of any of the wicked in the world. These have been the feelings of the Elders of this Church for years.
In a political point of view we have had doubts whether some systems were not as good as ours, and whether we had not better be governed by the powers of the world than listen to the teachings of God ”

“ Why exact of others that which we will not do or yield ourselves? Why not, if we are the rich men we profess to be, be on hand, show our willingness at all times to do what is required of us, seek the Spirit of the Lord, for when we get that we will be willing to yield to its dictates. It is very easy to submit to law, and doubtless we should all be ready enough to submit if the Almighty should come and speak to us face to face; he chooses to speak by his messengers, to them we must yield obedience. ”

“ We can now see that at that time we beheld only in part the glory of the latter day beginning to dawn, and as the vision of our mind began to be enlarged and expanded we were enabled to look forward into the future, and we now rejoice in the bright prospect that is being developed from time to time. ”

“ As President Young says frequently, we have made advancement, and now begin to comprehend many things of which we were before ignorant. We have been striving, to a certain degree, to get correct information in relation to all matters necessary for our future advancement and understanding of things in connection with the Saints of God, we have been endeavouring to promote the righteousness, the putting away and overcoming of iniquity, and the hand of God has been with us guiding and directing us. ”

“ We have been struggling against the powers of darkness, so far as religion is concerned, from the year 1830, as we have increased in numbers we have, naturally assumed a social and political status, and have been obliged to organize a government, and make laws in accordance with those of that nation with which we are associated; we are now struggling, and expect to have to struggle for our religious, social and political rights. ”

“ It is said in one of the revelations that the voice of the people is the voice of God; this is because they are taught alike, they are taught correct principles and when they are united, then their voice in regard to any principle becomes the voice of God, for it brings us into connection with him and his Spirit. ”

“ We have proven that the hand of God has directed us, and by it we are sustained, as we now find ourselves here on the present occasion. Well, now, if the Lord has blessed us, as he has done, what reason have we to fear for the future. ”

“ Then we shall have that Spirit which will enable us to know for ourselves in regard to correct principles, and strive to improve in all things, and not be inclined to follow a stranger. There is a kind of a certainty in regard to our principles that has not been found anywhere else. No people upon the face of the earth are blessed to the same extent as this people. It is our privilege to have knowledge of all doctrines and principles that are taught, and if we do not have this knowledge we are living below our privileges. ”

“ This is about the kind of feeling that we ought to have. What is there in the world that should attract our attention? Their gold and silver and clothing are all well enough, but have we not got them here? ”

“ We have commenced in this important work, we have laboured diligently with a hard-hearted and stiff-necked generation; many of us have striven for years to do mankind good, and what have we to fear in relation to the results of the cause in which we are engaged, or the result of our labours for the salvation of men; we are simply agents ”

“ Although we improve we have not always been enabled to discover the hand of God in regard to his dealings with the human family; yet, at the present time, there is nothing more clear, visible and easy to comprehend. ”

“ No, only those that are set apart and inspired and dictated by the Almighty, and who rely upon the arm of Jehovah, and who by their humility, faith and obedience, call down the blessings of the Lord. True there are those who are capable of understanding political principles to some extent, but even that is very little indeed, when we consider government as viewed by man and then as revealed by the Almighty. ”

“ It is not necessary to go over the details of our history, but, suffice it to say, that many circumstances that were of a critical character, and trying for the time being, have turned out to be for our best good and to our future advantage. ”

“ We are a very small company of people here, but God is with us; and, if he were not, it would be very little use asking or thinking of doing anything for the amelioration of the condition of the human family. ”

“ Many intelligent men have long understood that there was nothing in the religious systems of men; we have comprehended them, weighed them in the balances and found them wanting. The general feeling has been for a long time that there was no argument that could be brought, in a religious point of view, that could stand before our Elders. ”

“ We need not borrow trouble or be afraid because we had a little fuss with our respected Uncle Sam a short time ago, we could not help it, we did not originate it, it was forced upon us, but God delivered us. ”