John Taylor

“ We are assembled here from different nations, having a variety of prejudices, different kinds of education, having imbibed different feelings, notions, and ideas; and we have now come together to learn to bend our minds, to yield our opinions, and not to follow our own notions, not to cling to our peculiar whims and caprices, but to bow to the holy Priesthood, which is the rule of God upon the earth. ”

“ There is a little difference between our principles, or, I should say, the principles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and what are called democratic principles. Democracy governs by the people alone; and, as was stated this morning, where the people are pure and living under the influence of correct principles, and are seeking to do right, it is one of the best governments on the earth. But where the people are wicked and corrupt, that alters the case very materially. It is not with us as it is with democracy. ”

“ It appears natural to us to think that we are as competent to judge as anybody else, and yet we think that those who dictate matters ought to have the Spirit of the Lord to guide them, and consequently yield our judgment to theirs, and we strive to carry out the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our actions. We do it to a great extent, but not so fully as we might do. It is all voluntary on the part of the people; but generally, out of respect to the superior intelligence of those that are associated with the dictation of affairs, we act with them. ”

“ Brethren and sisters, we have a great mission to perform—we have to try to govern ourselves according to the laws of the kingdom of God, and we find it one of the most difficult tasks we ever undertook, to learn to govern ourselves, our appetites, our dispositions, our habits, our feelings, our lives, our spirits, our judgment, and to bring all our desires into subjection to the law of the kingdom of God and to the Spirit of truth. It is a very critical thing to be engaged in the upbuilding of the kingdom of God—a nucleus of which we have here. ”

“ Yes, we feel to bless everybody; and what will we not do to benefit our fellow-beings? Brethren, let us try to conquer ourselves. Let us try to understand our own position, to magnify our calling, that we may be prepared to act in that sphere in which God may call us to operate. The Lord has chosen his servants, he has lifted up his standard in Zion, he has proclaimed peace and happiness on earth, he has taught us how to live and how to die; the way is pointed out whereby we can obtain salvation in his kingdom. ”

“ Thus we have the wisdom of God associated with the concurrence of man; and God being governed by the Spirit of truth, and the Saints possessing and being guided by the gift of the Holy Ghost, it is the voice of God and the voice of his people under his direction, and God and his people are one, as Jesus said—"I in them, and thou in me, that we all may be one." This is the way we look at things, and by pursuing this course we have made great progress in the principles of eternal life, and all those things that devolve upon us to attend to. ”

“ We have generally been in the habit of supposing that our republican institutions are the most perfect of anything can exist among men—the ne plus ultra of human government; and hence we have had a very favourite motto ready always upon our tongue's end—Vox populi, vox Dei. I do not believe that the voice of the people is the voice of God, but would ask, Is it the Northern or Southern States that are governed by the Almighty? ”

“ We have existed for thirty years, and we have used a great deal of our time and labour for the promotion of this kingdom. But have we at any time interfered with the rights of others? We have been outraged and abused in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois; but whom have we interfered with? We are at the defiance of the world to point out a single instance. ”

“ We believe that it requires the same wisdom that governs the planetary system, that produces seed time and harvest, day and night, that organised our system, and that implanted intelligence in finite man,—that it needs the same intelligence to govern men and promote their happiness upon the earth that it does to control and keep in order the heavenly bodies; and we believe that that cannot be found with man independently. ”

“ It requires great wisdom, however, to prune and regulate the Church of Christ. There were a great many of our people got frost-bitten—a kind of dead in their spirits, and some were for going right to work and pruning; but hold on. Said Jesus, "The wheat and tares must grow together until harvest." Perhaps you would pull up the wheat with the tares, if you were to do it when you think best. If there is nothing good in a man, he will by-and-by develop the evil that is in him, and then everybody will agree that the pruning ought to be done, and the branch ought to be cut off ”

“ Although we may feel an uncertainty in regard to the views of some, yet with those feelings we act in unison to a certain extent, and we yield to the judgment of the majority, and to that of those whose right it is to nominate and dictate in the kingdom of God. ”

“ This is the feeling that governs the Latter-day Saints. They all feel to say—"Do you want teams? Do you want waggons? Do you want men, wheat, or corn?" The response is, "Yes, we are all on hand." Brethren, this is the way to make ourselves rich and strong, and secure the favour of God and of the holy angels. ”

“ If people would leave such things alone a little more than they do, and leave the management of them to the proper authorities, it would be better. Suppose a corrupt man is presiding in a certain place, his corruptions are soon known. People need not strive to turn good into evil because they think that some man does wrong. They need not turn calumniators and defamers, for all will come right in its turn. Then attend to your own business, work the works of righteousness, sustain the constituted authorities of the Church until God removes them, and he will do it in his own time. ”

“ We can say to all, With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
In regard to our criticism on the acts of public men, whatever we may feel in regard to their acts, it is best to let it be laid aside for the general good of all; or, in other words, we do not think, or should not think, we are the smartest men in the world. ”

“ Then what have we done to cause people to be so jealous of us? Why, we have just let everybody else alone; we have preached peace and salvation, built up Zion, and proclaimed the kingdom of God. They would not, however, let us alone ”

“ Our judgment is not perfect; and as we are not perfect in our sphere, we need not expect to find others perfect in theirs; and as we are not perfect ourselves, we may have need to come to the throne of mercy and ask for wisdom and support, and we can come to the Lord with faith and full assurance. ”

“ This is the feeling of every good, intelligent, Latter-day Saint at the present time, who is seeking to do the will of God upon the earth. Never mind if somebody is trying to encroach; never mind about your independence and your rights.
I was talking to a man, the other day, who said—"I must have my rights." I replied to him, "I have no rights only those that God gives me." But I have been imposed upon," said the man. Well, what if you have? It is a great deal better than if you had imposed upon somebody else. Just say, Why, that man don't know any better ”

“ Hence he has organised his kingdom with the express intention of governing his children himself according to the wisdom that dwells with him, through the medium that he has appointed; and hence, having appointed a medium, he brings it before the people, that they may have an opportunity of expressing their sentiments. Then, if they do not like the method which he has adopted, or any plans that he may introduce,—if they do not like his officers, they have a voice in it, and can say so. ”

“ There is a principle of union with us: at least, in outside show we are united; and in our actions, to a certain extent, far more so than any other people; for other communities cannot even be persuaded to vote alike. If there are those among us that feel a little crossways, thinking that some other way might be better ”

“ Now, then, brethren and sisters, do not go away from here, and run against those very parties whom you have covenanted to sustain; because, the very moment you do, every sensible man will set you down as hypocrites. You have a free opportunity here of manifesting your choices, and I will here say that so far you have manifested good sense in being united in regard to those principles we have to carry out. ”

“ We have not injured them—we have not hurt a hair of their heads, and we still feel willing to assist them. We feel willing to help to preserve the nation; and our Elders have travelled thousands of miles to bless the people. ”

“ It was presumable to me that they had done right—that twelve disinterested men were more likely to judge correctly than one man who was evidently interested. I did not want to be entangled in affairs that did not belong to me. I like people to attend to their own affairs. ”

“ He is saying to the Elders, Go forth and preach the Gospel, gather the poor, send out your teams and your young men, and thus show that you can do something for the gathering of scattered Israel. Get the Spirit of life, power, and energy within you, that you may be able to do something to make you feel fit to hold the Priesthood of the Most High God. ”

“ We do not believe that any people are capable of governing themselves. There is no need of entering into an argument upon the matter before this congregation; but it is my opinion that there are no people under the heavens that now exist, nor are there any that ever did exist, that are capable of governing themselves. ”

“ There are many things that are not right. Never mind; everything that is wrong will in due time be righted. Permit me to bring a figure before you. A year ago last winter there was a very severe frost, and it injured the fruit trees. Some who professed to be judges thought it best to cut down the peach trees; some thought that if left alone they would still grow, and therefore they left them alone to see how many would live. ”

“ There have been a variety of governments on the earth, and very powerful ones too have existed in different ages of the world. Those governments have generally been established and maintained by force of arms—by power. ”