Sidney Rigdon

“ We must have evidence or we cannot believe. But what evidence will satisfy? Nothing short of a miracle— [mark this last sentence particularly] —If a person should say that he had a communication from God, and then to convince us that God did speak by him—should say to a dead man arise—and he should rise up. Or he should command the elements, and they should obey him—the winds should cease to blow, and the waters to flow; these miracles done, would be sufficient evidence that God spoke by him. ”

“ If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth liberally to all men, and upbraideth not."—What! a moral governor thus requiring his subjects to seek after his will, and more particularly, when he wants them to serve and obey him; how strange this is! Why not have told them without asking, and have commanded them to obey? Strange or not strange, however, God is just such a moral governor, it matters not how much any person may differ from it.
Once more and I am done—you take quite exceptions at the apostles definition of the gospel: that it is the power of God unto salvation ”

“ Did you think, sir, that any gentleman who regarded the laws of righteousness and the rules of propriety, would ever condescend to investigate any subject with a man who could descend to such shameful means to support any cause. If you did, sir, you have as little acquaintance with human nature, as you have with the rules of propriety. ”

“ Seeing that the least discerning cannot help but see, that you are capable of any violation of the rules of investigation and of the most unwarrantable affrontery; and that the fear of God is not before your eyes, for if it were, you would not put at defiance all scripture, all reason, all language, all common sense ”

“ But, sir, this is not all the foul attempt made in your last letter; there is another of equally as bad, if not worse character. I allude to the attempt to make it appear, that the Savior when he said to his apostles, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned: and these signs shall follow them that believe." That the them in that instance, alluded to the apostles themselves. In this attempt, you have put at defiance all grammatical rules, and surely made common sense ashamed. ”

“ When a gentleman, gratuitously, gives a challenge to a whole society, and any one of them sees proper to accept it, and replies to him in a respectful manner, it will surely be expected that he will be treated with common courtesy. This, sir, was my expectation ”

“ Your ideas of God as a moral governor are about on a par with the rest of your letter, the direct opposite of the bible. What does a man pray for but to obtain the will of God. "Seek and you shall find. ”