Wilford Woodruff

“ We are living in a fast age—an age fraught with great events, and every day is bringing to pass more of the predictions; and more revelation is being fulfilled in one year, now, than has been fulfilled in centuries before. ”

“ That the cup of the iniquity of the nations might be full and that his servants might be crowned heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ to a martyr's crown.
Through the persecutions of the enemies of truth, many of the Saints have been worn out; but, as a body, the kingdom and people have been led off as victorious conquerers. We stand now and hold the keys of the American continent; we stand in the strong chambers of the mountains ”

“ If we go forth, and have the Priesthood and Apostleship upon us, the Holy Spirit of God, though it may not be visible, does dictate to us; and it is so in ordaining: it is so in going to battle against the nations of the earth, who have given their consent to the shedding of the blood of the Prophets. ”

“ I thank God and I rejoice that this people are determined to be free from mobocracy and oppression, and that they are determined to have peace, if they have to fight for it; and if the yoke is ever put on again, it will be by ourselves: and I say, God bless this people and the missionaries that have gone to the nations,—no matter whether they have baptized one or a thousand, if they have done the will of God. ”

“ You need not fear: all we have to do is to be passive in the hands of the Lord, and follow the counsel of our leaders, and not be particularly anxious that the Lord should reveal to you or to me his mind and will and intentions concerning our present difficulties; but pray earnestly that the Spirit of the Lord may be upon those men who stand at the head. All we have to do is to live our religion ”

“ They have done something else; they have accomplished the purposes of God in India—as much so as though they had baptised every king and queen in those islands: they have literally fulfilled the revelations of Jesus Christ in carrying the Gospel unto them, because those nations could not have been left without excuse and the earth prepared for the judgments of God, if those Elders had not gone and preached to the people of those nations. ”

“ There never was a better leader given to Israel, nor one more capable of leading this people to salvation, than Brigham Young: he is filled with the Spirit of God day by day. If the United States make war upon this people, the Lord will hold them responsible for it, and the measure they mete will be measured unto them again ”

“ It is because God is with him; and though armies are approaching and ready, apparently, to swallow up this people, yet he and his brethren feel calm, and the Lord reveals unto them, by the Holy Spirit, how to govern and control this people. They have had a long experience in proving the Almighty God, who holds the destiny of the Saints and the sinner. ”

“ We have had to stoop to our enemies heretofore and bear many things from them worse than death; but if there is anything that gives us joy and consolation—at least, I can speak for myself—it was when I heard the brethren say, "You are free, brethren,—you are free; and you may prove yourselves before God and men that you are willing to defend yourselves against tyrants and oppressors." ”

“ Let the people be quiet and pray that God may reveal his mind and will to those at the head. We may have our ideas of what we should do in this or that case; but there is no man so well qualified to lead, govern, and direct for the salvation of the people as that man whom God has appointed. We have as good leaders as we need. ”

“ You may take the rest of the world, politically, temporally, spiritually, or any other way; and there never has been such an example in the eyes of heaven, earth, or hell as has been in the Elders of this Church, in preaching this Gospel to the nations of the earth. The hand of God has been in the work from the beginning, and it is in it yet ”

“ We are glad to greet them, to hear them talk, to see their faces, and to hear their testimony that the Lord has been with them, These things are a pleasure to us who remain here in Zion. There are a multiplicity of evidences that God is with this people, and that the Lord has been with his Elders, wherever they have been, from the beginning of this work. ”

“ Even though the Lord has suffered some of the brethren to go through strait places, in days which are past and gone, and he may still call us to go through strait places, yet he will sustain us when we trust in him. ”

“ They will be visited with thunder and lightning and hail and the judgments of God; and every man that will not draw his sword against his neighbour will be obliged to flee to Zion. They are sending their armies here to destroy us ”

“ They have fulfilled the commandments in carrying the Gospel to the nations.
It is no testimony to me that a man is not faithful, because he has not baptised numbers of princes, lords, governors, and kings ”