Orson Hyde

“ We had been to other places, where the very moment our names were sounded, and it was known we were in a house, there was a similar spirit manifested as there was in the days of Lot, when the Angel came to his house to warn him to flee from Sodom; for a mob was raised at once, and demanded the strangers to be given up to them. We have been in places where the mob demanded us to be given up to them ”

“ Brethren and sisters, I rejoice in the Lord our God, that he has moved graciously in favor of the Latter-day Saints; and inasmuch as we will forsake all evil and cleave unto him we shall find that his words unto us will be fulfilled, where he declares, "I will fight your battles." I would rather live near to God and serve him with all my heart and soul, might, mind and strength, than fight my own battles. If the Lord will fight our battles there can be no treason in that, he is too high for treason to attach to him. ”

“ When men, the high born offspring of the sky, Lived but in visions to the Eternal's eye; T'was then that freedom held her bright abode In cloudless glory in the mind of God.
I do not believe God was ever alone; for He has said Himself, it is not good for man to be alone ”

“ We do not ask for such a Priesthood—one that would lead us to commit forgery and to use that name in vain of which I have been speaking; I say we do not ask for any information or power from such a source. Such a Priesthood would subject me to a penalty that I would not like to incur; neither would any man that has any knowledge, or that knows his right hand from his left. But, O the ignorance and blindness of this generation! They know not the right hand from the left in the things of God, with all their boasted wis-dom and skill, and all their inventions. ”

“ If I were in danger of falling from a precipice, or from a building, as I have said before, and had no means of saving myself, if some kind friend would come along, and put forth his hand and help to save me, he is my savior; so if a man rescues me from a galling yoke of oppression, under which I must faint and die, he is my savior. Saviors shall come upon Mount Zion, and they shall judge the Mount of Esau. This is the kind of savior that will judge the ungodly, and give them their due. ”

“ I feel, brethren and sisters, that I am in the right company. If I can only manage to keep right myself, if I can only manage to be true and faithful to my God and myself, while I am in the midst of this assembly—the representatives of a host of Latter-day Saints—their hearts beating in unison with my words, and my words with their hearts, I feel that I am not following the few who break off, but that I am with the majority, and we are bound for the celestial kingdom. ”

“ Well, then, if all things are ours, we should be very insensible to our best interests if we did not seek diligently for that which Heaven promises as a legacy to the faithful. It is our right, then. Do we not all expect to be armed with almighty power? Is there a Latter-day Saint under the sound of my voice, whose heart is fired with celestial light, but that seeks to be in possession of supreme power (I had like to have said) both in heaven and on earth? ”

“ I feel and know that I am a poor, weak, unprofitable servant, at best. My life is of no great value, when compared with the value and importance of this kingdom; and I have lately thought that it would be about the height of my ambition to lose my life to save that of some better man. I know not what I will do; but I pray God my heavenly Father that I may do my duty and honour His name and cause with my every and latest breath. I have tried to do right and to live my religion. ”

“ Brethren, I rejoice in the service of God, and I want to continue in it; and if our religion had no more consolation than it now affords, it would be ample to inspire us to honor it, and to live it. I look around me and see a great many heads as white and many whiter than my own. ”

“ Well, then, it stands us in hand, brethren and sisters, to look well to ourselves, and be sure that neither the husband nor the wife is the transgressor; for the one that is really in the fault, when weighed in the balance, will be found wanting; and I fear for such.
It is well for us to look at these things, and make ourselves fully acquainted with the obligations we are under one to another, to discharge them in the fear of God; and I know not how we can discharge them, unless we have the Spirit of the true and living God ”

“ Our feet have bled with walking, and our hearts with sorrow over the blindness of the people: yet we have been joyful in our God. The four quarters of the globe and the islands of the sea have heard our voice and testimony. We have laboured and have not fainted. Though weak, combatting the world, the flesh, and the Devil, and though our enemies have reproached us with being a set of ignoramuses, dupes, villains, impostors, and fools, we have cried aloud and spared not. ”

“ Let us prepare our minds for all things and to live where and when others may perish and die. We have got to learn that when the day of burning comes to be ready to live upon the barren rocks, where others would starve to death. If we get wisdom to live where they would perish, then we shall be the more completely independent. Thank God, we are beyond their reach. The Almighty God in his wisdom and kindness has given us understanding, and I have every reason to believe that he will deliver us and provide for us, if we live our religion and cleave unto him ”

“ If there is any thing in this world my soul desires the most, it is that I may overcome, and be made a pillar in the Temple of my God, and remain at home in the society that is continually warming my spirit, encouraging my feeling, with that which is congenial with every principle of my nature; let me bask in their goodly presence, live in their affections, dwell forever in the midst of their society, and go no more out. And may God in His mercy help us all to overcome every obstacle, and endure hardships like good soldiers of the Lamb, and dwell eternally in the mansions of light ”

“ And when that voice is heard, let every bosom respond, yea and amen.
But, says one, "If this be correct, it is giving to one man almighty power. It is giving to one man supreme power to rule." Admit it. What are we all aiming for? Are we not aiming for supreme power? Are we not aiming to obtain the promise that has been made to all believers? What is it? "He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Are we not all seeking for this, that we may overcome, that we may inherit all things? For says Paul, "Therefore let no man glory in men. ”

“ Whatever earthly goods I possess, and what I am, are at the service and disposal of my brethren to advance the interests of the kingdom of God.
When I heard this morning the remarks that were made, all worldly interests looked like trash to me. I have laboured hard to lay a good foundation in the west for a settlement, but if what we have done must fall a sacrifice, so be it. We did what we thought was right, and tried to do considerable of it. The fact is, I count an inheritance in the kingdom of God greater than anything that this world can afford. ”

“ When, oh! when shall human grief and woe come to a final end? Thank kind heaven, there is a time when these must cease. In the times of the restitution of all things, when the son of the virgin shall have disarmed death of his power and triumphed over every foe of man; then shall the tree of life spread wide its branches, bloom in eternal spring, and exhale his rich and life-giving odours to the breeze, carrying life, health, and joy upon its balmy wing to every department of God's creation. "Behold we bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be unto all people." ”

“ The Almighty never did, neither will He ever display His power in behalf of His people until they are brought into tried and straightened places; and what if some of us should lay down our lives for Christ's sake? We all have to die at some time; and if we are but in the faithful discharge of our duty, it should matter not to us when or by what means we go. Our enemies may say, for righteousness sake we kill thee not, but for thine own wickedness and perverseness.
What persecutors of the followers of Jesus ever acknowledged that they martyred or killed the Saints for righteousness sake? ”

“ Could I speak with the voice of an angel, I would say that God has spoken from the heavens through his servants in the last days, and that here is the mouthpiece of the Most High, ready to instruct, to correct and to impart the principles of eternal life to every inquiring soul. Inquire, then, for it is not too late yet; to obey is life everlasting ”

“ When it was necessary that the Saviour of the world should have help and strength, should be sustained in the darkest hour, did God Himself in person come to his aid? No, but He sent His angel to succor him. When the Saviour was born, the spirits around the throne of God were ready to fly to his protection, when the kings and rulers of this lower world sought his destruction. What did they say to the wise men of Israel on that eventful occasion? "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." ”

“ It is not every man in the United States that can be the president, or that can be a governor, or a judge, but all are within the pale of the government of the United States, though they do not all bear rule; many are called, and few are chosen. But in yonder world those who bear the Priesthood, and by their faith and obedience obtain the sanction of the Almighty, they are sealed on earth and in heaven, and will be exalted to rule and govern for ever; while those who would not listen to the holy commandments, and died without having a wife sealed to them, are angels ”

“ I have no faith to boast of, but what little faith I may possess I think more of than I do of the wealth of this world, for the wealth of this world will not carry me successfully through the dark valley of the shadow of death ”

“ The devils that fell were not permitted to enjoy this privilege; they cannot increase their generation; glory to God, they cannot do it, but we have the power of multiplying lives; this is what they are angry about. Says Paul, "Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" Is it possible that these Elders and servants of the Most High, who are going abroad among the nations, will have power to judge the nations of the earth? Says one, "God will do it, and not man." ”

“ If such individuals should have a jog that would knock their sensibilities into them, I do not know but God would work it for their good. I believe it is said that all things shall work together for good to those that love God and keep his commandments. We have convictions of those things; we are confident that all shall work for our good, not only in our hearts, but when we can see wisdom manifested that is evidently manifested by the hand of a superior being ”

“ Whoever will look upon the history of the Saints and see the providences of the Almighty that have attended them, must see that these Divine interpositions speak in evidence too powerful to be resisted. I confess that these are arguments more potent than I am capable of adducing at the present time, Now he that will look at these things and run them over in his mind, will readily see that these are evidences of divinity in our religion. Where is there another people over whom Heaven has exercised these peculiar providences? Why is the world at war with us? It is because we are not like them. ”

“ I wanted to show that they possess evidence in themselves—that they have it in their own hearts and in their own feelings, that this is the work of God; I wished to convince them that God had given them a testimony, that they might know for themselves. He has so ordered things that hypocrites and false-hearted individuals might know for themselves that this is the work of God and that he would accomplish it in his own way. For this reason he said that "sinners in Zion should be afraid, and fearfulness surprise the hypocrite," and that they should go away ”

“ Religionists are still more scrupulous—they regard it as a heinous and damning sin.
I always consider it my duty, under proper circumstances, to give a reason of the hope that is in me, with meekness and fear; and if I have imbibed a principle, and am unable to defend it upon the principles of truth, justice, equity, and true philosophy, I should consider I was walking in the dark.
Whenever truth is manifested by revelation to the servants of God, it never comes without a reason for it. When the light of revelation bursts upon the mind, it not only unfolds one principle, but many. ”

“ If you love and respect the welfare of the world, never allow yourselves to imbibe their spirit, or to become one with them. For if you do, you cannot be a savior, but need one as well as they; for you both stand upon one and the same level. The world hated the Savior before they hated us, and they killed him because he would never unite in heart and spirit with them. They will kill some of us for the same cause. But blessed are the man and the woman that are hated by the world because they will not be one with them. ”

“ Well, there is a principle of life. The Gospel is life, and the Saviour is life; for says he, "I am the light and the life of the world." It is now as it was of old—the people keep putting off every good thing: they of old put them off just as we now put off things to the future. "Why," said Martha, speaking of her brother, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." But said Jesus unto her, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ”