It is the man who works hard, who sweats over the rock, and goes to the canyons for lumber, that I count more worthy of good food and dress than I am.—J. of D., Vol. V., p. 99.
Chastisements are grievous when they are received; but if they are received in patience, they will work out salvation for those who cheerfully submit to them.—J. of D., Vol. V., p. 124.
Mourning for the righteous dead springs from the ignorance and weakness that are planted within the mortal tabernacle, the organization of this house for the spirit to dwell in. No matter what pain we suffer, no matter what we pass through, we cling to our mother earth, and dislike to have any of her children leave us. We love to keep together the social family relation that we bear one to another, and do not like to part with each other; but could we have knowledge and see into eternity, if we were perfectly free from the weakness, blindness and lethargy with which we are clothed in the flesh, we should have no disposition to weep or mourn.—J. of D., Vol. IV., p. 131.
First reform in your moral character and conduct one towards another, so that every man and woman will deal honestly and walk uprightly with one another, and extend the arm of charity and benevolence to each other, as necessity requires. Be moral and strictly honest in every point, before you ask God to reform your spirit.—J. of D., Vol. IV., p. 61.
If we could see our heavenly Father, we should see a being similar to our earthly parent, with this difference: our Father in heaven is exalted and glorified. He has received His thrones, His principalities and powers, and He sits as a governor, as a monarch, and overrules kingdoms, thrones and dominions that have been bequeathed to Him, and such as we anticipate receiving. While He was in the flesh, as we are, He was as we are.—J. of D., Vol. IV., p. 54.
When we have done with the flesh, and have departed to the spirit world, you will find that we are independent of those evil spirits. But while you are in the flesh you will suffer by them, and cannot control them, only by your faith in the name of Jesus Christ and by the keys of the eternal priesthood. When the spirit is unlocked from the tabernacle it is as free, pure, holy and independent of them as the sun is of this earth.—J. of D. Vol. IV,, p. 134.
The spirit of every man and woman that gets into the celestial kingdom must overcome the flesh, must war against the flesh until the seeds of sin that are sown in the flesh are brought into subjection to the law of Christ.—J. of D., Vol. IV., p, 197.
Natural philosophy is the plan of salvation, and the plan of salvation is natural philosophy.—J. of D. Vol. IV., p. 203.
There is no spirit but what was pure and holy when it came here from the celestial world. There is no spirit among the human family that was begotten in hell; none that were begotten by angels, or by any inferior being. They were not produced by any being less than our Father in heaven. He is the Father of our spirits, and if we could know, understand and do His will, every soul would be prepared to return back into His presence. And when they get there, they would see that they had formerly lived there for ages; that they had previously been acquainted with every nook and corner, with the palaces, walks and gardens; and they would embrace their Father, and He would embrace them.—J. of D., Vol. IV., p. 268.
The kingdom of our God that is set upon the earth, does not require men of many words and flaming oratorical talents, to establish truth and righteousness. It is not the many words that accomplish the designs of our Father in heaven; with Him it is the acts of the people more than their words.—J. of D., Vol. IV., p. 20.