So long as you are able to walk and attend to your business, it is folly to say that you need ardent spirits to keep you alive. The constitution that a person has should be nourished and cherished; and whenever we take anything into the system to force and stimulate it beyond its natural capacity, it shortens life. I am physician enough to know that. When you are tired and think you need a little spirituous liquor, take some bread and butter, or bread and milk, and lie down and rest. Do not labor so hard as to deem it requisite to get half drunk in order to keep up your spirits. If you will follow this counsel, you will be full of life and health, and will increase your intelligence, your joy and comfort.—J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 337.
All I desire to live for is to see the inhabitants of the earth acknowledge God, bow down to Him, and confess His supremacy, and His righteous covenant. To Him let every knee bow, and every tongue confess, and let all creation say Amen to His wise providences. Let every person declare His allegiance to God, and then live to it, saying, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. As for me, and all I have, it is the Lord's, and shall be dedicated to Him all my days." If this can be done, happiness is here, angels are here, God is here and we are wrapped in the visions of eternity.—J. of D., Vol. I., p. 94.
The principle opposite to that of eternal increase from the beginning, leads down to hell; the person decreases, loses his knowledge, tact, talent and ultimately, in a short period of time is lost; he returns to his mother earth, his name is forgotten. But where, O! where is his spirit? I will not now take the time to follow his destiny; but here strong language could be used, for when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed after the termination of the thousand years' rest, He will summon the armies of heaven for the conflict, He will come forth in flaming fire, He will descend to execute the mandates of an incensed God, and amid the thunderings of the wrath of Omnipotence, roll up the heavens as a scroll and destroy death and him that has the power of it. The rebellious will be thrown back into their native element, there to remain myriads of years before their dust will again be revived, before they will be reorganized. Some might argue that this principle would lead to the reorganization of Satan, and all the devils. I say nothing about this only what the Lord says, that when "He comes He will destroy death and him that has the power of it." It cannot be annihilated; you cannot annihilate matter. If you could it would prove there was empty space. If philosophers could annihilate the least conceivable amount of matter, they could then prove there was the minutest vacuum, or empty space but there is not even that much, and it is beyond the power of man to prove that there is any.—J of D., Vol. I., p. 118.
Because of the weakness of human nature, it must crumble to the dust. But in all the revolutions and changes in the existence of men, in the eternal world which they inhabit, and in the knowledge they have obtained as people on the earth, there is no such thing as principle, power, wisdom, knowledge, life, position or anything that can be imagined, that remains stationary they must increase or decrease.—J. of D., Vol. I., p. 350.
Men should act upon the principle of righteousness because it is right, and is a principle which they love to cherish and see practiced by all men. They should love mercy because of its benevolence, charity, love, clemency and of all of its lovely attributes, and be inspired thereby to deal justly, fairly, honorably, meting out to others their just deservings.—J. of D., Vol. I., p. 119.
Practical religion is what we all need to prepare us to enjoy that which we have in our anticipations that which we hold in our faith. Merely the theory of any religion does people but little good. This is the great failing of Bible Christians, as they are called. They have the theory of the religion of which the Bible testifies, but the practical part they spurn from them.—J. of D., Vol. IV., p. 341.
All those who wish to possess true riches, desire the riches that will endure. Then look at the subject of salvation where you will find true riches. They are to be found in the principles of the gospel of salvation, and are not to be found anywhere else.—J. of D., Vol. I., p, 269.
Suppose we say there was once a beginning to all things, then we must conclude there will undoubtedly be an end. Can eternity be circumscribed? If it can, there is an end of all wisdom, knowledge, power and glory all will sink into eternal annihilation.—J. of D., Vol. I., p. 353.
Which would produce the greatest good to man, to give him his agency and draw a vail over him, or to give him certain blessings and privileges, let him live in a certain degree of light, and enjoy a certain glory, and take his agency from him, compelling him to remain in that position, without any possible chance of progress? I say the greatest good that could be produced by the all-wise Conductor of the universe to His creature, man, was to do just as He has done.—J. of D., Vol. I., p. 351.
The Lord does not thank you for your alms, long prayers, sanctimonious speeches and long faces, if you refuse to extend the hand of benevolence and charity to your fellow creatures, and lift them up, and encourage and strengthen the feeble, while they are contending against the current of mortal ills.—J. of D., Vol. I., p. 245.