Our religion teaches us truth, virtue, holiness, faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ. It reveals mysteries; it brings to mind things past and present—unfolding clearly things to come. It is the foundation of mechanism; it is the spirit that gives Intelligence to every living being upon the earth. All true philosophy originates from that fountain from which we draw wisdom, knowledge, truth, and power. What does it teach us? To love God and our fellow creatures, to be compassionate, full of mercy, long-suffering and patient to the froward and to those who are ignorant. There is glory in our religion that no other religion that has ever been established upon the earth, in the absence of the true Priesthood, ever possessed. It is the fountain of all intelligence; it is to bring heaven to earth and exalt earth to heaven, to prepare all intelligence that God has placed in the hearts of the children of men to mingle with that intelligence which dwells in eternity, and to elevate the mind above the trifling and frivolous objects of time, which tend downward to destruction. It frees the mind of man from darkness and ignorance, gives him that intelligence that flows from heaven, and qualifies him to comprehend all things. This is the character of the religion we believe in.—J. of D. Vol. VII., p. 140.
I say shame on that man who will give way to his passions and use the name of God or of Christ to curse his ox or his horse, or any creature which God has made; it is a disgrace to him.—J. of D., Vol. I., p. 241.
That a man is willing to die for his religion is no proof of its being true; neither is it proof that a religion is false when one of its votaries apostatizes from it.—J. of D., Vol. VII, p. 140.
I may heap up gold and silver like the mountains; I may gather around me property, goods and chattels, but I could have no glory in that compared with my religion; it is the fountain of light and intelligence; it swallows up the truth contained in all the philosophy of the world, both heathen and Christian; it circumscribes the wisdom of man; it circumscribes all the wisdom and power of the world; it reaches to that within the veil. Its bounds, its circumference, its end, its height and depth are beyond the comprehension of mortals, for it has none.—J., of D., Vol. I., p. 39.
If you have gold and silver, let it not come between you and your duty. J. of D. Vol. I., p. 202.
When the breath leaves the body, your life has not become extinct; your life is still in existence. And when you are in the spirit world, everything there will appear as natural as things now do. Spirits will be familiar with spirits in the spirit world—will converse, behold, and exercise every variety of communication one with another as familiarly and naturally as while here in tabernacles.—J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 239.
If we are faithful to our religion, when we go into the spirit world, the fallen spirits Lucifer and the third part of the heavenly hosts that came with him, and the spirits of wicked men who have dwelt upon this earth, the whole of them combined will have no influence over our spirits.—J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 240.
The thrones and kingdoms of earth are frequently changing hands. Adventurers rise up or go forth and establish new governments, and in a few short years they are cast down to give place to more successful powers. All earthly things are changing hands. The gold, the silver, and other property pass from my hands to yours, and from yours to the hands of others. Shame on a people that place their affections upon this changing matter! Love God and the things that change not.—J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 337.
The child who has his father's razor, or any other article dangerous for him to handle, and about the use of which he has no knowledge, when deprived of it, his trials are equal to ours, according to his capacity. We seldom think of the trials of our little ones when we say to them, you must not have this or that; you must do so and so to receive my smiles and approbation; you must not think for a moment that your judgment, wisdom, experience, and wishes are to be compared with mine. Does not the Father of all living conduct Himself in this wise towards His children? He has revealed to us that He will prepare us for glory, for life eternal,—will preserve our identity forever, if we will be guided by him. But we must be obedient to him, for He understands more than we do. We should destroy ourselves if we were suffered to take our own way; hence we are taught to suffer the Father to point out our path to an eternal duration hereafter, where our present afflictions will appear as flimsy as the shadows of the morning that flee upon the approach of day.—J. of D., Vol. VII., p. 275.
If a man is worth millions of bushels of wheat and corn, he is not wealthy enough to suffer his servant girl to sweep a single kernel of it into the firs; let it be eaten by something, and pass again into the earth, and thus fulfill the purpose for which it grew.—J. of D. Vol. I., p. 253.