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(1/25/00)
"And what is the Priesthood? It is nothing more nor less than the power of
God delegated to man by which man can act in the earth for the salvation of the
human family, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, and act
legitimately; not assuming that authority, not borrowing it from generations
that are dead and gone, but authority that has been given in this day in which
we live by ministering angels and spirits from above, direct from the presence
of Almighty God, who have come to the earth in our day and restored the
Priesthood to the children of men, by which they may baptize for the remission
of sins and lay on hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and by which they
can remit sin, with the sanction and blessing of Almighty God." — "Conference Report," October 1904,
p. 5
(1/26/00)
"While it may be said, and it is in a measure true, that we are but a
handful in comparison to our fellow men in the world, yet we may be compared
with the leaven of which the Savior spoke, that will eventually leaven the whole
world." — "Conference
Report," April 1909, p. 2
(1/27/00)
"When the Lord wants to reveal something new to us, He knows the channel
through which to reveal it; He knows that He can do it, and He will do it in His
own way and time, and through the proper channels of the Priesthood. Don't
forget that!" — "Conference
Report," October 1909, p. 125
(1/28/00)
"I want to state here that which is in my heart. You may call it a prophecy
if you will. Those who are and continue to be enrolled in the book of the law of
the Lord--on the tithing records of the Church--will continue to prosper, their
substance will increase, and they will have added unto them in greater abundance
everything that they need;..." — "Conference
Report," April 1901, p. 70
(1/29/00)
"Let us guard ourselves so that there may not come into our souls a single
drop of bitterness, by which our whole being might be corroded and poisoned with
anger, with hatred, envy and malice, or any sort of evil. We should be free from
all these evil things, that we may be filled with the love of God, the love of
truth, the love of our fellow-men, that we may seek to do good unto all men all
the days of our lives, and above all things be true to our covenants in the
gospel of Jesus Christ." — "Conference
Report," April 1909, p. 6
(1/30/00)
"I desire to say that Mormonism, as it is called, is still, as always,
nothing more and nothing less than the power of God unto salvation, unto every
soul that will receive it honestly and will obey it. I say to you, my brethren,
sisters, and friends, that all Latter-day Saints, wherever you find them,
provided they are true to their name, to their calling and to their
understanding of the Gospel, are people who stand for truth and for honor, for
virtue and for purity of life, for honesty in business and in religion, people
who stand for God and for His righteousness, for God's truth and His work in the
earth, which aims for the salvation of the children of men, for their salvation
from the evils of the world, from the pernicious habits of wicked men and from
all those things that degrade, dishonor or destroy; or tend to lessen the
vitality, and life, the honor, and godliness among the people of the
earth." — "Conference
Report," April 1910, p. 5
(1/18/01)
"The spirit of the gospel leads men to righteousness; to love their
fellowmen and to labor for their salvation and exaltation; it inspires them to
do good and not evil, to avoid even the appearance of sin, much more to avoid
sin itself. This is indeed the spirit of the gospel, which is the spirit of this
latter-day work, and also the spirit that possesses those who have embraced it;
and the aim and purpose of this work is the salvation, the exaltation, and the
eternal happiness of man, both in this life and in the life to come."
Joseph F. Smith, "Conference Report," Apr. 1909, p. 4
(3/25/03)
"Amidst the greatest learning that the world has ever seen, we have seen
the greatest perishing the world has ever seen, and our greatest learning has
been utilized for the destruction of God's children. 'But to be learned is good
if they hearken unto the counsels of God.' Again, no man receiveth the fulness
of truth-no man may be truly educated-except he keep the commandments of our
Father in heaven." — Joseph F. Smith,
"Conference Report," April 1946, p. 62
(8/18/03)
"What should we do before partaking of this sacrament? We should look into
our souls and see whether we have any unforgiveness there toward any of our
fellow creatures, especially toward any of the household of faith. Have you any
bitterness in your heart toward your brother or your sister, or any of mankind?
If you have, remove that bitterness and repent of the weakness by which that
bitterness has found a resting place within you, and remove it from your heart.
Harbor it not in your spirit; for it is evil. It corrupts us to allow the spirit
of hatred or animosity to find a resting-place in our souls. Therefore we should
not partake of this sacrament with such feelings in our souls. We should forgive
those who trespass against us. We should make peace with our brother and with
our sister and with all mankind, and establish peace in our hearts, so that when
we come to the house of God to partake of the sacrament we may do it with clean
hands and pure hearts before the Lord." — Joseph F. Smith, July 16, 1893,
"Collected Discourses, 1987-1992," 5 vols., Stuy, Brian H., ed.,
Burbank, California, and Woodland Hills, Utah: B.H.S. Publishing
(12/5/03)
"Charity, or love, is the greatest principle in existence. If we can lend a
helping hand to the oppressed, if we can aid those who are despondent and in
sorrow, if we can uplift and ameliorate the condition of mankind, it is our
mission to do it, it is an essential part of our religion to do it." -
Joseph F. Smith, "Conference Report," April, 1918, p. 4
(5/18/04)
"Brethren, there is too little religious devotion, love, and fear of God,
in the home; too much worldliness, selfishness, indifference, and lack of
reverence in the family, or it never would exist so abundantly on the outside.
Then, the home is what needs reforming. Try today, and tomorrow, to make a
change in your home." - Joseph F. Smith, "Worship in the Home,"
Improvement Era, December 1903, p. 138
(8/20/04)
"Jesus taught the doctrine that we should pray for those that despitefully
use us; that we should love our enemies; that we should do good to them that do
evil to us; that we should not return evil for evil, but good for evil. There is
no particular credit due to any person who returns good for good. Even the
publicans and sinners did this, but it is somewhat difficult to return good for
evil. Nevertheless to do so was enjoined by the commandments of the Lord Jesus.
We are to love our enemies; do good to them that hate and persecute us; and when
we are persecuted, persecute not again; when we are derided, deride not in
return; if we are injured, seek not to injure those who injure us; that which is
required at our hands is to establish peace on earth and good will to man.
Hence, when we forget the object of our calling and step out of the path of duty
to return blow for blow, to inflict evil for evil, to persecute because we may
be persecuted, we forget the injunction of the Lord and the covenants we have
made with God, to keep His commandments." - Joseph F. Smith, "Journal
of Discourses, 26 vols." [London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot,
1854-1886], 23:285-286
(10/6/05)
"So I come to the conclusion that the principal thing
about tithe paying is obedience to the law, and that more good will come to us
through that obedience than to anybody else. We may be worth our tens of
thousands, and pay an honest tithing on our income, making our tithing a large
amount; yet the good that will come to ourselves by being obedient to the law of
God will be far greater in the end than the good which our substance may do to
the poor. He is more blessed who giveth alms than is he who receiveth them. The
trouble is, when a man becomes rich he at once begins to feel too poor to be
obedient to the laws of God. Riches make men poor when it comes to dealing with
the Almighty." - Joseph F. Smith, "Conference Report," April 1899, Afternoon
Session
(10/13/05)
"Will this time ever be? While surrounded by so many
imperfections, clothed in mortality, and subject to the weakness and failings of
the flesh, will the time ever be when we as a people, with such glorious
promises, privileges and rights, and with such inestimable blessings, shall
enjoy the Spirit of God to the exclusion of every other influence that exists?
Will we ever be able to enjoy the Spirit of the Lord, while in mortality, to
such a degree that we can govern ourselves and not give way one moment to an
evil thought or passion. I do not know; but this I do know, that we now have all
that is necessary to enable us to attain to this perfection in the truth and the
knowledge of God. If we have it not now, I do not believe we ever will. 'Why,'
inquires one, 'what have we now?' We have the promise of Almighty God that he
will give his Spirit to guide, strengthen and assist every individual to
accomplish all the good in his heart, if he will only come up to the standard he
has established." - Joseph F. Smith, "Journal of Discourses," 26 vols., 11:308
1/28/06
"It is an important duty resting upon the Saints who vote to sustain
the authorities of the Church, to do so not only by the lifting of the hand, the
mere form, but in deed and in truth. There never should be a day pass but all
the people composing the Church should lift up their voices in prayer to the
Lord to sustain His servants who are placed to preside over them.... These men
should have the faith of the people to sustain them in the discharge of their
duties, in order that they may be strong in the Lord." - "Teachings
Of Presidents Of The Church: Joseph F. Smith," p.210
1/10/07
"The essence of true membership in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is this—that you and I, independent
of every other person in the world, will live our religion and do our duty, no
matter what other people do. As Joshua expressed himself in olden times, 'As for
me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' (Joshua
24:15.) The true measure of our standing in this Church is that we will do
right, no matter who else does right or does wrong. Therefore let us seek to get
that spirit upon us and live by that rule." - Teachings Of Presidents Of The
Church: Joseph F. Smith, p.416
3/26/07
"Fix in your minds noble thoughts, cultivate elevated themes, let your aims and
aspirations be high. Be in a certain degree independent; to the degree of
usefulness, helpfulness and self-reliance, though no human beings can be said
truly to be independent of their fellow beings, and there is no one reckless
enough to deny our utter dependence on our heavenly Father. Seek to be educated
in the highest meaning of the term; get the most possible service out of your
time, your body and brains, and let all your efforts be directed into honorable
channels, that no effort shall be wasted, and no labor result in loss or evil."
- "Teachings Of Presidents Of The Church: Joseph F. Smith," p.313
5/8/07
"I would not like to say one thing, or
express a thought that would grieve the heart of Joseph, or of Brigham, or of
John, or of Wilford, or Lorenzo, or any of their faithful associates in the
ministry. Sometimes the Lord expands our vision from this point of view and this
side of the veil, that we feel and seem to realize that we can look beyond the
thin veil which separates us from that other sphere. If we can see by the
enlightening influence of the Spirit of God and through the words that have been
spoken by the holy prophets of God, beyond the veil that separates us from the
spirit world, surely those who have passed beyond, can see more clearly through
the veil back here to us than it is possible for us to see to them from our
sphere of action. I believe we move and have our being in the presence of
heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not separate from them. We
begin to realize more and more fully, as we become acquainted with the
principles of the Gospel, as they have been revealed anew in this dispensation,
that we are closely related to our kindred, to our ancestors, to our friends and
associates and co-laborers who have preceded us into the spirit world. We cannot
forget them; we do not cease to love them; we always hold them in our hearts, in
memory, and thus we are associated and united to them by ties that we can not
break, that we can not dissolve or free ourselves from. If this is the case with
us in our finite condition, surrounded by our mortal weaknesses,
shortsightedness, lack of inspiration and wisdom from time to time, how much
more certain it is and reasonable and consistent to believe that those who have
been faithful, who have gone beyond and are still engaged in the work for the
salvation of the souls of men, the opening of the prison doors to them that are
bound and proclaiming liberty to the captives who can see us better than we can
see them; that they know us better than we know them. They have advanced; we are
advancing; we are growing as they have grown; we are reaching the goal that they
have attained unto; and therefore, I claim that we live in their presence, they
see us, they are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than ever.
For now they see the dangers that beset us; they can comprehend better than ever
before, the weaknesses that are liable to mislead us into dark and forbidden
paths. They see the temptations and the evils that beset us in life and the
proneness of mortal beings to yield to temptation and to wrong doing; hence
their solicitude for us and their love for us and their desire for our well
being must be greater than that which we feel for ourselves." - Joseph F. Smith,
"Conference Report," April 1916, p.3
6/30/07
"I believe that it is the intention of our Heavenly Father to keep
us mindful of Him and of His purposes, and that one of His great designs towards
us is that we shall not become proud and lifted up in our own conceit and in our
own strength and wisdom and knowledge. I believe it is good for this
people to learn to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in everything, for He has
said that He is only displeased with those who are not willing to acknowledge
His hand in all things. It may sometimes seem difficult to discern the
hand of the Lord in the circumstances that transpire around us; but if we will
take a proper view of our situation, and of our calling and of the nature of the
work that we are engaged in I believe that it will not be difficult for us while
we possess the spirit of the Lord to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all
things. Surely He is supreme. He is above us, and he is Almighty; he
has all knowledge and all wisdom and He knoweth the end from the beginning, and
He has set His hand to accomplish His purposes in this dispensation." - Joseph
F. Smith, "Perfection in the First Principles of the Gospel," Sunday, November
1, 1891
7/4/08
"The
only real danger that I foresee in the path of the Latter-day Saints is in the
results which naturally follow the possession of wealth—pride
and vanity, self-indulgence and forgetfulness of God, and a disregard of the
sacred obligations and duties that we owe to Him and to one another; and this
because of the abundance of earthly blessings which He in His goodness has
bestowed upon us. It is said that in adversity we are inclined to feel after the
Lord, but that in prosperity we remember Him not. It appears to me that in this
lies the greatest danger that threatens us to-day."
- Joseph F. Smith, "Journal of Discourses," 26 vols., 24:174-176
9/25/08
"Did you ever see anybody who went in
debt and mortgaged and bonded that which he possessed, as free, as independent,
as happy as the man who paid for what he had as he went along? We should live
according to our means, and lay a foundation upon which we can build, and upon
which our children can build after us, without paying interest on bonded debts
incurred by us. I am aware that I am not preaching the financial gospel of the
world. I suppose I am laying myself open to the charge of being called a
mossback, non-progressive, and so on. All these epithets are hurled at the men
that dare to tell the people to live within their means. … Sometimes we are put
in a position where it is necessary to go into debt. When it is necessary, so
may it be. … But I have never yet been convinced that it was essential for the
welfare of the present or future generation that my children should be brought
in bondage by my acts."
- Teachings Of Presidents Of The Church: Joseph F. Smith, p.163
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