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(8/05/02)
"Mothers, let me beg of you to bestow all the care and training that
you possibly can upon your daughters. Make them as perfect as you can;
give them every facility within your power to become women of culture.
And, fathers, do the same by your boys. If there is a man in your
settlement who excels in any one thing, let him teach the rest. If
there be among you a good penman, let him teach others this beautiful
art. And if there is a woman that excels in anything, let the girls be
taught in that one thing until they shall equal or surpass her. If
there is a man among you who is accustomed to society, let him impart
lessons to the boys, and let them imitate him. This is one thing that
devolves upon us, as Latter-day Saints." — George Q. Cannon, "Journal
of Discourses," 22:283
(8/25/03)
"Men may fail us, as they do. I often think of the Scripture which
says, 'Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his
arm.' The best of men will fail us. They are fallible beings, full of
frailties and short-comings; and they are not to be trusted with our
salvation. But our God can be trusted to the very uttermost. No matter
how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the
affliction, He will never desert us. He never has, and He never will.
He cannot do it. It is not His character. He is an unchangeable being;
the same yesterday, the same today, and He will be the same throughout
the eternal ages to come. We have found that God. We have made Him our
friend, by obeying His Gospel; and He will stand by us. We may pass
through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we
shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these
trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only
trust in our God and keep His commandments." — George Q. Cannon, 1
March 1891, "Collected Discourses, 5 vols.", Stuy, Brian H., ed.
[Burbank, California, and Woodland Hills, Utah: B.H.S. Publishing]
(9/14/03)
"We may mark out paths for traveling, but the Lord directs our ways,
and we cannot walk safely without. We may have our ideas as to how
this work is going to be built up and established, but the Lord will
show us, as has been quoted... that 'As the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are God's ways higher than man's ways.' We would never
have reached these valleys had not the Lord guided us; and we can look
back and see how wonderfully His promises have been fulfilled in our
behalf. Scarcely a step could have been taken of our own choice if we
had not been upheld by God and had He not sustained us in all our
doings. So it will be to the end, and we will be obliged to confess
that his wisdom has done it all." — George Q. Cannon, "Collected
Discourses, Volume 2," 6 April 1891
(9/19/03)
"There were two duties imposed upon us in early days; one was to seek
to gather out the honest, to do all in our power to gather out the
people who loved and received the Gospel, and to be diligent in our
labors doing all in our power to find them. We were sent out as
fishers, we were sent out as hunters, we were sent everywhere carrying
this Gospel, seeking out the Israel of God scattered among the
Gentiles. This was one duty. Then there was another duty, to warn the
people, to warn all men in the most solemn manner that the hour of
God's judgment was near at hand, to declare to the inhabitants of the
earth that the approach of our Lord was near, that the Lord Jesus
Christ was about to descend from heaven, and that vengeance and anger
and judgment were about to be poured out upon the nations of the
earth." — George Q. Cannon, "Collected Discourses, Volume 2," 12
January 1890
1/7/06
"The only principle upon which position should be sought and held by
the servants of God is that they might thereby be more useful—that the
field of their usefulness might be enlarged. No man should seek to
hold a position to gratify a vain ambition to excel. And whatever the
position that may be assigned him, he should therewith be content. If
an Elder's happiness be affected by the prominence or obscurity of his
station, it is an evidence that he is dependent upon something beside
the Spirit of God for happiness; if he be appointed to labor in a
humble position by those who have the authority and he strives to fill
that appointment honorably, he will be happy—his happiness will be
perfect; his joy will be full; should his station be ever so exalted,
he could be no more than this...." - George Q. Cannon, "Gospel Truth:
Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon," selected,
arranged, and edited by Jerreld L. Newquist, p.181
7/30/07
"As a people we need to live so as to have the word of God given to
us. To be fed upon anything else but this would be a great
disappointment and would leave us hungry and in a destitute
condition. The life of a Latter-day Saint is such that he has
need to be in close communion with his God; and the religion that we
profess is one which imparts to the human soul at the very time that
it is required the consolation, the strength, and the necessary gifts
and powers to enable that soul to contend with and overcome all the
evils that may lie in his pathway." - George Q. Cannon, "Living Our
Religion," Remarks made in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday
afternoon, May 26, 1889
12/30/08
"There is one sign which
always accompanies the people of God, and when that is absent we cease
to be the people of God—union. Whenever
the Latter-day Saints become divided they cease to be the children of
God. Whenever you see clashing, division, and strife, and Saint
arrayed against Saint, section against section, locality against
locality, you may be sure that those who have that spirit and manifest
that feeling are not of God. I care not what their professions
may be or what their position in the Church may be. I care not
what their experience may be if there be this spirit and feeling among
us, depend upon it that something is very wrong and there is room for
radical change, or the spirit, blessing, and power of God will be
withdrawn from us, and His anger will be kindled against us."
- George Q. Cannon, July 14, 1889, "Collected Discourses," Brian
H. Stuy, ed., Volume 1
5/17/09
“But
moral courage is a quality of a different character. It requires moral
courage to be a Latter-day Saint. It requires moral courage to do the
right thing and say the right word when it is unpopular to do so. No
man can be a truly great man who does not possess this quality. A man
possessed of moral courage never shrinks from telling the truth. Such
a man is never a liar or a deceiver or a hypocrite; he is never untrue
to his principles. To use one of the phrases now common in our day,
such a man has the courage of his convictions. A man or woman
possessed of true moral courage always excites admiration and compels
respect. Moral cowards especially respect such persons, for the reason
that it is natural for mankind to admire the good in others that is
lacking in their own characters. (Nov. 15, 1882, JI 17:344)” -
George Q. Cannon, “Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of
President George Q. Cannon,” selected, arranged, and edited by
Jerreld L. Newquist, p. 450
11/5/09
“To enjoy the sweet, mankind must know something about the bitter.
They must have the opportunity of exercising their faculties and
testing their powers. Unless they were exposed to temptation they
never could know themselves, their own powers, their own weaknesses
nor the power of God. If Satan had no power to tempt mankind, they
would be in a state where they could neither know good nor evil; they
could not know happiness nor misery. All their powers would lie
dormant, for there would be nothing to arouse them. They would be
destitute of that experience which prepares men to become like God,
their Eternal Father.” - George Q. Cannon, “Gospel Truth:
Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon,” selected,
arranged, and edited by Jerreld L. Newquist, p. 109
5/4/10
"Your children
may err, and do things that are sinful and are painful and sorrowful to
you. But cling to them. Pray for them. Exercise faith
in their behalf. Treat them with kindness; not, however, condoning
their sins and their transgressions. But be full of charity, full
of long-suffering, full of patience, and full of mercy to your
children. Don't drive them away by your severity, or by being too
strict. But be kind and merciful to them, correcting their faults
when they need correcting, at the same time showing them that your
corrections are not prompted by anything but love for them and for their
happiness." - George Q. Cannon,
General Conference, 6 April 1891
7/4/10
"There is a means by
which we can measure our progress to meet [the Second Coming]. If the
breach is daily widening between ourselves and the world, as it is
between the community of the Saints and the world, then we may be
assured that our progress is certain, however slow. On the opposite
hand, if our feelings and affections, our appetites and desires, are in
unison with the world around us and freely fraternize with them, if our
faith and our actions are cold and barren of good fruit, we should do
well to examine ourselves. (Oct. 5, 1861, MS 23:645-46)." - George
Q. Cannon, "Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George
Q. Cannon," selected, arranged, and edited by Jerreld L. Newquist, p.
51
7/6/10
"This should be our aim
as a people and as individuals, every day living so near to God that we
shall have more of His Spirit and power, and more of the gifts and
endowments of the holy Gospel of the Son of God. If we take and continue
in this course we shall feel and understand that we are progressing in
the knowledge of God and in the comprehension of truth. And let me tell
you, my brethren and sisters, if we thus live, when counsel is given, no
matter what it may be, or what principle it may refer to, it will be
plain and simple, and as clear unto our minds as the light we now see;
and our understandings will be enlightened by it and we shall see beauty
in it." - George Q. Cannon, "Journal
of Discourses," 26 vols., 13:374
1/2/12
It requires the utmost
care upon the part of the people who have received the Spirit of the
Lord by the laying on of hands to distinguish between the voice of that
Spirit and the voice of their own hearts or other spirits which may take
possession of them. Experience and watchfulness will enable the Saint to
recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit. - George
Q. Cannon, "Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George
Q. Cannon," selected, arranged, and edited by Jerreld L. Newquist,
p.144
1/15/12
Man may deride and say there is no God,
and say that it is all humbug. But I know for myself that God lives. I
know that when I pray to him he hears and answers my prayers. If I pray
to him in secret and he rewards and gives me the desires of my heart,
supposing all the rest of the world should say that God does not live,
does that alter my position, or detract from any of the blessings I
enjoy? Not in the least. It does not interfere with them. It is my right
to believe there is a God, and if another man chooses to believe there
is not then that is his business. Shall I quarrel with a man because I
think my religion is better than his? Not at all. If my religion is
better than his, why I will show it in my life and not descend to
ridicule and violence. - George Q.
Cannon, "Journal of Discourses," 26 vols., 20:341
12/7/12
It is a great mistake to suppose
that the man who goes off riding on Sunday obtains more rest than
the man who goes to meeting. There is a refreshing influence
connected with the Spirit of the Lord that brings health and
strength and ease to those who receive it, and time spent in
meeting, listening to the word of God and partaking of the sacrament
is well spent, and both body and spirit are refreshed. Men and women
who thus observe the Sabbath day are prepared on Monday morning,
with invigorated bodies, enlightened and comforted minds, to enter
upon the serious labors of the week and to perform them with ease
and pleasure. While in meeting and under the influence of the Spirit
of the Lord troubles and perplexities are cast away, burdens are
lifted, anxieties are removed and peace and joy fill the soul. - "Gospel
Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon,"
selected, arranged, and edited by Jerreld L. Newquist, p.393
1/24/13
The gifts that pertain to the gospel of Jesus Christ can only be
obtained by obedience to the truth; and can only be retained by a
faithful adherence to the commandments of God; and in order that
these may be multiplied upon the people, they must be appreciated
by those upon whom they are bestowed. When our hearts are filled
with thanksgiving, gratitude, and praise to God, we are in a fit
condition to receive additional blessings, and to have more of the
outpouring of His Holy Spirit. When we see the deliverances that
He vouchsafes to us, and appreciate those deliverances, we are in
a fit condition to receive additional strength, power, and
salvation, because we acknowledge His hand in all the blessings we
receive, and in all the circumstances which surround us. - George
Q. Cannon, "Journal of Discourses," 26 vols., 11:331
10/2/15
Besides
this, we have the Book of Mormon—a record translated and published
before the Church itself was organized—in which all these scenes
that we are now passing through are described with wonderful
minuteness and accuracy. The opposition that we now have to
contend with, and the character of that opposition, are foretold in
that book with exceeding great plainness. And the prophets of
God have written these things in such simple language that a child
can read and understand them. - George
Q. Cannon, "Future of the Kingdom," Weber Stake Conference, Sunday
Morning, July 21, 1889
6/6/16
We may think and feel that we are surrounded by difficulties, that
we are enveloped by obstacles, and that our future prospects are
most discouraging. But, says the Lord, "Can a woman forget her
sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her
womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." He
does remember Zion, and the promises he has made to Zion will be
fulfilled, and there is no power on earth nor in hell that can
prevent their fulfillment. - Brian
H. Stuy, ed., “Collected Discourses,” 5 vols., George Q. Cannon,
January 12, 1890
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