(8/17/99)
"It seems to me that any member of this Church would never be
satisfied until he or she had read the Book of Mormon time and time
again, and thoroughly considered it so that he or she could bear
witness that it is in very deed a record with the inspiration of the
Almighty upon it, and that its history is true.... No member of this
Church can stand approved in the presence of God who has not
seriously and carefully read the Book of Mormon." — Joseph Fielding
Smith, "Conference Report," Oct 1961, p. 18
(12/29/99)
"Let me not be misunderstood, when I say that there is need for
repentance in Zion. ...There is constant need of warning, teaching
and calling upon the people to remember the promises the Lord has
made unto them; urging them to be true and faithful in all things,
to his holy word that none may go astray, nor falter, or be overcome
and trodden down and be cast back again into the world, to partake
of the sins of the world from whence they came. And so I feel that
it is my mission to cry repentance and to call upon the people to
serve the Lord." — "Conference Report," October 1919, p. 88
(12/30/99)
"We are living in perilous times, in a day when the mission of the
Church is perhaps more pronounced, and our message to the world more
clearly defined, than ever before. As a people we stand as witnesses
for Christ in a day when the world has turned from him, when they
are teaching the doctrines of men and discarding the fundamental
truths of the Christian faith." — "Conference Report," April 1924,
p. 40
(12/31/99)
"I plead with the Latter-day Saints to stand firm and faithful in
the discharge of every duty, keeping the commandments of the Lord,
honoring the priesthood, that we may stand when the Lord
comes--whether we be living or dead, it matters not--to be partakers
of His glory." — "Conference Report," April 1935, p. 99
(1/01/00)
"But how are they to become saviors on Mount Zion? By building their
temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and
receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings,
anointings, ordinations and sealing powers upon their heads, in
behalf of their progenitors who are dead, and redeem them that they
may come forth in the first resurrection and be exalted to thrones
of glory with them; and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of
the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, which
fulfills the mission of Elijah..." — "Conference Report," April
1948, p. 136
(1/02/00)
"Not all truth is of the same value or importance. Some truths are
greater than others. The greatest truth, or the greatest truths, we
find in the fundamentals of the gospel of Jesus Christ. First of
all, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world,
who came into this world to die that men might live. That truth we
should know. It is far more important to know that Jesus Christ is
our Redeemer, that he has given unto us the principles of eternal
life, than it is to know all that can be obtained in secular
education." — "Conference Report," April 1955, p. 51
(1/03/00)
"The words of the prophets are rapidly being fulfilled, but it is
done on such natural principles that most of us fail to see it." —
"Conference Report," April 1966, p. 13
(1/04/00)
"I think if all men knew and understood who they are, and were aware
of the divine source from whence they came, and of the infinite
potential that is part of their inheritance, they would have
feelings of kindness and kinship for each other that would change
their whole way of living and bring peace on earth." — "Conference
Report," April 1970, p. 4
(6/17/03)
"This City of Holiness, or Zion, was a theocracy like unto the
government established by the Lord in the days of Adam. In it the
celestial law prevailed, the commandments of the Lord were
respected; there were no jealousies, envyings, immorality or
wickedness of any kind. The people were truly happy, and only by
obedience to divine law can a people be truly happy. If we, today,
had the faith and willingness to serve the Lord and would love God
and our neighbor as ourselves, as we have been commanded to do, we
would be just as happy and blessed as were the people of the City of
Zion. The Son of God would again be willing to do as he did with the
inhabitants of Zion, he could dwell in our midst, in other words, we
could "walk with God." It is only our rebellion and unwillingness to
be obedient in all things, that keeps us from having the
companionship of heavenly messengers in this latter day. Eventually
this condition will come, but not until the earth is cleansed of its
wickedness and the reign of righteousness is ushered in for one
thousand years." — Joseph Fielding Smith, "The Progress of Man,"
[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1964], p. 86-87
(7/22/03)
"Because the daughters of Noah married the sons of men contrary to
the teachings of the Lord, his anger was kindled, and this offense
was one cause that brought to pass the universal flood. You will see
that the condition appears reversed in the Book of Moses. It was the
daughters of the sons of God who were marrying the sons of men,
which was displeasing unto the Lord. The fact was, as we see it
revealed, that the daughters who had been born, evidently under the
covenant, and were the daughters of the sons of God, that is to say
of those who held the priesthood, were transgressing the commandment
of the Lord and were marrying out of the Church. Thus they were
cutting themselves off from the blessings of the priesthood contrary
to the teachings of Noah and the will of God ....
"Today there are foolish daughters of those who hold this same priesthood who are violating this commandment and marrying the sons of men; there are also some of the sons of those who hold the priesthood who are marrying the daughters of men. All of this is contrary to the will of God just as much as it was in the days of Noah." — Joseph Fielding Smith, "Answers to Gospel Questions," 1:136-37
(9/03/03)
"Never in the history of the world has this truth been so greatly
manifest as in the preaching of the Gospel by the weak and humble
elders of the Church. They have gone forth into strength which the
Lord promised them and they have confounded the wisdom of the wise
and the understanding of their prudent men has been hid. (Isa.
29:14) Think of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was without training
or education, only in the simple grades, so far as the learning or
the world is concerned. Yet the Lord called him and educated him and
he has confounded the entire religious world and brought to naught
their false doctrines." — Joseph Fielding Smith, "Church History and
Modern Revelation," p. 149
(12/15/04)
"We know that God is known only by revelation, that he stands
revealed or remains forever unknown. We must go to the
scriptures-not to the scientists or philosophers-if we are to learn
the truth about Deity. Indeed, John's great prophecy about the
restoration of the gospel by an angel who should fly in the midst of
heaven says that it was to occur so that men could come to a
knowledge of the true God and be taught: 'Fear God, and give glory
to him... and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea,
and the fountains of waters.' (Rev.
14:7.) In other words, beginning with the restoration of the
gospel in this dispensation, men once again would be called upon to
worship and serve their Creator rather than the false concepts of
Deity that prevail in the world." - Joseph Fielding Smith, "The
Most
Important Knowledge," Ensign, May 1971, p. 2-3
(12/26/04)
"We are engaged in the Lord's work; this is his church; he is the
author of the plan of salvation; it is his gospel which we have
received by the opening of the heavens in this day; and our desire
and whole purpose in life should be to believe the truths he has
revealed and to conform our lives to them. No person in or out of
the Church should believe any doctrine, advocate any practice, or
support any cause that is not in harmony with the divine will. Our
sole objective where the truths of salvation are concerned should be
to find out what the Lord has revealed and then to believe and act
accordingly." - Joseph Fielding Smith, "Out
of
the Darkness," Ensign, June 1971, p. 2
(1/8/05)
"As the Lord's agents we are bound by his law to do what he wants us
to do regardless of personal feelings or worldly enticements. Of
ourselves we have no message of salvation, no doctrine that must be
accepted, no power to baptize or ordain or marry for eternity. All
these things come from the Lord, and anything we do with reference
to them is the result of delegated authority." - Joseph Fielding
Smith, "Our
Responsibilities
As Priesthood Holders," Ensign, June 1971, p. 49
(1/30/05)
"We believe that worship is far more than prayer and preaching and
gospel performance. The supreme act of worship is to keep the
commandments, to follow in the footsteps of the Son of God, to do
ever those things that please him. It is one thing to give lip
service to the Lord; it is quite another to respect and honor his
will by following the example he has set for us." - Joseph Fielding
Smith, "I
Know That My Redeemer Liveth," Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 27
12/13/05
"I wonder if we ever stop to think why the Lord has asked
us to pray. Did he ask us to pray because he wants us to bow down
and worship him? Is that the main reason? I don't think it is. He is
our Heavenly Father, and we have been commanded to worship him and
pray to him in the name of his Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. But the
Lord can get along without our prayers. His work will go on just the
same, whether we pray or whether we do not. He knows the end from
the beginning. There are many worlds that have passed through the
same experience that we are going through. He has had sons and
daughters on other earths, where they have had the same privileges
and the same opportunities to serve him and the same commandments
that we have had given to us. Prayer is something that we need, not
that the Lord needs. He knows just how to conduct his affairs and
how to take care of them without any help from us. Our prayers are
not for the purpose of telling him how to run his business. If we
have any such idea as that, then of course we have the wrong idea.
Our prayers are uttered more for our sakes, to build us up and give
us strength and courage, and to increase our faith in him." - Joseph
Fielding Smith, "Conference Report," April 1968, First Day—Morning
Meeting, p.10
9/11/07
"The meeting was opened by prayer and singing and then
under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord the Prophet addressed
them. In the course of his remarks he called attention to the great
spirit of darkness which prevails upon the face of the whole earth. The
Sun of Righteousness has been made obscure by the evil acts of men, but
soon the light was to burst forth upon the heads of the faithful. Great
blessings await the faithful members of the Church even beyond the
blessings of the saints in the days of our Lord, for they had him with
them and relied upon him, but through reliance on the Holy Spirit and by
exercising great faith, they would be greatly blessed." - Joseph
Fielding Smith, "Church History and Modern Revelation," 4 vols., 3:68
9/30/07
"If we could see the Savior of men suffering in the garden and upon the
cross and could fully realize all that it meant to us, we would desire
to keep his commandments and we would love the Lord our God with all our
heart, with all our might, mind and strength, and in the name of Jesus
Christ would serve him." - Joseph Fielding Smith, "Doctrines of
Salvation," 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie, 2:347
11/3/07
"In my judgment the sacrament meeting is the most sacred, the most holy,
of all the meetings of the Church. When I reflect upon the gathering of
the Savior and his apostles on that memorable night when he introduced
the sacrament, when I think of that solemn occasion, my heart is filled
with wonderment and my feelings are touched. I consider that gathering
one of the most solemn and wonderful since the beginning of time." - Joseph
Fielding Smith, "Doctrines of Salvation," 3 vols., edited by Bruce R.
McConkie, 2:340
5/27/09
“And
now, my good brethren and sisters, what is our duty? To keep the
commandments of God. And we are instructed to do that in our quarterly
conferences, in our general conferences and in all the meetings that
are held in the various stakes and wards of Zion. Even as it is, there
are conditions arising which should cause us to be alert, on our
guard, diligent, persevering in the keeping of the commandments of the
Lord, and in instructing the members of the Church. By all means, this
is needed. Satan is not dead.” - Joseph
Fielding Smith, “Conference Report,” October 1959, Afternoon
Meeting, p. 19
6/7/09
“Satan is abroad in the land, deceiving the nations, and
he will deceive us unless we are firmly grounded in the faith, unless
we base our salvation on truth, unless we search for gospel knowledge.
and understanding. The Lord has required of us, as he sets it forth in
many of the revelations given to the Church, that we should search
the, scriptures, and make ourselves familiar with the teachings they
contain. If we will do this then, we will not be led astray by every
wind of doctrine and foolish teaching of men in the world, but will
have power to understand and discern between truth and error and
choose the right, avoiding that which is wrong. Every member of this
Church has it within his power to know the truth, so that he may not
be deceived. This knowledge will come to us through our study, through
faith, through perseverance, and through living in full accord with
the ordinances of the gospel." - Joseph
Fielding Smith, “Conference Report,” April 1928, Second Day—Morning
Meeting, p. 68
7/26/09
“To
know the way to eternal life is far more important than all the
learning that the world can give. We find that in the sacred
principles which have been revealed for the last time, and in these
ordinances which are being performed for the last time—that is, in the
Dispensation of the Fullness of Times—for the gospel will never be
restored again. It has been restored to remain. The Lord has ordained
his servants, and has given them authority to execute his laws, to
preach his gospel, to cry repentance, to call upon men to humble
themselves and receive these fundamental principles of eternal life.”
- Joseph Fielding Smith, “Conference
Report,” April 1955, Afternoon Meeting, p. 51
11/12/09
“I
would like for a few minutes to offer a few observations in regard to
the question of tolerance and broadmindedness. We hear so much in
these days about being tolerant and broadminded. I suppose the world
will never know how many crimes have been committed through a
misinterpretation and misunderstanding of these terms. Satan is very
‘broadminded,’ extremely so as long as he can get people to do evil
and avoid the truth. He will teach any kind of theory, or principle,
or doctrine, if it doesn't conform to the fundamental things of
life–the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is even willing to teach some
truth if he can join that truth with error, and by teaching the error
with the truth lead men astray. This is how broadminded he is, and
that is how the apostasy came about in the primitive church.” - Joseph
Fielding Smith, “Conference Report,” October 1936, Second
Day–Morning Meeting, p. 59
3/17/10
“The
world is full of philosophy. One prominent and intelligent writer has
called these theories ‘scientific fiction.’ I think he is right. We
have the theories of evolution, of higher criticism, the ideas that
prevail in the schools throughout our land that are dangerous, that
are striking at the fundamentals of the gospel of Jesus Christ, trying
to destroy the faith in the minds of the students who attend the
schools. We are troubled with it…, and the colleges throughout the
country are full of it, and the professors teach it; they believe in
it, at least they profess to believe in it; and it seems to me that
the sole purpose of it is to undermine and destroy the gospel of Jesus
Christ.” - Joseph Fielding Smith,
“Doctrines of Salvation,” 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie,
1:320
3/23/10
“The
world is rapidly coming to its end, that is, the end of the day of
wickedness. When it is fully ripe in iniquity the Lord will come in
the cloud of heaven to take vengeance on the ungodly, for his wrath is
kindled against them. Do not think that he delayeth his coming. Many
of the signs of his coming have been given, so we may, if we will,
know that the day is even now at our doors.” - Joseph
Fielding Smith, “Conference Report,” October 1965, Afternoon
Meeting, p. 29
6/29/10
"There should be no sin in the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. No man should attempt to excuse himself
because he has this failing or that. If we have a failing, if we have a
weakness, there is where we should concentrate, with a desire to
overcome, until we master and conquer. If a man feels that it is hard
for him to pay his tithing, then that is the thing he should do, until
he learns to pay his tithing. If it is the Word of Wisdom, that is what
he should do, until he learns to love that commandment." - Joseph
Fielding Smith, "Conference Report," October 1941, Afternoon Meeting,
p. 95
7/23/10
"The Saints have not too much time to save and redeem their dead, and
gather together their living relatives, that they may be saved also,
before the earth will be smitten, and the consumption decreed falls upon
the world." - Joseph Fielding Smith,
"Conference Report," April 1948, Third Day—Morning Meeting, p. 136
1/11/12
We were in bondage, through Adam's transgression. He and his
posterity after him became subject to death. Death had dominion over us,
and if that had continued, hell would have had dominion over us. What
did Christ do? He ransomed us. He restored us. He brought us back
through his atonement, through the shedding of his blood. He paid the
price, as Paul says. He rescued us from captivity and bondage. That is
what ransomed means. He liberated us from death. He paid the price that
death required; and we, through his redemption, were recovered by the
payment of the shedding of his blood. - Joseph
Fielding Smith, "Doctrines of Salvation," 3 vols., edited by Bruce R.
McConkie, 1:124
5/24/12
We believe it is
by grace that we are saved after all that we can do, and that building
upon the foundation of the atonement of Christ, all men must work out
their salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord. - Joseph
Fielding Smith, "Out
of the Darkness," Ensign (CR) April 1971
8/12/12
Our position is one of strength because it is founded on eternal
truth. We need not fear the fiery darts of the adversary, nor be
troubled by world conditions, as long as we walk in that light which a
gracious Father has so abundantly shed forth upon us in this final
gospel dispensation. - Joseph Fielding Smith, "I
Know That My Redeemer Liveth," Ensign (CR) June 1971
9/30/14
To the world I say: These are the
last days. They are days of trouble and sorrow and desolation. They
are days when Satan dwells in the hearts of ungodly men, when
iniquity abounds, and when the signs of the times are being shown
forth.
And there is no cure for the ills of the world except the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Our hope for peace, for temporal and
spiritual prosperity, and for an eventual inheritance in the kingdom
of God is found only in and through the restored gospel. There is no
work that any of us can engage in that is as important as preaching
the gospel and building up the Church and kingdom of God on earth. -
Joseph Fielding Smith, “Counsel
to the Saints and to the World,” Ensign (CR) May 1972
2/2/16
I think it is understood by many that the great suffering of Jesus
Christ came through the driving of nails in His hands and in His
feet, and in being suspended upon a cross, until death mercifully
released Him. That is not the case. As excruciating, as severe as
was that punishment, coming from the driving of nails through His
hands and through His feet, and being suspended, until relieved by
death, yet still greater was the suffering which He endured in
carrying the burden of the sins of the world—my sins, and your sins,
and the sins of every living creature. This suffering came before He
ever got to the cross, and it caused the blood to come forth from
the pores of his body, so great was that anguish of His soul, the
torment of His spirit that He was called upon to undergo. - Joseph
Fielding Smith, "Conference Report," April 1944, Afternoon
Meeting, p.50
9/17/16
With all my heart I say to those who are keeping the commandments,
who are serving faithfully in the Church, and who are working for
the good and betterment of mankind generally, with all my heart I
say: The Lord bless you; and you may rest assured that if you
continue in the paths of truth and righteousness, he will welcome
you into his eternal kingdom and give you an inheritance with the
prophets and saints of all ages. - Joseph
Fielding Smith, “Conference Report,” April 1970, General
Priesthood Meeting, p.58
