True and False Riches. delivered at the Special Conference in the tabernacle, August 14, 1853 pg 264- 276

"He will let his servants gaze upon eternal things for a moment, but straightway the vision is closed and they are left as they were, that they may learn to act by faith.: pg 264
"...to stretch out the arm of charity to every person, to fill up their days with industry, prudence, and faithfulness, proclaiming means to sustain themselves, and to administer to the wants of those who are unable to administer to themselves." pg 265
-the riches of the world are not "True Riches"
-possessions are not wealth
"The riches of this world are nothing more than a stepping stone, or a necessary means whereby people may obtain the true riches - by which they can sustain themselves until they can procure the true riches of the kingdom of God." pg 266
-go for the things that will last, the things of the world won't last; think about the stock market crashes
"They are to be used, but not abused. They are to be handled with discretion, and looked upon in their true light, with out any lustful desires... that we may be prepared to secure to ourselves eternal riches." pg 266
-riches etc. may seem more important than things like Christ and the gospel
-the Bible talks about what true riches are and who had them
-God holds the true riches
"But when we possess the true riches, we shall be able to call forth the bread from the native element, like as Jesus Christ did. [the loaves and the fishes]" pg 270
"[Jesus] had the keys and power of true riches, if any man possess which, he is rich in time and in eternity." pg 270
"The true coin is what we are after, the true riches. We are seeking to made rich in the power of God, so as to control the elements and say - "Let there be light," and there is light;..." pg 271
-money is very useful but when you get right down to it, money can't stop death or pain and you can't keep your money when you're dead.
"What shall we do to secure the true riches? "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and it's righteousness." Lay up treasures in heaven, ..." pg 271
"The only true riches in existence are for you and I to secure for ourselves a holy resurrection;..." pg 272
"When we talk about mystery, we talk about eternal obscurity; for that which is known, ceases to be a mystery; and all that is known, we may know as we progress in the scale of intelligence." pg 274

Weakness & Impotence of Men - Condition of the Saints - Dedication to the Lord - The Millennium. delivered at the opening of the new tabernacle, April 6, 1852 pg 198- 203
"We can now calmly reflect upon the experience of our past lives, and those minds that are opened to receive light and truth, that can behold the manifestations of the Lord, can at once see that He has done that which we could not have accomplished by our own power, and that directly behind... a frowning Providence oftentimes are concealed the greatest blessings that mankind can desire. It teaches us to trust in the Lord, to have confidence in our God. ..." pg 198
"Men may presume to dictate to the Lord; they come to naught, but His work moves steadily foreword." pg 198
"...I feel to dedicate myself and all I possess to the Lord, and constantly feel, with all I have, on the alter of sacrifice to the cause of my God." pg 199
"...I say to such, Go! but as for me, thought all the world should sink into oblivion, I will go up to worship the Lord." pg 199
"I dedicate myself, my family, and my substance anew unto the Lord, they are not mine, I am not my own creation, nor the producer of anything I possess; I did not originate one atom of it. Let the world and its cares go! The Lord Almighty, who made it, is able to take care of it, and He may do with it what He pleases;..." pg 199
-put the Lord first
"...let us dedicate ourselves, our families, our substance, our time, our talents, and everything we have upon the the face of this world, with all that will hereafter be entrusted to us, to the Lord our God; let the whole be devoted to the building up of His kingdom upon the earth, ..." pg 200
-don't get so comfortable that you forget the Lord
-put yourself in the Lord's hands and let him mold and guide you
-remember your blessings and serve the Lord accordingly, don't just whine and complain
"If you have gold and silver, let it not come between you and your duty." pg 202
"...I will make my hands labor in the cause of God until my heard bows in submission to it." pg 202
"...the more kind we are to our animals, the more will peace increase." pg 203

Where The Wicked Go -- Continual Opposition To And Prejudice Against The Truth -- The Judges And The Delegate of Utah -- The Spirit of God ANd The Spirit of the World -- Potency Of The Gospel.
Delivered at the tabernacle June 19, 1853 pg 185-191
"...all, when they die, go somewhere; and if they want to know particularly where they are going when they die, let them read the Bible and learn." pg 185
"...but I hope one thing concerning this people and kingdom of God which are established upon the earth, that they will turn neither to the right nor to the left, but maintain continually a steady and unslackened pace to build up the cause of truth." pg 186
"If anything oppose the progress of this great work, if any person, whether great or small, should stand in the way of it, do you suppose it will stop?..NO..." page 186
"Do the righteous of this people cause persecution to come upon themselves? No.... But it is the disposition of the wicked to oppose the principles of truth and righteousness, which cause it." pg 186
"...but this I know, the Lord Almighty will not suffer the Saints, neither the world, to slumber upon their oars." pg 189
"I care not what may come, I will do the work the Lord has appointed unto me. You do the same and fear not, for the Lord Manages the helm of the Ship of Zion; and on any other ship I do not wish to be." pg 189
"...it is the Spirit of the Lord that is placed in man, and the reflection of light from it upon his spirit wakes up the sensibilities in him, and conviction." pg 190

Indian Hostilities and Trechery -- Excitment -- Covetousness -- Consequenses of Obedience and Disobedience -- Policy Towards the Indians -- Walker and His Band -- Vigilance.
delivered in the tabernacle, July 31, 1853 pg 162-172
"...all the powers that have been upon the earth, have been dictated, governed, controlled, and the final issue of their existence has been brought to pass, according to the wisdom of the Almighty. Then my testimony is, IT IS ALL RIGHT." pg 163
-be prepared and take precautions and be consistent
-in trials also remember your blessings
-if you want to live in a great place you need to be willing to pay the price, accept the rules or guidelines, etc.
-if you want to go off on your own you need to be ready for the consequences that may come
-you can't build up the kingdom of God while you're still hungry for the worldly things
"Now I say to you who are fearing and trembling, do not be afraid at all, for it is certian if we should be killed off by the Indians, we could not die any younger; this is about as good a time as can be for us to die, if we all go together, why you know, we shall have a good company along with us; it will not be lonesome passing through the valley, which is said to have a veil drawn over it." pg 164-165
"...I have no fault to find with the Later-day Saints, or with the Elders of Israel upon that subject, for they love to fight a little to well." pg 165
"...I should have more fear in consequence of the ignorant and foolish audacity of the Elders, than their being afraid." pg 165
"If the people of Utah Territory would do as they are told, they would always e safe." pg 165
"I make this apology because it is considered a sin to say devil, and it grates on refined ears." pg 166
-faith without works is dead
"If you will do as you are told, you will be safe continually." pg 167
-prophets don't just give council for the fun of it
"I am aware that the people want to ask me a thousand and one questions.... I have tried to answer them all, in my own mind, by saying, it will be just as the Lord will." pg 168
"The mob only had power to drive the Saints to do their duty, and to remember the Lord their God, and that is all the Indians can do." pg 169
"This people are worldly minded, they want to get rich in earthly substance, and are apt to forget their God..." pg 169
-there will be chastening and trials to help you learn and grow, to be able to get it right
"...you know we could not do without him [the devil]. If there had been no devil to tempt Eve, she never would have got her eyes opened. We need a devil to stir up the wicked on the earth to purify the Saints." pg 170
"The Lord will suffer no more trouble to come upon us than is necessary to bring this people to their senses." pg 172
"I take care of them that help themselves." pg 172
-watch and pray

The Pioneers -- Capabilities and Settlement of the Great Basin -- Exhortation to Faithfulness. delivered at the tabernacle, 1852, at the anniversary of the 24th of July, 1847 pg 144-146
*note: the Mormon pioneers reached the Salt Lake Valley July 24th 1847
"We [the Mormon pioneers] came for the purpose of finding a place to set our feet, where we could dwell in peace. That place we have found." pg 144
-they came for freedom of though and speech and worship.
"There is a very mysterious principle that abides with this people; ... It is that these Latter-day Saints are of one heart and one mind." pg 145
"...I wish here to offer one word of advice and counsel, by revealing the mystery that abides with this people called Latter-day Saints; it is the Spirit of the living God that leads them; it is the Spirit of the Almighty that binds them together..." pg 145
-the Saints risked their lives to cross the plains and they did it for their religion!
"Our lives have been spared, and we are yet upon this planet; and by and by we will celebrate a perfect deliverance from all the powers of earth; and we will keep our eyes set upon the mark, and go forward to victory." pg 146

The Temple Cornner Stones - The Apostleshiop, &c.
delivered in the tabernacle April 6, 1853, at the General Conference pg 131 - 137

"Were it not that our bodies have to be fed and clothed, I would propose that we tarry here a few months, to give all a chance to speak, to exhort, to pray, to prophesy, to sing, to speak in tongues, or to do whatsoever the Spirit should manifest unto them." pg 131
"The salvation we are seeking is for the present, and sought correctly, it can be obtained, and be continually enjoyed." pg 131
"If we are saved, we are happy, we are filled with light, glory, intelligence, and we pursue a course to enjoy the blessings that the Lord has in store for us." pg 131
"I am happy to say that there has been a great deal of faith manifested by the Saints, and, through that faith, the Lord has granted unto us the desire of our hearts, or else the devil has been sent on an errand another way, and has forgotten himself." pg 132
"I do not like to prophesy much, I never do, but I venture to guess, that this day , and the work we have performed on it, will long be remembered by this people... It is a day in which all the faithful will rejoice in all time to come. [speaking about the corner stones for the temple being laid]" pg 132
"I never have cared but for one thing, and that is, simply to know that I am now right before my Father in Heaven. If I am this moment, this day, doing the things God requires of my hands, and precisely where my Father in Heaven wants me to be, I care no more about to-morrow than though it never would come." pg 132
"This I do know - there should be a Temple built here. I do know it is the duty of this people to commence to build a Temple." pg 132
"I scarcely ever say much about revelations, or visions, but suffice it to say, five years ago last July I was here, and saw in the Spirit the Temple not ten feet from where we have laid the Chief Corner Stone." pg 133
"We sometimes look for light, you know, brethren. ...You will tell me you go to the east for light? So we commence by laying the stone on the south-east corner, because there is the most light." pg 133
"-Does a man's being a Prophet in this Church prove that he shall be the President of it? I answer no! A man may be a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and it may have nothing to do with his being the President of the Church." pg 133
"The Keys of the Priesthood were committed to Joseph, to build up the Kingdom of God on the earth, and were not to be taken from him in time or in eternity..." pg 133
-visions and angel visits etc. don't make a person a President, Elder, or Priest
"If you ask me what will prove a man or woman to be a Saint, I will answer you the question. "If you love me," says Jesus, "You will keep my sayings." Could he [Joseph] have built up the Kingdom of God, without first being an Apostle? No, he never could. The keys of the eternal Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of God, are comprehended by being an Apostle." pg 134
"All the Priesthood, all the keys, all the gifts, all the endowments, and everything preparatory to entering into the presence of the Father and of the Son, are in, composed of, ... the circumference of, the Apostleship." pg 134-135
-there's a lot of symbolism involved in the temple

Duties and Privileges - Sacrifice - Confidence - Language - Orginization and Disorganization - Taking Wives. delivered in the Tabernacle, February 27, 1853 pg 112-120
"The privileges of the Saints of God, and that are granted unto the inhabitants of the earth, are founded upon the principles of truth and righteousness; but many people use them to their own condemnation; yet if they knew how to receive and act upon them, there would be no condemnation, but to the contrary, a blessing." pg 112
-you can use and abuse your privileges, but there are consequences
"I also, as well as others could act upon unrighteous principles, if I would, and neglect my duties pertaining to life and salvation." pg 112
"Brethren, you will use these privileges to your own destruction, if you are not careful." pg 113
"It is not for any of us to enjoy the privilege of a dance, or any other recreation, until every duty that is enjoined upon us is performed." pg 113
"When you go to amuse, or recreate yourselves in any manner whatever, if you cannot enjoy the Spirit of the Lord then and there, as you would at a prayer meeting, leave that place; and return not to such amusements or recreation, until you have obtained the mastery over yourself, until you can command the influences around you, that you may have the Spirit of the Lord in any situation in which you may be placed. ..." pg 113
- I think these things would be very hard to do, but I believe the world would be a much better place if we would all do so.
"...it is not your lawful privilege to yield anything in the shape of amusement, until you have performed every duty, and obtained the power of God..." pg 113
"...and by your faith, obtained through prayer and supplication, the blessings of the Holy Spirit, and it rests upon, and abides continually with you." pg 113
"Hear it, all ye Latter-day Saints! Will you spend the time of your probation for naught, and fool away your existence and being? You were organized, and brought into being, for the purpose of enduring forever, if you fulfill the measure of your creation, pursue the right path, observe the requirements of the Celestial law, and obey the commandments of our God." pg 113
"...everything in heaven, earth, or hell, is for your glory, exaltation, and excellence, if by your lives you honor the Priesthood which has been conferred upon you; and, in the proper time, all will become subservient unto you, but not until then." pg 114
-it has to be done the Lord's way or it won't work out for you, you have to do it the Lord's way to succeed!
"No person can be a Saint, unless he receives the Holy Ghost, for the purity, justice, holiness, and eternal duration of it." pg 114
"Now you Elders who understand the principles of the kingdom of God, what would you not give, do, or sacrifice, to assist in the building up His kingdom upon the earth?" pg 114
"The Saints sacrifice everything; but, strictly speaking, there is no sacrifice about it." pg 114
-things like land, etc. are not really ours to sacrifice, we cannot control them and they are Heavenly Fathers to take or to give
"And should not the Saints of the Most High God be more willing, more anxious to promote the cause of their holy religion, devoting themselves, their influence, property, and if necessary, their existence, than the votaries of fashion, the devotees of wealth and pleasure and to merely sensual, temporary objects of worldly gain or aggrandizement?" pg 114-115
-there are so many things which are far more important than gold!
"If you do not love God, and his cause better than everything else besides, ... you cannot build up the kingdom of God." pg 115
"Confidence, brethren, CONFIDENCE in our God, and in each other..." pg 115
"If we could obtain that faith and confidence in each other, and in our God, that when we ask a favor, we could do so with a full assurance and knowledge that we should receive, do you not perceive that it would lead us directly to as we would be done by, in every transaction and circumstance of life." pg 115
"...It needs the language of angels to express our ideas, to converse with each other in a manner to be perfectly understood." pg 115
"It would be a great consolation to me, inasmuch as faith comes by hearing the word of God, if I had language to express my feelings." pg 115
"The principles of truth are eternal." pg 116
"...Satan is the way, the truth, and the death; or the way and the falsehood. Can you perceive the difference." pg 116
"The Lord Jesus Christ works upon a plan of eternal increase, of wisdom, intelligence, honor, excellence, power, glory, might, and dominion, and attributes that fill eternity. What principle does the devil work on?" pg 116
"Matter is eternal." pg 116
"We grow our wheat,... There they are organized, they increase and grow; but after a while, they decay, dissolve, become disorganized, and return to their mother earth.... the elements of the particles of which they were composed, still do, always have and always will exist, and through this principle of change, we have an eternal increase." pg 116
-Satan cannot increase, he can only decrease
-obedience brings increase
"Language to convey all the truth does not exist." pg 117
"Truth wisdom, power, glory, light, and intelligence exist upon their own qualities; they do not, neither can they, exist on any other principle." pg 117
"Truth cleaves unto truth, because it is truth; and is to be adored, because it is an attribute of God, for its excellence, for itself."
-honor your commitments, callings and commandments before you go seeking for blessings
"Pray the Lord to inspire your hearts. Ask for wisdom and knowledge. It is our duty to seek after it..." pg 120