Date: 5 February 1840 Source: Letter from M. L. Davis. Also found in History of the Church, 4:78-80 The Words of Joseph Smith: Page 33 More Context This is from a private letter that Davis wrote to his wife which was later published in the New York Enquirer, in which he describes hearing “Joe Smith,…
Date: 15 Dec 1840 Source: From History of the Church, 4:227; from a letter from Joseph Smith to the Twelve, Dec. 15, 1840, Nauvoo, Illinois, published in Times and Seasons, Jan. 1, 1841, p. 258; this letter is incorrectly dated Oct. 19, 1840, in History of the Church. More Full Context “Love is one of the…
Date: 7 April 1844 Source: Thomas Bullock Report Background: King Follett Discourse This statement was made during Joseph’s Sunday morning talk of the April 1844 General Conference of the Church. This talk is often also referred to as the King Follett Discourse because a beloved Church member named King Follett had recently died and Joseph…
Date: 15 September 1843 Source: Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette Where I Found this Quote I first heard this quote during a FAIR Mormon conference talk in 2017 by Gerrit Dirkmaat called Lost Teachings of the Prophets: Recently Uncovered Teachings of Joseph Smith and Others from the Council of Fifty Record. I immediately wanted to use it…
Date: 18 June 1844 Source: William Clayton Diary, as quoted in The Words of Joseph Smith page 384 About this Quote This is one of the last known public discourses of Joseph Smith. He would die at the hands of a mob a little more than a week after this, on June 27, 1844. Tensions…
Date: 5 December 1839 Source: Joseph Smith Papers, a letter to Hyrum Smith and the Nauvoo, Illinois, High Council More About this Quote This quote was taken from a letter signed by Joseph Smith and Elias Higbee. In parts of the letter, Joseph Smith is spoken of in the third person, so technically, these could…
Date: 4 July 1843 Source: Wilford Woodruff Journal The Words of Joseph Smith: Page 228 Why I picked this quote? This quote seemed applicable given the 2016 presidential election is two weeks away. Neither Joseph Smith nor the prophets today of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have desire to prescribe who members…
Date: 21 February 1843 Source: Joseph Smith Diary by Willard Richards The Words of Joseph Smith: Page 166 Why I like this quote? I think the principles espoused here by Joseph Smith are as applicable today as the day he uttered them, perhaps even more so in today’s political environment. While there could be multiple interpretations of…
Date: 13 April 1843 Source: Joseph Smith Diary by Willard Richards The Words of Joseph Smith: Page 191 Why I picked this quote? The subject of what criteria we should use to select our elected officials has been on my mind lately. In my research, this quote from Joseph Smith came up, as did D&C 98:10. “Wherefore,…
Date: Before 8 August 1839 Source: Willard Richards Pocket Companion The Words of Joseph Smith: Page 9 Why I love this quote? This is a great reminder of our celestial origins. God is our father, the father of our spirits. We are His children. He created this earth and put us on it for a purpose. God…