"There are as bad men and women within the pales of this Church as there are upon this earth" - Brigham Young

"There are many of the men and women now before me who have looked for a pure people, and have supposed that that was a proof of the truth of our doctrines, but they will never find such a people until Satan is bound, and Jesus comes to reign with his Saints."

"We have in our community the worst creatures that the world can produce; the Gospel net must gather them of necessity, or the saying of Jesus, and what he knew of the kingdom in the last day would not come to pass.  There are as bad men and women within the pales of this Church as there are upon this earth, and the Gospel being preached to them prepares them to become devils.  As you have frequently been told, that is the only way men become devils; they must have the knowledge to sin against the Holy Ghost, or yet the day of redemption awaits them, one or the other.

"Suppose I was preaching in the world, and they should allege that some of the people in Utah swore, stole, and were wicked in many ways, I would acknowledge it to be the case.  They might then inquire, 'Why do you say that you have got the Gospel of salvation?  And why do you come to us to preach, seeing that your own people do wickedly?'  I would reply that the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that gathers fish of all kinds, therefore we must have the good and the bad in Utah, or else it cannot be the kingdom of heaven...

"Let me tell you that I have not embraced any man on this earth, in my faith, but I have embraced the doctrine of salvation, and it is no matter what the people do in Utah.  Here is the doctrine of salvation, talk against that, prove that to be false, or find a flaw in it, if you can.  As for the people, they cannot save you.  Never embrace a man in your faith, for that is sectarianism.

"There are many of the men and women now before me who have looked for a pure people, and have supposed that that was a proof of the truth of our doctrines, but they will never find such a people until Satan is bound, and Jesus comes to reign with his Saints.  The doctrine we preach is the doctrine of salvation, and it is that which the Elders of this Church take to the world, and not the people of Utah.

"Some of the Elders seem to be tripped up in a moment, if the wicked can find any fault with the members of this Church, but bless your souls, I would not yet have this people faultless, for the day of separation has not yet arrived.  I have many a time, in this stand, dared the world to produce as mean devils as we can; we can beat them at anything.  We have the greatest and smoothest liars in the world, the cunningest and more adroit thieves, and any other shade of character that you can mention.

"We can pick out Elders in Israel right here who can beat the world at gambling, who can handle the cards, cut and shuffle them with the smartest rogue on the face of God's footstool.  I can produce Elders here who can shave their smartest shavers, and take their money from them.  We can beat the world at any game."  - Brigham Young (Journal of Discourses, Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, November 9, 1856)