"Where, then, is the sacrifice this people have ever made? There is no such thing - they have only exchanged a worse condition for a better one."

"Where, then, is the sacrifice this people have ever made?  There is no such thing - they have only exchanged a worse condition for a better one, every time they have been moved - they have exchanged ignorance for knowledge, and inexperience for its opposite."

"I wish to ask those persons who were driven from Jackson County, if they suffered as much in the actual driving as they would have done in the anticipation of it a year before it took place?  You will all reply that, if you had known it a year beforehand, you would not have endured the thought.  I wish to apply this both ways.  You that have not passed through the trials, and persecutions, and drivings, with this people, from the beginning, but have only read of them, or heard some of them related, may think how awful they were to endure, and wonder that the Saints survived them at all.  The thought of it makes your hearts sink within you, your brains reel, and your bodies tremble, and you are ready to exclaim, 'I could not have endured it.'  I have been in the heat of it, and I never felt better in all my life; I never felt the peace and power of the Almighty more copiously poured upon me than in the keenest part of our trials.  They appeared nothing to me.  I hear people talk about their troubles, their sore privations, and the great sacrifices they have made for the Gospel's sake.  It never was a sacrifice to me.  Anything I can do or suffer in the cause of the Gospel, is only like dropping a pin into the sea; the blessings, gifts, powers, honor, joy, truth, salvation, glory, immortality, and eternal lives, as far outswell anything I can do in return for such precious gifts, as the great ocean exceeds in expansion, bulk, and weight, the pin that I drop into it.  ...

"I was as ready to pass through the scenes of mobbing and driving in Jackson County, as I was to pass through the troubles in Kirtland, Ohio; in Davies and Caldwell Counties, Missouri; in Illinois; and up to this place.  And what of it?  I have not known or seen a single sacrifice that this people have made.  There has not been one such providence of the Almighty to this people, that was not calculated to sanctify the pure in heart, and enrich them with blessings instead of curses - enrich them not only with earthly blessings, but with crowns of glory, immortality, and eternal lives in the presence of God.  Where, then, is the sacrifice this people have ever made?  There is no such thing - they have only exchanged a worse condition for a better one, every time they have been moved - they have exchanged ignorance for knowledge, and inexperience for its opposite."  - Brigham Young ("The Privileges and Blessings of the Gospel," Salt Lake City, February 20, 1853, Journal of Discourses Vol. 1, p. 313-314.)

"How hard it is for him to believe!"

"How difficult it is to teach the natural man, who comprehends nothing more than that which he sees with the natural eye!  How hard it is for him to believe!

"Persons who are taught by their teachers, friends, and acquaintances, are traditionated, from their youth up, into the belief that there is no God, or intelligent beings, other than those that they see with the natural eye, or naturally comprehend; that there is no hereafter; that at death, all life and intelligence are annihilated.  Such persons are as firm in their belief, and as strenuous in argument, in support of those doctrines, as others are in the belief of the existence of an Eternal God.  The early customs and teachings of parents and friends, to a greater or less degree, influence the minds of children, but when they are disposed to inquire at the hands of Him who has eternal intelligence to impart to them, when their understandings are enlarged, when their minds are enlightened by the Spirit of truth, so that they can see things that are unseen by the natural eye, they may then be corrected in their doctrine and belief, and in their manner of life, but not until then.

"How difficult it is to teach the natural man, who comprehends nothing more than that which he sees with the natural eye!  How hard it is for him to believe!  How difficult would be the task to make the philosopher, who, for many years, has argued himself into the belief that his spirit is no more after his body sleeps in the grave, believe that his intelligence came from eternity, and is as eternal, in its nature, as the elements, or as the Gods.  Such doctrine by him would be considered vanity and foolishness, it would be entirely beyond his comprehension.  It is difficult, indeed, to remove an opinion or belief into which he has argued himself from the mind of the natural man.  Talk to him about angels, heavens, God, immortality, and eternal lives, and it is like sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal to his ears; it has no music to him; there is nothing in it that charms his senses, soothes his feelings, attracts his attention, or engages his affections, in the least; to him it is all vanity. ...  If the Lord does not speak from heaven, and touch the eyes of their understanding by His Spirit, who can instruct or guide them to good? who can give them words of eternal life?  It is not in the power of man to do it; but when the Lord gives His Spirit to a person, or to a people, they can then hear, believe, and be instructed.  An Elder of Israel may preach the principles of the Gospel, from first to last, as they were taught to him, to a congregation ignorant of them; but if he does not do it under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord, he cannot enlighten that congregation on those principles, it is impossible."  - Brigham Young ("Salvation," Salt Lake City, January 16, 1853, Journal of Discourses Vol. 1, p. 2.)

"They cannot rule themselves, to say nothing of ruling others, but they must be dictated to in every trifle, like a child."

"Now those men, or those women, who know no more about the power of God, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, than to be led entirely by another person, suspending their own understanding, and pinning their faith upon another's sleeve, will never be capable of entering into the celestial glory, to be crowned as they anticipate; they will never be capable of becoming Gods.  They cannot rule themselves, to say nothing of ruling others, but they must be dictated to in every trifle, like a child."

"Who has influence over any one of you, to cause you to miss salvation in the celestial kingdom of God?  I will answer these questions for myself.  If brother Brigham and I shall take a wrong track, and be shut out of the kingdom of heaven, no person will be to blame but brother Brigham and I.  I am the only being in heaven, earth, or hell, that can be blamed.

"This will equally apply to every Latter-day Saint.  Salvation is an individual operation.  I am the only person that can possibly save myself.  When salvation is sent to me, I can reject or receive it.  In receiving it, I yield implicit obedience and submission to its great Author throughout my life, and to those whom He shall appoint to instruct me; in rejecting it, I follow the dictates of my own will in preference to the will of my Creator.  There are those among this people who are influenced, controlled, and biased in their thoughts, actions, and feelings by some other individual or family, on whom they place their dependence for spiritual and temporal instruction, and for salvation in the end.  These persons do not depend upon themselves for salvation, but upon another of their poor, weak, fellow mortals.  'I do not depend upon any inherent goodness of my own,' say they, 'to introduce me into the kingdom of glory, but I depend upon you, brother Brigham, upon you, brother Heber, or upon you, brother James; I believe your judgment is superior to mine, and consequently I let you judge for me; your spirit is better than mine, therefore you can do good for me; I will submit myself wholly to you, and place in you all my confidence for life and salvation; where you go I will go, and where you tarry there I will stay; expecting that you will introduce me through the gates into the heavenly Jerusalem.'

"I wish to notice this.  We read in the Bible, that there is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars.  In the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, these glories are called telestial, terrestrial, and celestial, which is the highest.  These are worlds, different departments, or mansions, in our Father's house.  Now those men, or those women, who know no more about the power of God, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, than to be led entirely by another person, suspending their own understanding, and pinning their faith upon another's sleeve, will never be capable of entering into the celestial glory, to be crowned as they anticipate; they will never be capable of becoming Gods.  They cannot rule themselves, to say nothing of ruling others, but they must be dictated to in every trifle, like a child.  They cannot control themselves in the least, but James, Peter, or somebody else must control them.  They never can become Gods, nor be crowned as rulers with glory, immortality, and eternal lives.  They never can hold sceptres of glory, majesty, and power in the celestial kingdom.  Who will?  Those who are valiant and inspired with the true independence of heaven, who will go forth boldly in the service of their God, leaving others to do as they please, determined to do right, though all mankind besides should take the opposite course.  Will this apply to any of you?  Your own hearts can answer.  Do you know what is right and just, as well as I do?  In some things you do, and in some things you may not know as well; but I will explain what I mean, in the following words - I will do all the good I can, and all I know how to do, and I will shun every evil that I know to be an evil.  You can all do that much.  I will apply my heart to wisdom, and ask the Lord to impart it to me; and if I know but little, I will improve upon it, that tomorrow I may have more, and thus grow from day to day, in the knowledge of the truth, as Jesus Christ grew in stature and knowledge from a babe to manhood; and if I am not now capable of judging for myself, perhaps I shall be in another year.  We are organized to progress in the scale of intelligence, and the least Saint by adhering strictly to the order of God, may attain to a full and complete salvation through the grace of God, by his own faithfulness."  - Brigham Young ("The Privileges and Blessings of the Gospel," Salt Lake City, February 20, 1853, Journal of Discourses Vol. 1, p. 312-313.)