Tag Archives: John Taylor

Priesthood power comes line upon line

This quote by John Taylor stood out to me as I strive to understand what the Lord would have me do. He said,

“If we understand ourselves and our position, it ought to be with us, the kingdom of God first and ourselves afterwards. If we can learn to accomplish a little thing, the Lord will probably tell us to do a grater, because we are prepared to do it. . . . If we are the people of God, and he is trusting to us to accomplish these great purposes, we have got to do a little more than we have done, and we have got to be willing and obedient to the dictation of the Spirit of the Lord and his servants whom he had placed over us. If we do this, every labor we engage in will be joyous and pleasant to us, peace will reign in our bosoms and the peace of God will abide in our habitations; the Spirit of the Lord will brood over us, and we shall be full of joy and rejoicing all the day long, and so it will be to the end of the chapter. I know of no other way to accomplish all this work, only to be taught of the Lord, and for that purpose he has organized his holy priesthood.”

John Taylor
Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p. 124

Priesthood is given to enable us to build up Zion

Speaking on the purposes of the priesthood of God, John Taylor taught,

“What is the priesthood given for? That we may be enabled to build up the Zion of our God. What for? To put down wrong and corruption, lasciviousness, lying, thieving  dishonesty, and covetousness, with every kind of evil, and also to encourage faith, meekness, charity, purity, brotherly kindness, truthfulness, integrity, honesty, and everything that is calculated to exalt and ennoble mankind, that we may be the true and proper representatives of God the Father here upon the earth, that we may learn to know his will and do it; that his will may be done on earth as in heaven.”

John Taylor,
Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p. 122

The Savior Fully Comprehends our Trials

John Taylor taught,

“It was necessary, when the Savior was upon the earth, that he should be tempted in all points, like unto us, and ‘be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,’ (Hebrews 4:15) to comprhend the weaknesses and strength, the perfections and imperfections of poor fallen human nature…

“He knows how to estimate and put a proper value upon human nature, for he, having been placed in the same position as we are, knows how to bear with our weaknesses and infirmities, and can fully comprehend the depth, power, and strength of the afflictions and trials that men have to cope with in this world. And thus understandingly and by experience, he can bear with them.”

John Taylor
Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p. 53

Children Alive in Christ

President John Taylor spoke of power of the atonement over children who have not yet reached the age of accountability,

“Without Adam’s Transgression those children could not have existed; through the atonement they are placed in a state of salvation without any act of their own. These would embrace, according to the opinion of statisticians, more than one-half of the human family, who can attribute their salvation only to the mediation and atonement of the Savior. Thus, as stated elsewhere, in some mysterious, incomprehensible way, Jesus assumed the responsibility which naturally would have devolved upon Adam; but which could only be accomplished through the mediation of Himself, and by taking upon Himself their sorrows, assuming their responsibilities, and bearing their transgressions or sins.”

John Taylor
Teachings of the President of the Church: John Taylor, p. 52

The Joy of the Resurrection

President John Taylor (Third President of the Church) said,

“How consoling it is to those who are called upon to mourn the loss of dear friends in death, to know that we will again be associated with them! How encouragining to all who live accordingly to the revealed rpinciples of truth, perhaps more especially to those whose lives are pretty well spent, who have bourne the heat and burden of the day, to konw that ere long we shall burst the barriers of the tomb, and come forth living and immortal souls, to enjoy the society of our tried and trusted friends, no more to be afflicted with the seeds of death, and to finish the work the Father has given us to do!”

 

John Taylor, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p.50-51.