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