John Taylor: The Gospel That Opens the Heavens

Summary: A sermon by President John Taylor about confusion in religion and how people often accept beliefs without thinking. True understanding comes through the Spirit of God. We must return to the basics of the Gospel: faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Gospel is eternal, beginning with Adam, and was restored through Joseph Smith by revelation from God. True religion should have the same signs as in ancient times: revelation, visions, and spiritual gifts. Other churches rely on money for missions, but Latter-day Saint missionaries trust God and go without purse or scrip. The restored Gospel will spread across the earth like the stone in Daniel’s prophecy until God’s kingdom is established.

Source: John Taylor, March 14, 1869. Journal of Discourses 13:15.

Editor’s Note

This talk is part of The Forgotten Talks series. As we search for the sources of the quotes we use in our newsletter and on our website, we often stumble across popular quotes that are difficult to locate the source of. When this is the case, we will spend the necessary time to uncover the source, if possible. We have discovered that many of these quotes are locked away in talks and books that haven’t been digitized or are behind a paywall. We make the effort to secure these pearls of great price and share them on our website under the public domain or Creative Commons license. If we are in any way violating any copyright laws, we ask that you notify us.

Notable Quotes

I think if we, as “Mormons,” hold principles that cannot be sustained by the Scriptures and by good sound reason and philosophy, the quicker we part with them the better, no matter who believes in them or who does not.

In every principle presented to us, our first inquiry should be, “Is it true?” “Does it emanate from God?” If He is its Author it can be sustained just as much as any other truth in natural philosophy; if false it should be opposed and exposed just as much as any other error.

I do not want uncertainty about my eternal welfare; I beg the privilege of doing that myself with the assistance of my brethren in the priesthood.

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