Top 140 Joseph Smith Jr. Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

2. “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

3. “A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

4. “I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

5. “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

6. “Sometimes the Lord brings us low before he can lift us higher.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

7. “Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

8. “Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

9. “I love that man better who swears a stream as long as my arm yet deals justice to his neighbors and mercifully deals his substance to the poor, than the long, smooth faced hypocrite.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

10. “The things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

11. “The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

12. “Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

13. “I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

14. “Noah came before the flood. I have come before the fire.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

15. “Never be discouraged. If I were sunk in the lowest pits of Nova Scotia, with the Rocky Mountains piled on me, I would hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage, and I would come out on top.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

16. “Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

17. “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half-that is, baptism of the Holy Ghost.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

18. “I know what I say; I understand my mission and business. God Almighty is my shield; and what can man do if God is my friend?”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

19. “By proving contraries, truth is made manifest.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

20. “All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided you continue faithful. By the vision of the Almighty I have seen it.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

21. “Kindness is our religion.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

22. “The nearer a person approaches the Lord, a greater power will be manifested by the adversary to prevent the accomplishment of His purposes.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

23. “Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason there of until all of the events transpire.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

24. “A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge. For if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will have more knowledge, and consequently more power...”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

25. “If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

26. “Where doubt is, there faith has no power.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

27. “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

28. “Trust in God, always take care of each other.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

29. “Patience is heavenly, obedience is noble, forgiveness is merciful, and exaltation is godly; and he that holds out faithful to the end shall in no wise lose his reward. A good man will endure all things to honor Christ, and even dispose of the whole world, and all in it, to save his soul.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

30. “The purposes of our God are great, His love unfathomable, His wisdom infinite, and His power unlimited; therefore, the Saints have cause to rejoice and be glad.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

31. “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall be said of me-He was murdered in cold blood.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

32. “Happiness is the object and design of our existence.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

33. “Heavenly Father is more liberal in His views, and boundless in His mercies, than we are ready to believe or receive.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

34. “Whatever happens, the Lord is in it.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

35. “An angel of God never has wings.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

36. “The Book of Mormon is true, just what it purports to be, and for this testimony I expect to give an account in the day of judgment.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

37. “Nothing is so much calculated to lead people to forsake sin as to take them by the hand and to watch over them in tenderness. When persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O what pow’r it has over my mind.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

38. “A man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

39. “Truth revealed from heaven is worth more than all the notions of men.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

40. “We’re not just building a Temple here, the Lord is building us.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

41. “Rumor with her ten thousand tongues is diffusing her uncertain sounds in almost every ear...”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

42. “Never give up an old tried friend, who has waded through all manner of toil, for your sake, and throw him away because fools may tell you he has some faults.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

43. “The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

44. “When we are accomplishing the good, the greatest opposition comes.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

45. “It is our duty to concentrate all our influence to make popular that which is sound and good, and unpopular that which is unsound.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

46. “Sectarian priests cry out concerning me, and ask, “Why is it this babbler gains so many followers, and retains them?” I answer, It is because I possess the principle of love. All I can offer the world is a good heart and a good hand.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

47. “The Lord gave us power in proportion to the work to be done, and strength according to the race set before us, and grace and help as our needs required.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

48. “If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

49. “We don’t ask any people to throw away any good they have got; we only ask them to come and get more. What if all the world should embrace this Gospel? They would then see eye to eye, and the blessings of God would be poured out upon the people, which is the desire of my whole soul.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.

50. “Salvation cannot come without revelation. Men of the present time testify of heaven and hell, and have never seen either; and I will say that no man knows these things without this.”

— Joseph Smith Jr.