ORSON PRATT

The kingdom of God is an order of government established by divine authority. It is the only legal government that can exist in any part of the universe.

Each atom of the Holy Spirit is intelligent, and like all other matter has solidity, form, and size, and occupies space.

At various times during the last four thousand years God has asserted his rights and endeavoured to establish his own authority, his own laws, and his own government among the children of men.

The greatest desire of my heart was for the Lord to manifest His will concerning me.

God is the King. In him exists all legal authority.

God is a spirit. A spirit is as much matter as oxygen or hydrogen.

An order of government, established by such an all-wise, powerful being, must be good and perfect, and must be calculated to promote the permanent peace, happiness, and well-being of all his subjects.

The system of idolatry, invented by modern christianity, far surpasses in absurdity anything that we have ever heard of.

Noah and his family were the only loyal and obedient subjects to the legal power: they alone were saved.

A true servant of God will never teach a false doctrine. He will never deny new revelation. He never will tell you that the canon of scripture is full, or that the New Testament is the last revelation ever intended to be given to man.

It was seldom that I attended any religious meetings, as my parents had not much faith in and were never so unfortunate as to unite themselves with any of the religious sects.

I was ordained one of the standing High Council in Zion, under the hands of President Joseph Smith.

God the Father and God the Son cannot be everywhere present; indeed they cannot be even in two places at the same instant: but God the Holy Spirit is omnipresent - it extends through all space, with all other matter.

Do not suffer any man to baptize or minister unto you, unless God has spoken unto him by the voice of his servants, and authorized him to minister in his name.

It is a grievous sin in the sight of God for any man to presume to baptize, unless God has authorized him by new revelation to baptize in his name.

The kingdom of God is a theocracy. And as it is the only form of government which will redeem and save mankind, it is necessary that every soul should be rightly and thoroughly instructed in regard to its nature and general characteristics.

On the 1st day of December, 1830, I was confirmed, and in accordance with the word of the Lord I was ordained an Elder under the hands of the Prophet.

Any people attempting to govern themselves by laws of their own making, and by officers of their own appointment, are in direct rebellion against the kingdom of God.

The true God He has extension, and form, and dimensions. He occupies space; has a body, parts, and passions; can go from place to place. He can eat, drink, and talk.

If God had sufficient wisdom and power to construct such a beautiful world as this, then we must admit that his wisdom and power are immeasurably greater than that of man, and hence he is qualified to reign as king.

All the modern christian churches have no more authority to preach, baptize, or administer any other ordinance of the gospel than the idolatrous Hindoos have.

The Godhead consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is a material being.

The doctrine of celestial marriage or marriage for all eternity is believed in and practiced by the Saints in Utah territory and will be clearly explained. The views of the Saints, in regard to the ancient patriarchal order of matrimony or the plurality of wives as developed in a revelation given through Joseph Smith the Seer, will be fully published … in the very first number. Also, the celestial origin, pre-existence of spirits and so on. It is hoped the president-elect, honorable members of Congress, the heads of the various departments of national government, the high-minded governors and legislative assemblies of the several states and territories, the ministers of every religious denomination, and all inhabitants of the great republic will patronize this periodical.

If a person trains his mind to walk in the spirit, and brings his whole mind to bear upon its operations, and upon the principles of faith which are calculated to put him in possession of the power of God, how much greater will be his faculties for obtaining knowledge. . . .

We have now clearly shown that God the Father had a plurality of wives, one or more being in eternity, by whom He begat our spirits as well as the Spirit of Jesus His first Born.