Abolish Quote by John Taylor
“We believe in honesty, morality, and purity; but when they enact tyrannical laws, forbidding us the free exercise of our religion, we cannot submit. God is greater than the United States, and when the Government conflicts with heaven, we will be ranged under the banner of heaven and against the Government...Polygamy is a divine institution. It has been banded down direct from God. The United States cannot abolish it. No nation on the earth can prevent it, nor all the nations of the earth combined...I defy the United States; I will obey God.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public address by John Taylor, early 1840s, Latter‑Day Saints movement
When civil law contradicts divine command, the speaker asserts divine authority supersedes government, justifying civil disobedience in matters of faith.
In simple terms: Divine law outranks human law; obey God over government.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize spiritual convictions over unjust laws.
Themes
faith
civil disobedience
religious liberty
authority
government
Mood
defiant
determined
spiritual
Type
political
religious
When to use this quote
- religious persecution
- legal challenges to polygamy
- community organization
- political activism
Key Concepts
theocracy
moral absolutism
civil resistance
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance religious conviction with civic responsibility?
- When is civil disobedience justified?
A Different Perspective
Conflict may lead to violence or social instability; not all societies accept divine justification for lawbreaking.
![“In a manner to us incomprehensible and inexplicable, [the Savior] bore the weight of the sins of the whole world; not only of Adam, but of his posterity; and in doing that, opened the kingdom of heaven, not only to all believers and all who obeyed the law of God, but to more than one-half of the…” quote by John Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/531/john-taylor-11046_family_in-a-manner-to-us-incomprehensible-and-i_766585.jpg)
