Authority Quote by John Taylor
“When Jesus sent forth his servants formerly he sent them to preach this Gospel. When the Father and the Son and Moroni and others came to Joseph Smith, he had a priesthood conferred upon him which he conferred upon others for the purpose of manifesting the laws of life, the Gospel of the Son of God, by direct authority, that light and truth might be spread forth among all nations.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: General Conference, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints, 1850
He describes the divine authority given to Joseph Smith and his successors to spread the Gospel, emphasizing priesthood power and missionary purpose.
In simple terms: He explains that Joseph Smith received priesthood authority to teach the Gospel worldwide.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and respect spiritual authority.
Themes
faith
missionary work
divine authority
Mood
devout
inspirational
Type
theological
historical
When to use this quote
- church leadership
- evangelism
- doctrinal teaching
- global outreach
Key Concepts
priesthood
propagation
religious legitimacy
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities come with spiritual authority?
- How does this view affect interfaith dialogue?
A Different Perspective
Interpretations of authority can differ across denominations.
![“For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this, the Dispensation of the Fulness [sic] of Times. He, together with His Father, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820, and when Joseph left the grove that day, he knew more of the nature of God than all the learned ministers of…” quote by Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ee0/gordon-b-hinckley-331_age_for-the-christ-of-whom-i-speak-has-been_3142909.jpg)
![“In both the Holy Land of the New Testament and the promised land of the Book of Mormon, [our Savior] spent considerable time teaching and instructing and training His councils and council leaders, and then He sent them forth to share what they had learned with others.” quote by M. Russell Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e41/m-russell-ballard-3129_bible_in-both-the-holy-land-of-the-new-testame_660353.jpg)
![“[A]s a commencement the Lord appeared unto Joseph Smith, both the Father and the Son, the Father pointing to the Son said, "this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him" Here then, was a communication from the heavens made known unto man on the earth, and he at that time came into…” quote by John Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aaa/john-taylor-11046_beloved_a-s-a-commencement-the-lord-appeared-unt_2483660.jpg)
![“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)
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)