Missionary Elders Should Respect & Defer to Parent’s Stewardship Regarding Teaching their Children — Messenger & Advocate (November, 1835)
I now proceed, at the close of my letter, to make a few remarks on the duty of elders with regard to their teaching parents and children, husbands and wives, masters and slaves, or servants, &c. as I said I would in my former letter. And firstly, it becomes an elder when he is travelling through the world, warning the inhabitants of the earth to gather together, that they may be built up an holy city unto the Lord, instead of commencing with children, or those who look up to parents or guardians, to influence their minds, thereby drawing them from their duties, which they rightfully owe to such, they should commence their labors with parents, or guardians, and their teachings should be such as are calculated to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers. And no influence should be used, with children contrary to the consent of their parents or guardians.— But all such as can be persuaded in a lawful and righteous manner, and with common consent, we should feel it our duty to influence them to gather with the people of God. But otherwise let the responsibility rest upon the heads of parents or guardians, and all condemnation or consequences, be upon their heads, according to the dispensation which he hath committed unto us: for God has so ordained, that his work shall be cut short in righteousness, in the last days: therefore, first teach the parents, and then, with their consent, let him persuade the children to embrace the gospel also. And if children embrace the gospel, and their parents or guardians are unbelievers, teach them to stay at home and be obedient to their parents or guardians, if they require it; but if they consent to let them gather with the people of God let them do so and there shall be no wrong and let all things be done carefully, and righteously, and God will extend his guardian care to all such.
Letter to the Elders of the Church, 16 November 1835, pp. 210-211, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Missionary Elders Should Respect Father’s Authority Over Influences in the Home — Messenger & Advocate (November, 1835)
. . . it should be the duty of elders, when they enter into any house, to let their labors and warning voice, be unto the master of that house: and if he receive the gospel, then he may extend his influence to his wife also, with consent, that peradventure she may receive the gospel; but if a man receive not the gospel, but gives his consent that his wife may receive it, and she believes, then let her receive it. But if the man forbid his wife, or his children before they are of age, to receive the gospel, then it should be the duty of the elder to go his way and use no influence against him: and let the responsibility be upon his head—shake off the dust of thy feet as a testimony against him, and thy skirts shall then be clear of their souls. Their sins are not to be answered upon such as God hath sent to warn them to flee the wrath to come, and save themselves from this untoward generation.
Letter to the Elders of the Church, 16 November 1835, p. 211, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Missionary Elders Should Gain Consent of Father in the Home Before Preaching to Household Members — Messenger & Advocate (November, 1835)
Thirdly, it should be the duty of an elder, when he enters into a house to salute the master of that house, and if he gain his consent, then he may preach to all that are in that house, but if he gain not his consent, let him go not unto his slaves or servants, but let the responsibility be upon the head of the master of that house, and the consequences thereof; and the guilt of that house is no longer upon thy skirts: Thou art free; therefore, shake off the dust of thy feet, and go thy way. But if the master of that house give consent, that thou mayest preach to his family, his wife, his children, and his servants, his man-servants, or his maid-servants, or his slaves, then it should be the duty of the elder to stand up boldly for the cause of Christ, and warn that people with one accord, to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and for the Holy Ghost, always commanding them in the name of the Lord, in the spirit of meekness to be kindly affected one towards another; that the fathers should be kind to their children, husbands to their wives; masters to their slaves or servants; children obedient to their parents, wives to their husbands, and slaves or servants to their masters:
Letter to the Elders of the Church, 16 November 1835, p. 211, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Missionary Companions Should Not Separate after Agreeing to Work Together — Minutes & Discourses (April 7, 1842)
He said that no two men when they agreed to go together ought to separate, that the prophets of old would not and quoted the circumstance of Elijah and Elisha iii Kings 2 chap. when about to go to Gilgal, also when about to go to Jericho, and to Jordan, that Elisha could not get clear of Elijah, that he clung to his garment until he was taken to heaven and that Elder Page should have stuck by Elder Hyde, and he might have gone to Jerusalem, that there is nothing very bad in it, but by the experience let us profit
Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 April 1842, p. 762, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Young Men Have Opportunity of Proving Themselves & Enduring Persecution through Missionary Work — James Sloan (April 15, 1842)
He said . . . to choose young men, and ordain them, and send them out to preach, that they may have an opportunity of proving themselves, and of enduring the tarring and feathering and such things as those of us who have gone before them, have had to endure.
Times and Seasons, 15 April 1842, p. 761, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Preach the Gospel to Save Ignorant — Willard Richards (June 30, 1843)
Go ye into all the world preach the gospel. & he that believeth in our charterd right may come here & be saved. & he [that] does not shall remain in ignorance.
Discourse, 30 June 1843, as Reported by Willard Richards, p. 279, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Use Love to Revolutionize and Civilize the World — Willard Richards (July 23, 1843)
to revolutin civilize the world.— pour forth love.
Discourse, 23 July 1843, as Reported by Willard Richards, p. 13, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Elders Should Be Endowed before Performing Missionary Work — Wilford Woodruff (April 8, 1844)
then the Elders are to go through all America & build up Churches untill all zion is built up, but not to commence to do this untill the Temple is built up here and the Elders endowed then go forth & accomplish the work & build up stakes in all North and South America
Discourse, 8 April 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 241, The Joseph Smith Papers.
