Part of the down-to-earthness that made the pioneers succeed was expressed in a sentence: It takes pretty good [people] to get along with water ditches in a dry time, and not quarrel.

There is no truth which the prophets press more steadily upon Israel than that all their national life lies in the sight and on the care of God.

The whole mystery of temptation is to have sins suggested to us, and to be swept after them by a sudden enthusiasm, which sometimes feels as strong as the Spirit of God ever made in us the enthusiasm for virtue.

Power and position often make a man trifle with the truth.

The heart which finds life in material wealth is usually certain to go farther and seek for more in the satisfaction of base and sullen appetites.

Into every soul, however purged and fenced, evil appears to have as much freedom of entrance as God Himself.

We breathe the free air, we have the best looking men and handsomest women, and if they envy our position, well they may, for they are a poor, narrow minded, pinch-backed race of man, who chain themselves down to the law of monogamy and live all their days under the dominion of one wife. They aught to be ashamed of such conduct, and the still fouler channel which flows from their practices.