A person before he can understand the law and government of God must see and understand the propriety of it and see its beauties. So it is with the whole system of salvation. Not that I would say we are machines, for we have our agency; but God has placed us here, and he exacts strict obedience to his laws before we can derive the benefit and blessings their observance will yield. You may take a beautiful machine of any kind you please, and when the machinist has finished his work and set it in perfect order, how could it be expected to operate satisfactorily if a hook here or a journal yonder were to say, I am not going to stay here, or, I am going to jump out of place and am going somewhere else; and then another piece of the machinery would jump out of its place into another part of the machine. What would be the state of such a machine? Confusion and disorganization would soon result and the machinist might very properly say, what a pity that I bestowed so much labor on such unruly members of my machine. 13:241. The world will not receive the Gospel, unless they can have it on their own terms, and will persecute the few that do receive it. 9:331. We as a people, will be chastened until we can wholly submit ourselves to the Lord and be Saints indeed. 5:354. _Effects of Disobedience_--When light comes, if the people reject that light, it will condemn them, and will add to their sorrow and affliction. 6:288. If we live our religion we shall prosper, and if we live {350} in the neglect of our duty, and continue to do so, there will be tribulation and anguish here, and the chastening hand of the Almighty will be on this people. 3:340. I feel in my heart to bless you; it is full of blessings and not cursing. It is something that does not occupy my feelings to curse any individual, but I will modify this by saying those who ought not to be cursed. Who ought to be? Those who know their Master's will, and do it not; they are worthy of many stripes; it is not those who do not know, and do not do, but those who know it, and do not do it--they are the ones to be chastised. 1:248. As soon as you are overcome by the spirit of the world, you forget every good deed and kindness that has been extended to you, and you only remember the transpiring and infliction of what you deemed to be evil that would have resulted in good, had you done right. 3:358. It is the misapplied intelligence God has given us that makes all the mischief on the earth. That intelligence he designed to carry out the purposes of his will, and endowed it with capabilities to grow, spread abroad, accumulate, and endeavor to enjoy greater happiness, glory, and honor, and continue to expand wider and wider, until eternity is comprehended by it; if not applied to this purpose, but to the grovelling things of earth, it will be taken away, and given to one who has made better use of this gift of God. 2:124-5.