Produce what you consume; draw from the native element the necessaries of life. Permit no vitiated taste to lead you into the indulgence of expensive luxuries, which can only be obtained by involving yourselves in debt.
If the Devil can only make you think that you are abused or ill treated, and you begin to fret about it, and you give the Devil power over you - in the end, it is as bad as though you had done wrong yourself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that negative thoughts can empower negativity, leading to harm regardless of actual wrongdoing.
Brigham Young's quote emphasizes the power of perception and mindset. It argues that if one believes they are mistreated or abused, and dwells on these thoughts, they effectively allow negativity to control their life. This mindset can be just as damaging as if one had actually committed a wrongdoing. The quote highlights the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and not succumbing to destructive thoughts that can lead to suffering, implying that our mental state can influence our reality.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about overcoming mental barriers.
More from Brigham Young
All quotes →Any young man who is unmarried at the age of twenty one is a menace to the community.
Never let a day pass that you will have cause to say, I will do better tomorrow.
I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security... Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not.
It is for us to do those things which the Lord requires at our hands, and leave the result with him.
There is no knowledge, no light, no wisdom that you are in possession of, but what you have received it from some source.
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Whoever cultivates the golden mean avoids both the poverty of a hovel and the envy of a palace.