"There are those who say, 'The Church won't dictate to me how to think about this, that, of the other, or how to live my life.' No, I reply, the Church will not dictate to any man how he should think or what he should do. The Church will point out the way and invite every member to live the gospel and enjoy the blessings that come of such living. The Church will not dictate to any man, but it will counsel, it will persuade, it will urge, and it will expect loyalty from those who profess membership therein."



--President Gordon B. Hinckley, "Loyalty," General Conference, April 2003



"Do the people of the Church want a safe guide to what is well for them to do? It is this: Keep in harmony with the Presidency of this Church. Accept and follow the teachings and advcie of the President....When in his official capacity he teaches and advises the members of the Church relative to their duties, let no man who wants to please the Lord say aught against the counsels of the President."



--Joseph F. Merrill, General Conference, April 1941



When a man begins to find fault, inquiring in regard to this, that, and the other, saying, 'Does this or that look as though the Lord dictated it?' you may know that the person has more or less of the spirit of apostasy. Every man in this Kingdom, or upon the face of the earth, who is seeking with all his heart to save himself, has as much to do as he can conveniently attend to, without calling in question that which does not belong to him.



--Brigham Young, "Preventing Personal Apostasy," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, chapter 12



