Journal of Discourses 7:17 “We read in the Bible that the Lord told Joshua to sanctify Israel; for, says he, “there is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel.” And on the morrow they sanctified themselves by stoning to death Achan … Thus all Israel put to death the transgressor, and sanctified themselves before the Lord.
Would it not be an excellent course to pursue with this people, to sanctify them to the fullest extent of the word? … I think it would be an excellent thing for this people to be sanctified from such persons, and have them cleansed from our midst, by making an atonement. …
Our holy religion is to purify, purge, cleanse, and sanctify this people. We care not what people think or say about our course in this respect; it is our religion, and we will not have corruption where we dwell, if we can help it.” — Heber C. Kimball, Great Salt Lake City, July 16, 1854. (more…)