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Council of Fifty Statement of Purpose:
“Thus saith the Lord God who rules in the heavens above and in the earth beneath, I have introduced my Kingdom and my Government, even the Kingdom of God, that my servants have heretofore prophesied of and that I taught my disciples to pray for, saying ‘Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,’ for the establishment of my rule, for the introduction of my law, for the protection of civil and religious liberty in this nation and throughout the world; and all men of every nation, color and creed shall yet be protected and shielded thereby; and every nation and kindred, and people, and tongue shall yet bow the knee to me, and acknowledge me to be Ahman Christ, to the glory of God the Father.”

-    Prophet John Taylor revelation, June 27, 1882, in Collier, Unpublished Revelations, 133, vv 4-8; see Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, p. 88

Purpose according to modern LDS church:
“to organize the political kingdom of God in preparation for the second coming of Christ.”

-    Church History in the Fulness of Times, Church Educational System, 1989, p. 270


Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805 - 1844):


“The time has now come to tell why we held secret meetings. We were maturing plans fourteen years ago which we can now tell... When God sets up a system of salvation, he sets up a system of government. When I speak of a government, I mean what I say. I mean a government that shall rule over temporal and spiritual affairs.”

-    Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church, v. 6, p. 290, 292


Sidney Rigdon (1793 - 1876):


“A man is not an honorable man if he is not above the law, and above government.... The law of God is far more righteous than the laws of the land; the laws of God are far above the laws of the land. The kingdom of God does not interfere with the laws of the land, but keeps itself by its own laws.”

-    Sidney Rigdon, Times and Seasons, v. 5, May 1, 1844, p. 524, alternative version in History of the Church, v. 6, p. 292


Prophet Brigham Young (1801 - 1877):


“I am going to stop my talking by saying that, in the millennium, when the kingdom of God is established on the earth in power, glory and perfection, and the reign of wickedness that has so long prevailed is subdued, the Saints of God will have the privilege of building their temples, and of entering into them, becoming, as it were, pillars in the temples of God, and they will officiate for their dead. Then we will see our friends come up, and perhaps come that we have been acquainted with here. If we ask who will stand at the head of the resurrection in this last dispensation, the answer is Joseph Smith, Junior, the Prophet of God. He is the man who will be resurrected and receive the keys of the resurrection, and he will seal this authority upon others, and they will hunt up their friends and resurrect them when they shall have been officiated for, and bring them up. And we will have revelations to know our forefathers clear back to Father Adam and Mother Eve, and we will enter into the temples of God and officiate for them. Then man will be sealed to man until the chain is made perfect back to Adam, so that there will be a perfect chain of priesthood from Adam to the winding-up scene.”

-    Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 15, p. 135, August 24, 1872


Prophet John Taylor (1808 - 1887):


“We used to have a difference between Church and State, but it is all one now. Thank God.”

-    Prophet John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, v. 5, p. 266, September 20, 1857

“Now the Kingdom of God is assuming another phase to what it has done... And what shall we do? ... Seek to carry out the designs of the Almighty and his representatives upon the earth. And if we do these things, in the name of Israel’s God we shall arise and flourish, and Zion will become a terror to all nations.”

-    Prophet John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, v. 7, pp. 123-125

“Let us now notice our political position in the world. What are we going to do? We are going to possess the earth. Why? Because it belongs to Jesus Christ, and he belongs to us, and we to him; we are all one, and will take the kingdom and possess it under the whole heavens, and reign over it for ever and ever.”

-    Prophet John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, v. 1, p. 230, April 8, 1853


Apostle Orson Hyde (1805 - 1878):


“The kingdom and government of God are the only legitimate jurisdiction that ever did exist.”

-    Apostle Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, v. 6, p. 49, November 1, 1857


Prophet Ezra Taft Benson (1899 - 1994):


“Youth of Zion, do you realize you are living in the days of the fulfillment of these signs and wonders? You are among those who will see many of these prophecies fulfilled. Just as certain as was the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews, so shall these words of the Savior be certain to your generation... You will live in the midst of economic, political and spiritual instability. When you see these signs – unmistakable evidences that His coming is nigh – be not troubled, but ‘stand... in holy places...” These holy places consist of our temples, our chapels, our homes and the stakes of Zion, which are as the Lord declares, ‘for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from the wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth’... We have every confidence that you, ‘the rising generation,’ will not falter. I repeat: You were valiant spirits reserved for this exceptional time. You have but one choice: To rise to the task of history’s most significant hour!”

-    Prophet Ezra Taft Benson, “Prepare Yourselves for the Great Day of the Lord,” address delivered to the Devotional Assembly, Ricks College, Idaho, September 16, 1980


Others:


“If Smith waited until 1844 before he formally organized the government of the kingdom, the logic behind that move goes back to the very beginning of the new religion, because he never conceived of Mormonism as merely another sect.”

-    Klaus J. Hansen, Mormon scholar, Mormonism and the American Experience, 1981, p. 132

“... the church must not triumph over the state, but actually swallow it up.”

-    “Religion and Politics,” Times and Seasons, v. 5, March 15, 1844, pp. 470-471, 477

“We are called the State Legislature [of Utah], but when the time comes, we shall be called the Kingdom of God. Our government is going to pieces, and it will be like water that is spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered. For the time will come when we will give laws to the nations of the earth. Joseph Smith organized this government before, in Nauvoo, and he said if we did our duty, we shall prevail over all our enemies. We should get all things ready, and when the time comes, we should let the water on to the wheel and start the machine in motion.”

-    Dale Morgan, Mormon scholar, “The State of Deseret,” Utah Historical Quarterly, v. 8, 1940, pp. 139-140

“Latter-day Saint prophets have made many prophecies concerning a series of internal wars which will bring about the collapse of the government and dominion of the United States. [These] wars will cause the complete collapse of national and state governments in the United States!”

-    Duane S. Crowther, Mormon scholar, Prophecy: Key to the Future, 1967, pp. 65-66

“In an attempt to live in the world, the Mormons were forced to modify their ideas of a political kingdom and to relegate them to the uncertain period of a future millennium, a context in which aspirations of world government would cause little alarm to suspicious Gentiles. In a logical attempt not to arouse the already excited non-Mormon world further, Church leaders thought it wise to publicize their true aims regarding the political Kingdom of God as little as possible. At times, the leaders felt it necessary to flatly negate political aspirations.”

-    Klaus J. Hansen, Mormon scholar, “The Theory and Practice of the Political Kingdom of God in Mormon History, 1829-1890,” Master’s Thesis, Brigham Young University, Department of History, 1959, pp. 15-16

“... the Prophet [Joseph Smith, Jr.] taught POWER doctrine. POWER doctrine. This is what the Church thrives on! And this is what will help us to bring about the political part of God’s kingdom on earth!”

-    Hyrum L. Andrus, Doctrines of the Kingdom, 1973, see pp. 40-60

“Most people in this nation do not understand the origin and destiny of the United States as the Latter-day Saints do... How wonderful it would be if all Americans viewed the marvelous country in which we live in the same light as the Latter-day Saints....
“The Lord created the United States for a specific purpose. He provided freedom of speech, press, assembly and worship....
“Here He had determined to restore the gospel. From here it would be taken abroad. From here, during the Millennium, Christ will govern the world.”

-    “Preserving Our Loyalties,” Church News, November 6, 1982, p. 16

“When we go to foreign countries, we teach a model constitution which has been drawn up by the Freemen Institute [LDS think-tank] here. It is patterned similarly after the U.S. Constitution. We’ve taken certain concepts of the Restored Gospel [LDS] and incorporated them into our working model of what an ideal constitution should be.”

-    Interview with an anonymous official, Freemen Institute, Salt Lake City, (ca. 1981), as quoted in The Mormon Corporate Empire, by John Heinerman and Anson Shupe, 1985, p. 154

“It is well understood by the British Mormons that the Prophet is ‘King over all the earth’ in this day. I was unmistakably told that the Prophet of Utah is ‘King,’ and the only King reigning upon the earth by ‘Divine authority:’ that I must obey him in preference to any king, ruler or potentate on earth.”

-    William Jarman, USA – Uncle Sam’s Abscess or Hell Upon Earth for U.S., 1884, p. 34

“Joseph Smith had himself anointed King and Priest… in a revelation dated 1886 given to President John Taylor, mention is made of Joseph Smith being crowned a king in Nauvoo. Not only was he ordained a king but the leading members of the Church were assigned governmental responsibilities. Brigham Young was to be president, John Taylor vice president, members of the Church were assigned to represent different states in the house and senate of the United States, and a full cabinet was appointed.”

-    “Causes of Mormon Non-Mormon Conflict in Hancock County, Illinois, 1839-1846,” Ph.D. dissertation, BYU, 1967, pp. 63-65