Joseph Smith — "I have the best of feelings for all men, and I wish them all to be saved."
I have the best of feelings for all men, and I wish them all to be saved.
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Understanding this quote
What it means
The speaker expresses universal goodwill toward every person and a genuine desire for everyone to achieve salvation or ultimate wellbeing. It rejects exclusionary thinking, insisting that love and hope for redemption should extend to all humanity without exception, not just a chosen few or those who agree with the speaker's beliefs.
Relevance to Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith founded a faith rooted in restorationist Christianity, believing God's love was expansive rather than predestined for a elect few. He taught that salvation was available broadly, including posthumous baptism for the dead. His welcoming theology attracted diverse converts and his personal charisma relied on projecting inclusive warmth even amid intense persecution and sectarian conflict.
The era
In the 1830s-40s American frontier, intense Protestant denominational rivalry bred fierce theological exclusivism, with competing sects often condemning rivals to damnation. Smith founded Mormonism amid this sectarian chaos, and his universalist-leaning sentiment directly countered prevailing Calvinist notions of limited atonement, offering a more inclusive salvation message that appealed to seekers disillusioned by divisive religious culture.
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