Joseph Smith — "I will not be bought, nor sold, nor flattered, nor threatened."
I will not be bought, nor sold, nor flattered, nor threatened.
Get This Quote & Author's Image Illustrated On:
Click any product to generate a realistic preview. Up to 3 at a time.
* Initial load can take up to 90 seconds — revising the preview in another color is nearly instant.
Kitchen
Apparel
Other
More from Joseph Smith
"I had a vision of the Father and the Son, and the Father said, 'This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!'"
"Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am …"
"Had I anything to do with the negro, I would confine them by strict law to their own species, and put them on a national equalization."
"Unless a man receives revelations, he cannot be saved."
"I am going to bring about the redemption of Zion, and build up the kingdom of God."
Verification
Unverifiable
Found in 1 providers: grok
1 source checked
Understanding this quote
What it means
This quote declares absolute personal sovereignty against the four most common forms of corruption and coercion. The speaker refuses to be purchased through bribery, traded away by others, won over through empty praise, or forced into submission through intimidation. It asserts uncompromising integrity—that character cannot be compromised regardless of the method used against it. No external force, whether financial, social, or violent, can control the speaker's convictions.
Relevance to Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith faced relentless opposition as founder of the Latter-day Saints—arrested over 40 times, driven from multiple states, tarred and feathered, and ultimately killed by a mob in 1844. His followers were expelled from Missouri under a literal extermination order. Smith repeatedly refused to recant his religious claims despite mounting pressure. This statement captures his documented defiance: he died in Carthage Jail rather than abandon his testimony or flee to safety.
The era
The 1830s–40s saw intense religious ferment during America's Second Great Awakening, but new movements faced fierce persecution. Smith's era was defined by frontier vigilantism, mob rule, and weak legal protections for religious minorities. State governments often sided with majorities against outsiders. The LDS church was driven from New York, Ohio, and Missouri before expulsion from Illinois. Publicly defying persecution made religious founders defining symbols of their movements' legitimacy and survival.
AI-generated insights based on extensive research and information for context. Factual errors? Email [email protected].