Here are several more quotes that express the principle of choosing faithfulness to God, even at the cost of life, rather than sin or dishonor:
1. "Choose poverty, reproach, separation from friends, or any suffering rather than to defile the soul with sin. Death before dishonor or the transgression of God's law should be the motto of every Christian." (
5T 147.1)
2. "Those who would be best prepared to sacrifice even life, if required, rather than place themselves in a position where they could not obey God, would have the least to say. They would make no boast. They would feel deeply and meditate much, and their earnest prayers would go up to heaven for wisdom to act and grace to endure." (
1T 357.2)
3. "Even life itself should not be purchased with the price of falsehood. By a word or a nod the martyrs might have denied the truth and saved their lives. By consenting to cast a single grain of incense upon the idol altar they might have been saved from the rack, the scaffold, or the cross. But they refused to be false in word or deed, though life was the boon they would receive by so doing. Imprisonment, torture, and death, with a clear conscience, were welcomed by them, rather than deliverance on condition of deception, falsehood, and apostasy." (
4T 336.2)
4. "God has spoken, and He means that man shall obey. He does not inquire if it is convenient for him to do so... Man is to leave the error of his ways, to follow the example of Christ, to take up his cross and follow Him, denying self, and obeying God at any cost." (
4T 250.4)
5. "Both worlds are before you. Which will you choose? Be wise and lay hold of eternal life. Swerve not from your integrity, however unpleasant your duties may appear in the present emergency. It may seem that you are about to make great sacrifices to preserve your purity of soul, but do not hesitate; press forward in the fear of God, and He will bless your efforts and recompense you a thousandfold." (
4T 117.2)
6. "When he knows what the will of God is, he would not hesitate to do it should it cost him his life." (
5T 131.2)
7. "I saw that some hardly know as yet what self-denial or sacrifice is, or what it is to suffer for the truth's sake. But none will enter heaven without making a sacrifice. ... Those who are willing to make any sacrifice for eternal life, will have it; and it will be worth suffering for, worth crucifying self for, and sacrificing every idol for." (
1T 126.2)
8. "To suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, for he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt." (
3T 89.4)
These statements consistently emphasize the importance of unwavering loyalty to God, even if it means enduring suffering, loss, or death, rather than committing sin or dishonoring God.
If you need more, or quotes from a specific context, let me know!
References:
- Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 126.2, 357.2; Vol. 3, p. 89.4; Vol. 4, pp. 117.2, 250.4, 336.2; Vol. 5, pp. 131.2, 147.1.