Adoniram Judson Quotes, in Malden, Massachusetts, was an American missionary who became the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to Burma (now Myanmar), serving for nearly 40 years. Initially a Congregationalist, he converted to Baptism en route to Asia, shaping American Baptist missions. Despite imprisonment, illness, and the loss of his first wife Ann and children, he translated the Bible into Burmese and established churches, leaving a lasting legacy. These 15 quotes—sourced from his writings, sermons, and biographies—reflect his unwavering faith, missionary zeal, and resilience in the face of trials, capturing his profound devotion to spreading the Gospel.
15 Adoniram Judson Quotes
- “There is no success without sacrifice. If you succeed without sacrifice, it is because someone has suffered before you. If you sacrifice without success, it is because someone will succeed after.” (Records of the Life, Character, and Achievements, 1854, p.96)
- “The future is as bright as the promises of God.” (Quoted in Bookey, August 28, 2023)
- “I never prayed sincerely and earnestly for anything but it came at some time; no matter at how distant a day, somehow, in some shape, probably the least I would have devised, it came.” (Records of the Life, Character, and Achievements, 1854, p.106)
- “God loves importunate prayer so much that He will not give us much blessing without it.” (Records of the Life, Character, and Achievements, 1854, p.106)
- “If I had not felt certain that every additional trial was ordered by infinite love and mercy, I could not have survived my accumulated suffering.” (Quoted in Adoniram Judson: A Bicentennial Appreciation, Jason G. Duesing, 2012)
- “A life once spent is irrevocable. It will remain to be contemplated through eternity. If it be marked with sins, the marks will be indelible.” (Quoted at BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “We cannot sit still and see the dear Burmans, flesh and blood like ourselves, possessed of immortal souls that will shine forever in heaven or burn forever in hell—we cannot see them go down to perdition without doing our very utmost to save them.” (Quoted at BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “I will not leave Burma until the cross is planted here forever.” (Quoted in InspiringQuotes.us, n.d.)
- “Our prayers run along one road and God’s answers by another, and by and by they meet.” (Records of the Life, Character, and Achievements, 1854, p.106)
- “The motto for every missionary, whether preacher, printer, or schoolmaster, ought to be ‘Devoted for Life.’” (Quoted in InspiringQuotes.us, n.d.)
- “While therefore your tears flow, let a due proportion be tears of joy. Yet take the bitter cup with both hands and sit down to your repast. You will soon learn a secret: that there is sweetness at the bottom.” (Quoted at BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “Permit us to labor on in obscurity, and at the end of twenty years you may hear from us again.” (Records of the Life, Character, and Achievements, 1854, p.96)
- “I never realized what a great privilege it is to be able to use the voice for Christ until I was deprived of it.” (Quoted at BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “God is waiting to be gracious, and is willing to make us happy in religion, if we would not run away from him.” (Quoted at BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “After many painful trials, which none can know, but those who are taught to relinquish a system in which they had been educated, I settled down in the full persuasion, that the immersion of a professing believer in Christ is the only Christian baptism.” (Quoted in Christian Baptism, Adoniram Judson, n.d.)
Adoniram Judson’s quotes are a powerful testament to faith, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to God’s call, inspiring you to persevere through trials and live purposefully for a higher mission. Which quote stirs your heart? Share it below and keep Judson’s enduring legacy alive!