" We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
" We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, nil- ers, and magistrates ; in obeying, honoring, and sustain- ing the law.
" We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul, 'We believe all things, we hope all things ;' we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praise- worthy, we seek alter these things."
A more perfect and complete copy is furnished by Mr. Orson Pratt, which we also insert, as it is now seldom to be reached in this detailed and explanatory form, and on many points clearly elucidates the strange views of these Saints. (See, however. Burton, p. 407-480.)
" We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost, who bears record of them, the same thrcuigliont nil ages and forever.
"We believe th;it all mankind, by the transgression of their first parents, and not l)y their own sins, were brought under the curse and i)eiialty of that transgression, which ciuisigned them to an eternal banishment from the pres- ence of God, and their bodies to an endless sleep in the dust, never more to rise, and their spirits to endless mis- ery under the jjower of Satan ; and that, in this awful condition, they were utterly lost and fallen, and had uo power of their own to extricate themselves therefrom.
"We believe that through the sufferings, death, and atonement of Jesus Christ all mankind, without one ex- ception, are to be completely and fully redeemed, both body and spirit, from the endless banishment and curse to which they were consigned by Adam's transgression ; and that this universal salvation and redenipti<')u of the whole human family from the endless penalty of the orig- inal sill is efi'ecied without any eomliiions whatsoever on their part: that is, tliat, they arc not required to believe, or rejient, or be bajjtized, or do anything else, in order to be redeemed from that penalty ; for whether they believe or disbelieve, whether they repent or remain impenitent, whether they are baptized or unbapti/.ed, whether they keep the commandments or break them, whether they are righteous or unrighteous, it will make no difl'ereuce in relation to their redemption, both soul and body, from the penalty of Adam's transgression. The most rigliteous man that "ever lived on the earth, and the most wicked wretch of the whole human family, were both placed un- der the same curse without any transgression or agen- cy of their own. and they both alike will be redeemed IVoin that curse wiiluuit any agency or conditions on their pan. l':>iil says (Horn, v, IS), 'Therefore, as by the offence of one, jiulgment came upon all vten to condemnation; even so, bv the righteousness of one, the free gift came niioii all wen unto the justification of life.' Tliis is the reason why all men are redeemed from the grave. This is the iin-on that the spirits o( all men are restored to til' r 1. ni , . This is the reason that all men are re- i!i ;ii. ; ii: 1. irtii>t lianishment and restored into the
p: - • '■'-'.. Anil this is the reason that tlie Saviour
sai.i olohn x.i. ;■.'), 'Id lie lifted up from the earth, I will draw till nil II iiMlo me.' After this full, complete, and universal reilemption, restoration, and salvation of the whole of Adam's race, through the atonement of Jesus Clirist, wiihoni, faith, repenlance, baptism, or any other woiks, then all and every one of them will enjoy "eternal life and ha])|))ness, never more to he banished 'from the
'■ jiresence ol (iod i/ that tliiniisclri'.s have committed no sin;
I for the peii:illy of ilie oritrinal sin can have no more power
j over ihem at :ill, for .le-^us hath destroved its power, and broken the han.ls of the lirst death, and obtained the vic-
1 tory over the grave, and (h-livered all its eiii>tives, and
MORMONS
635
MORMONS
restored them from th»ir banis^hment into the presence of his Father ; heuce eternal life will then be theirs, if tliey themselves are not found transgressors of some law.
''We believe that all niaukiud, in their infant state, are incapable of knowing good and evil, and of obeying or disobeying a law ; and that therefore there is no law giv- en to them, and that where there is no law there is no transgression ; hence they are innocent, and if they should all die in their infant state they would enjoy eternal life, not being transgressors themselves, neither accountable for Adam's sin.
" We believe that all mankind, in consequence of the fall, after they grow np from their infant state and come to the vears of understanding, know good and evil, and are capable of obeying or disobeying a law, and that a law is given against doing evil, and that the penalty affixed is a second "banishment from the presence of God, both body and sijirit, «/Y(')- they have been redeemed from the first banishment and restored into his presence.