OR THE "NEW AND EVERLASTING GOSPEL."

QUESTION.—What is the Gospel?

ANSWER.—There is only one true system of doctrine that can properly be called the Gospel; and that one system is so definite in every point, and so exactly adapted to the situation of sinners, that every person may immediately embrace it wherever it is preached, and by so doing they become saints, or Christians.

The first principle of action required in the Gospel is belief in the name of Jesus Christ, the once crucified and now risen Redeemer.

The second is repentance; which signifies nothing more nor less than the putting away of sins, with humility and meekness before God—feeling sorry for our sins, and a determination to forsake them.

The third is baptism, by immersion in water, in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.

The fourth is the laying on of hands, in the name of Jesus, for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. All who do these things in a proper manner, and under proper authority, are saints; and if they endure to the end they will be saved in the Kingdom of God.

Q.—Are there any conditions in this system which the sinner cannot immediately fulfil, as soon as he understands them?

A.—The sinner can believe that Jesus is the Christ on good testimony. He can turn from his sins, and put them away. He can also go forth, and be immersed in water, in the name of the Lord Jesus.

God will not believe for us; He will not repent for us; He will not be baptized for us; but these things are for us to do; and if we do them, then God has promised to forgive us our sins, and to baptize us with the Holy Ghost; then, certainly we should be the children of God, in the enjoyment of religion.

Q.—Is it of any use for men to pray to the Lord to convert them and give them religion, while they neglect to obey the Gospel?

A.—No. In vain they call Him Lord, Lord, and do not perform the things which He has commanded them. In vain they worship Him, teaching for doctrines the COMMANDMENTS OF MEN. The Lord is praying us to be converted, and we will not, while at the same time we are praying Him to convert us.

Q.—But must not the Lord perform some special work, on His part, more than He has done, in order to convert our souls and make us Christians?

A.—No. The Lord has died for us; He has risen again for us; He has sent His word to us, with servants to administer it; and now He requires us to obey it, and then He has promised to forgive our sins, and to grant us the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Q.—But what! Can every sinner come immediately forward and obey the Gospel when it is preached, and thus become a child of God?

A.—Yes.

Q.—What! All the sinners in this town?

A.—Yes; and all the sinners in England, nay, in all the world. The very moment they obey the Gospel they are free from sin, and are made partakers of the Holy Ghost. If this is not the case, then the word of God is of none effect, and the Gospel never saved a man since the world began, nor ever will; for, if God has sent a message or Gospel into the world which is insufficient to save sinners, and is under the necessity of saving them some other way, independent of that Gospel, then surely He has sent it in vain. But, on the other hand, if He has sent a Gospel which would save one man by obeying its precepts, then surely it would be the power of God unto salvation to all who would believe and obey it.

Q.—If these things are so, what would a minister of the Gospel say if he were to be present at some of the religious excitements which are got up in modern times, and were to see persons bowed down at the penitent forms, trying to "get religion" in that?

A.—He would say, as Ananias said to Saul of Tarsus, "Why tarryest thou? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord."

Q.—But what would he say if they should refuse to comply with the requisition, and should continue praying?

A.—He would say, "Why do you call Lord, Lord, and do not perform the things he has said?" "In vain you worship him, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Q.—But would they not "get religion in that way?"

A.—No. They might pray as long and as loud as the four hundred prophets of Baal did, but with as little effect.

Q.—But did not the Apostle say to the jailer and his household, that they should be saved if they would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, without obeying the Gospel?

A.—No. He spake unto them the word of the Lord.

Q.—What word of the Lord did he speak unto them?

A.—The word of repentance and baptism for remission of sins; as is evident from the fact of their attending to baptism the same hour.

Q.—What would have been the situation of the jailer and his household if they had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and had not obeyed the Gospel?

A.—They would have been under much more condemnation than they were before.

Q.—But was not Saul of Tarsus, while on his way to Damascus, converted and made a Christian by a special work of God?

A.—No. He was only convinced or convicted that Jesus was the Christ; but his being a saint (or Christian) depended on his going to Damascus, and obeying the Gospel baptism.

Q.—What would have been his situation if he had continued to believe in Christ, and had not gone to Damascus and obeyed the Gospel?

A.—He would never have "got religion" to this day, but would have been worse than he was before.

-Q.-Did not the Apostle say to the people of old, that, if they would confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and would believe in their hearts that God had raised him from the dead, they should be saved?

A.—Yes. But he was writing to the Church of God, whose members had already obeyed the Gospel, and had been planted together in the likeness of his death; being buried with him by baptism, and having risen again to newness of life, he was encouraging them to continue in the belief and confession of his name.

Q.—But did not the Apostle thank God that he had not baptized many of the Corinthians?

A.—Yes. But the reason was, lest they should say he had baptized in his own name.

Q.—But did he not say, that he was not sent to baptize, but to preach the Gospel?

A.—Yes. But others were sent to water those whom he planted. He, as a wise master-builder, laid the foundation by preaching the word, and others attended to the other part of the work, and thus builded thereon.

Q.—Did not Cornelius and his friends receive the Holy Ghost before they were baptized?

A.—Yes. But it was to convince the Jews that they (the Gentiles) had part in the Gospel as well as the Israelites.

Q.—Would Cornelius and his friends have been saved, after all they had received, if they had refused baptism?

A.—No. For Peter was sent to tell them words whereby they should be saved, and part of these words were, that they should be baptized; and, if they had refused to comply with this message, they would have been worse than those who had never known the way of truth.

Q.—Was not the thief on the cross saved without baptism?

A.—If he was, it was because he had no opportunity to obey; and, therefore, was not saved through a Gospel ministration, but was included in the same mercy as the heathens, who have never had the offer of the Gospel, and therefore, are under no condemnation for not obeying it.

Q.—Would the thief on the cross have been saved if he had lived to hear the Gospel, and had opportunity to obey it, and refused?

A.—No. The Gospel condemns all who do not obey it. It is a savior of life unto life, or of death unto death, to all who are privileged to hear it.

Q.—Is there, then, no other Gospel but faith in Jesus Christ, repentance towards God, and immersion in water FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, with the laying on of hands in the name of Jesus for the baptism of the Holy Ghost?

A.—No. The people who are without this order of things are strangers to the GOSPEL, notwithstanding all the morality, sincerity, and piety they may possess.

Q.—What! Are all the professed ministers of the Gospel, who have not obeyed and taught that particular form of doctrine without the Gospel, the same as the heathen—and all their hearers, too?

A.—Yes. Unless we make this difference, that, having the Bible and some idea of Jesus Christ, they have been benefited in a moral point of view, although they have not understood the Gospel.

Q.—Are all the ministers and professors of religion, in this age of the world, under obligation to obey that Gospel, in order to be saved in the Kingdom of God?

A.—Yes. "Except a man be born of WATER and of the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." How then can he be saved in it?

Q.—What has Christ said of those who would come into the sheep-fold by climbing up some other way besides the door?

A.—He has pronounced them thieves and robbers.

Q.—At Christ's second coming, what will become of all those ministers and professors, and others who do not obey the Gospel?

A.—"He will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on all those who know not God, AND OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST."

Q.—How comes it that the Christian world (so called) have been so long without the Gospel in its fulness?

A.—In fulfilment of the word of prophecy, spoken by the prophet Daniel and by the revelator John, "THEY HAVE MADE WAR WITH THE SAINTS, AND OVERCOME THEM;" and in fulfilment of Paul to Timothy, "They have HEAPED TO THEMSELVES TEACHERS, having ITCHING ears; and these have turned their ears from the TRUTH, and they are turned unto fables, and they will not endure SOUND DOCTRINE."

Q.-How came the Latter-day Saints to understand this Gospel, and to be instruments in restoring it among mankind?

A.—Not for any worth or wisdom that was in them more than others; but because the time had come for this Gospel of the Kingdom to be again restored to the inhabitants of the earth, and to be preached to all nations preparatory to the second coming of Messiah. Therefore the Lord sent forth an Holy Angel to commit the authority of this ministry again unto man, and this in fulfilment of the promises recorded by the ancient prophets and apostles.

Q.—Is it not uncharitable to consider the Christian world all wrong, except such as obey the fulness of the Gospel? and still more so to tell them of it?

A.—No. The man who tells his generation the truth, according to the "law and the testimony," is more charitable to them than ten thousand men who cry, Peace and safety, and prophesy smooth things, when sudden destruction is near at hand.

Q.—But, what will become of all the people who have lived and died since the Gospel was perverted and before it was restored again?

A.—They will be judged according to their works, and according to the light which they enjoyed in their day; and, no doubt many of them will rise up in judgment against this generation, and condemn it; for, had they enjoyed the privileges which we enjoy, they would, no doubt, have gladly embraced the truth in all its fulness. They desired to see the latter-day glory, but died without the sight.—P. P. Pratt.

"Attempts to promote universal peace have failed. The world has had a fair trial for six thousands years; the Lord will try the seventh thousand Himself."

—Joseph Smith, The Prophet.