History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph F. Smith
by baptism.—The Elders or Priests are to have a sufficient time to expound all things concerning the Church of Christ to their understanding, previous to their partaking of the Sacrament and being confirmed by the laying on of the hands of the Elders, so that all things may be done in order.
69. And the members shall manifest before the Church, and also before the Elders, by a godly walk and conversation, that they are worthy of it, that there may be works and faith agreeable to the Holy Scriptures—walking in holiness before the Lord.
70. Every member of the Church of Christ having children is to bring them unto the Elders before the Church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in His name.
71. No one can be received into the Church of Christ, unless he has arrived unto the years of accountability before God, and is capable of repentance.
72. Baptism is to be administered in the following manner unto all those who repent:—
73. The person who is called of God, and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name—Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
74. Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water.
75. It is expedient that the Church meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus;
76. And the Elder or Priest shall administer it; and after this manner shall he administer it: he shall kneel with the Church and call upon the Father in solemn prayer, saying—
77. O God, the Eternal Father, we ask Thee in the name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of Thy Son, and witness unto Thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of Thy Son, and always remember Him and keep His commandments which He has given them, that they may always have His Spirit to be with them. Amen.
78. The manner of administering the wine: He shall take the cup also, and say—
79. O God, the Eternal Father, we ask Thee in the name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of Thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto Thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember Him, That they may have His Spirit to be with them. Amen.
80. Any member of the Church of Christ transgressing, or being overtaken in a fault, shall be dealt with as the Scriptures direct.
81. It shall be the duty of the several churches, composing the Church of Christ, to send one or more of their Teachers to attend the several conferences held by the Elders of the Church,
82. With a list of the names of the several members uniting themselves with the Church since the last conference, or send by the hand of some Priest, so that a regular list of all the names of the whole Church may be kept in a book by one of the Elders whomsoever the other Elders shall appoint from time to time;
83. And also, if any have been expelled from the Church, so that their names may be blotted out of the general Church record of names.
84. All members removing from the church where they reside, if going to a church where they are not known, may take a letter, certifying that they are regular members and in good standing, which certificate may be signed by any Elder or Priest if the member receiving the letter is personally acquainted with the Elder or Priest, or it may be signed by the Teachers or Deacons of the Church.
Footnotes
1. This occasion is unquestionably the one that the Prophet Joseph alludes to in his letter to the Saints in Nauvoo, under date or September 6th 1842, (Doctrine and Covenants sec. 128:21) where he says: "Again what do we hear * * * the voice of God in the chamber of old father Peter Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca county, and at sundry times, and in divers places through all the travels and tribulations of this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." It must not be thought because of the reference in the text above to the desire of Joseph and Oliver to have the Melchizedek Priesthood conferred upon them, and the commandment given that they should ordain each other Elders of the Church—it must not be thought because of this, I repeat, that there is any conflict between what is here stated in the text and what has been said with reference to the restoration of the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James and John. This "voice of God in the chamber of old Father Peter Whitmer, in Fayette," commanding Joseph and Oliver to ordain each other "Elders of the Church," but also commanding them to defer said ordinations until their brethren who had been and should be baptized could be assembled together to give their sanction to such procedure—was all previous to their ordination to the Apostleship under the hands of Peter, James and John and; to be regarded as instruction to them as to how they should proceed in the matter of ordaining each other, and calling and ordaining others to the same ministry, after they themselves should have received the keys of this Melchizedek Priesthood. The ordination of each other to be Elders of the Church was deferred until the meeting at which the Church was organized, the 6th of April, 1830. (see p. 75.) But this voice of God in Peter Whitmer's chamber, which told them how to proceed in the matter of ordaining each other, was given in or before June, 1829. The evidence of this is in the fact that the revelation in Whitmer's chamber, about ordaining each other "Elders of the Church," precedes the one immediately following the paragraph of narrative above: and that revelation, making known the calling to the Twelve Apostles, was given in June, 1829, ten months before the instructions relative to ordaining each other to be Elders in the Church was carried out. Meantime, as we have seen (see note pp. 40, 41, 42,) before the 6th of April, 1830, and probably before that very month of June, 1829, had expired Peter, James and John had come and conferred upon Joseph and Oliver the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the holy apostleship, by which authority they were authorized to organize the Church, ordain each other Elders, and also call and ordain others to the same office.
2. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 18.
3. Doctrine and Covenants, section 20.
4. Verses 65, 66 and 67 were added by the Prophet some time after the rest of the revelation was given.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Book of Mormon Published—the Church Organized.
Price for Publishing Book of Mormon.
Meantime, our translation drawing to a close, we went to Palmyra, Wayne county, New York, secured the copyright, and agreed with Mr. Egbert B. Grandin to print five thousand copies for the sum of three thousand dollars.
The Title Page.
I wish to mention here that the title-page of the Book of Mormon is a literal translation, taken from the very last leaf, on the left hand side of the collection or book of plates, which contained the record which has been translated, the language of the whole running the same as all Hebrew writing in general;1 and that said title page is not by any means a modern composition, either of mine or of any other man who has lived or does live in this generation. Therefore, in order to correct an error which generally exists concerning it, I give below that part of the title-page of the English version of the Book of Mormon, which is a genuine and literal translation of the title-page of the original Book of Mormon as recorded on the plates:
The Book of Mormon.
An account written by the hand of Mormon, upon Plates, taken from the Plates of Nephi.
Wherefore it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites; written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also