On the 20th Messrs. Thompson and Atchison wrote Elder Phelps from the "Senate Chamber," acknowledging the receipt of his letter, stating that the committee on the Governor's message had not reported, and recommending the Saints to get up a petition to the legislature, with as many signatures as possible, promising their assistance and influence to obtain redress of grievances. A petition was accordingly forwarded; but the year closed without bringing anything to pass for the relief of the Saints in Missouri. [7] Footnotes 1. The following is the explanation given in the _Evening and Morning Star_ for this change in the name of the Church periodical: "As the _Evening and Morning Star_ was designed to be published at Missouri, it was considered that another name would be more appropriate for a paper in this place [Kirtland] consequently, as the name of this Church has lately been entitled the Church of the Latter-day saints, and since it is destined, at least for a season, to hear the reproach and stigma of this world, it is no more than just that a paper disseminating the doctrines believed by the same, and advocating its character and rights should be entitled _The Latter-day Saints Messenger and Advocate_." There was also a change announced in the form of the Church periodical. The _Evening and Morning Star_ as first published was a quarto, but the _Messenger and Advocate_ was to be published in octavo form for greater convenience in binding and preserving. It was also announced that the two volumes of the _Star_ would be reprinted in octavo form; which, by the way, was done. This first number of the _Messenger and Advocate_ contained a summary of the most prominent points of doctrine believed in by the Church at that time, signed by Oliver Cowdery; and as the doctrine development in the Church is a prominent feature of this work, that summary is here appended: "We believe in God, and His son Jesus Christ. We believe that God, from the beginning, revealed Himself to man, and that whenever He has had a people on earth, He always has revealed Himself to them by the Holy Ghost, the ministering of angels or His own voice. We do not believe that He ever had a Church on earth without revealing Himself to that Church; consequently there were apostles, prophets, evangelists pastors, and teachers in the same. "We believe that God is the same in all ages, and that it requires the same holiness, purity, and religion to save a man now as it did anciently; and that, as He is no respecter of persons, always has, and always will reveal Himself to men when they call upon Him. "We believe that God has revealed Himself to men in this age, and commenced to raise up a Church preparatory to His second advent, when He will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.