History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 6Smith, Joseph, Jr.
History
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 6
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
Although it provides that all men shall enjoy religious freedom,
yet it does not provide the manner by which that freedom can be
preserved, nor for the punishment of Government officers who refuse
to protect the people in their religious rights, or punish those
mobs, states, or communities who interfere with the rights of the
people on account of their religion. Its sentiments are good, but
it provides no means of enforcing them. It has but this one fault.
Under its provision, a man or a people who are able to protect
themselves can get along well enough; but those who have the
misfortune to be weak or unpopular are left to the merciless rage
of popular fury.
The Constitution should contain a provision that every officer
of the Government who should neglect or refuse to extend the
protection guaranteed in the Constitution should be subject to
capital punishment; and then the president of the United States
would not say, _"Your cause is just, but I can do nothing for
you,"_ a governor issue exterminating orders, or judges say, "The
men ought to have the protection of law, but it won't please
the mob; the men must die, anyhow, to satisfy the clamor of the
rabble; they must be hung, or Missouri be damned to all eternity."
Executive writs could be issued when they ought to be, and not be
made instruments of cruelty to oppress the innocent, and persecute
men whose religion is unpopular.
I cannot believe in any of the creeds of the different
denominations, because they all have some things in them I cannot
subscribe to, though all of them have some truth. I want to come
up into the presence of God, and learn all things; but the creeds
set up stakes, and say, "Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further;"
which I cannot subscribe to.
I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the
original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or
designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors. As it
read, Gen. VI:6, "It repented the Lord that he had made man on the
earth;" also, Num. XXIII:19, "God is not a man, that he should lie,
neither the Son of man, that he should repent;" which I do not
believe. But it ought to read, "It repented _Noah_ that God made
man." This I believe, and then the other quotation stands fair. If
any man will prove to me, by one passage of Holy Writ, one item I
believe to be false, I will renounce and disclaim it as far as I
promulged it.
The first principles of the Gospel, as I believe, are, faith,
repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, with the promise of
the Holy Ghost.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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