It is to place within their reach a thorough exposition of the First Principles of the gospel that this work has been prepared, and is now presented to the youth of Zion: and it is the earnest hope of the author that by a patient perusal of these pages those who now believe the gospel will find their faith strengthened and confirmed; and those who do not believe it, be convinced of its truth. It is but fair to the writer to say that the work has been written amid the busy scenes of missionary life in a foreign land. Its preparation has been frequently interrupted by travel, and the performance of many other duties requiring the writer's attention. If this work, therefore, in point of excellence shall fall below what was desired by the General Superintendency of the Mutual Improvement Associations, at whose instigation it was written, it is hoped these circumstances will in some degree excuse it. The Author. PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. I had determined in the second edition of this work to very much alter its general plan and enlarge it; but a number of friends who have used "The Gospel" as a text-book in our Church schools, in Improvement Associations and theological classes, persuaded me not to materially change or too much enlarge it. Their experience in using the little work as a text-book gives weight to their opinions, and I have so far yielded to their judgment that I have made but few changes, and those merely verbal, in this edition of the book. I have, however, added as a supplement, a series of articles originally written for _The Contributor_, on "Man's Relationship to Deity." Those articles were intended in the first place to be supplemental to "The Gospel," and as the theme has a close relation to the subject of which the work treats, I thought it would increase the interest in the whole subject to publish them in this edition. The Author. CONTENTS.