Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith

Section Two (1834-1837) | Principles of the Gospel

1But we pause here, and offer a remark upon the saying which we learn has gone abroad, and has been handled in a manner detrimental to the cause of truth, by saying, "that in preaching the doctrine of gathering, we break up families, and give license for men to leave their families, women their husbands, children their parents and slaves their masters, thereby deranging the order and breaking up the harmony and peace of society." We shall here show our faith, and thereby, as we humbly trust, put an end to these false and wicked misrepresentations, which have caused, we have every reason to believe, thousands to think they were doing God's service, when they were persecuting the children of God; whereas, if they could have enjoyed the true light, and had a just under- standing of our principles, they would have embraced them with all their hearts, and been rejoicing in the love of the truth.

2And now to show our doctrine on this subject, we shall commence with the first principles of the Gospel, which are faith, repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands.

3This we believe to be our duty--to teach to all mankind the doctrine of repentance, which we shall endeavor to show from the following quotations: "Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:45, 46, 47).

4By this we learn that it behooved Christ to suffer, and to be crucified, and rise again on the third day for the express purpose that repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all nations.