Snow, E. and Winchester, Benjamin. “An Address to the Citize

Snow, E. and Winchester, Benjamin. “An Address to the Citizens of Salem (Mass.) And Vicinity.” Times and Seasons (Nauvoo, Illinois) 3, no. 1 (15 November 1841): 578–84. AN ADDRESS TO THE CITIZENS OF SALEM (MASS.) AND VICINITY, BY E. SNOW AND B. WINCHESTER. Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Concluded. We believe in God the Father, who is the great Jehovah and head of all things, and that Christ is the Son of God, co-eternal with the Father; yet he is our Savior, Redeemer, King, and Great Prototype;—was offered as a sacrifice to make an atonement for sin— rose from the dead with the same flesh and bones, not blood, and ascended to heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Also, that without faith in him no person is a fit subject to obey any ordinance of the gospel whatever. We believe that the doctrine of repentance should in all cases be taught, where the other principles of the gospel are set forth to sinners; and that repentance in the full sense of the word, is a sorrow for sin—breaking off from sin by righteousness, or in other words, to change our course of life, and wherein we have done wrong in the sight of God, we should reform and do it no more; and thus become humble like a little child, and walk in the ways of the Lord, that we may grow up in Christ our living head. Repentance is an antecedent to baptism, and should always be adhered to by sinners. Christ was without sin, consequently he did not repent. We believe that the ordinance of baptism is a commandment of God, and should be administered to every son and daughter of Adam, who have repented, for the remission of sins and adoption into the kingdom of God, or in other words, we resolve to forsake the ways of sin and death, and to become the members of the family of Christ; in order to do this as the apostle says, (see Rom. vi. chap.) we must crucify the old man of sin, and be “buried with Christ by baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised up by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life.” that is, we become dead as to sin; but through the ordinance we are “translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son,” and so walk in newness of life, being the children of the kingdom, we claim protection at the hand of God, and a right to enjoy the blessings of the gospel. The human family in their sins, are foreigners and strangers to God; consequently they must be adopted in order to become citizens of his kingdom. Baptism of course then is the ordinance of adoption. Christ said, “Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” This birth is a transition from our sinful state into the kingdom of God. To be baptized, is to follow Christ in the work of the regeneration, hence Cornelius, notwithstanding all his good works and piety, was commanded to be baptized, as being necessary that he might obtain salvation. (see Acts, x. chap.) Now that baptism is for the remission of sins, is evedint from what Peter said to those who were convicted on the day of Pentecost. “Repent every one of you, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,” &c. Ananias, said to Paul, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins.” (Acts xxii, 16.) The above is the doctrine the apostles taught to sinners, and is the gospel, or one of the principles of it, that Christ commanded the apostles to preach in all the world. “Go teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (see Matt. xxviii. 24.) Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned,” &c. (See Mark, xvi, 16.) Not that there is virtue in water to remit sins; but by obeying the command, we have a right to claim the promise. The apostles introduced the ordinance of baptism on every occasion where they preached the gospel: for instance, Peter on the day of Pentecost, as before mentioned, (See Acts, ii, 38.) Philip to the Samaritans, and also to the Eunuch, (See Acts, viii. chap.) Ananias to Saul. (See Acts, xxii. 16) Peter to Cornelius and his household, (See Acts, x. chap.) Paul to the Jailor and Lydia, and their households, (See Acts, xvi, chap.) Paul to the Corinthians (See Acts, xviii. 8.) Paul to the disciples of John at Ephesus, (See Acts, xix. chap.) Some one of the diciciples to the Romans, (See Rom. vi 4.) The several passages of scripture above refered to show the importance of this ordinance, and certainly the ancients esteemed it as a commandment of God not to be justly rejected.