Scripture Study

The Know

Most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are familiar with the Articles of Faith, and they rightly turn to these statements to summarize the basic beliefs of the church. These thirteen concise statements of the basic beliefs were published by Joseph Smith on March 1, 1842. They were attached at the end of his response to John Wentworth, the editor of the The Chicago Democrat newspaper, who had requested that the Prophet provide an outline of Latter-day Saint history and doctrines.1

Interestingly, four other leaders of the Church had previously published concise summaries of the Church’s doctrines. As John W. Welch and David J. Whittaker explained in 1979, Oliver Cowdery, Joseph Young, Orson Pratt, and Orson Hyde had each written such statements outlining the basic beliefs of the church, and it is interesting to compare those four precursors of the Articles of Faith that were eventually formulated by the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1842. Consider the following:

Oliver Cowdery

In October of 1834, Oliver Cowdery, who was an Assistant President of the Church at that time, published the following summary of the beliefs of the Church in the very first issue of the Latter-day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate in Kirtland, Ohio.

[1] We believe in God, and his Son Jesus Christ.

[2] 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.

[3] We believe that God is the same in all ages; … and that, as He is no respecter of persons, always has, and always will reveal himself to men when they call upon him.

[4] 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…

[5] We believe that all men are born free and equal; that no man, combination of men, or government of men, have power or authority to compel or force others to embrace any system of religion … or of worshiping God as they choose. …

[6] We believe that God has set his hand the second time to recover the remnant of his people, Israel…

And further: [7] We believe in embracing good wherever it may be found; of proving all things, and holding fast that which is righteous.2

One can easily see several similarities between Oliver Cowdery’s 1834 list and what would become the Church’s official thirteen Articles of Faith, most also beginning with “we believe.” Oliver began by stating the belief in God, Jesus Christ and mentions the Holy Ghost, as Article of Faith 1 does. He turned to Ephesians 4:11 to emphasize the importance of having apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, as does Article of Faith 6. He discussed the gathering of Israel and the Second Coming of Christ, like Article of Faith 10, and mentioned freedom of worship, like the current Article of Faith 11. And while Cowdery mentions the important topic of revelation five times in his articles 2, 3, and 4, as is addressed in Article of Faith 9, other crucial subjects, such as Christ’s atonement, the basic ordinances of the Gospel, spiritual gifts, the Book of Mormon and other subjects, are missing from Oliver’s list.3

Joseph Young

Joseph Young, a member of the First Quorum of Seventy and Brigham Young’s brother, wrote a statement of beliefs while serving a mission in Boston in 1836. Missionaries in those days had very little written material to use in introducing the basic teachings of the Church to their contacts. Here is how Joseph Young summarized those fundamental teachings:

1. A belief in one true and living God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, and in his Son Jesus Christ [compare A of F 1], who came into this world 1800 years since, at Jerusalem; was slain, rose from the dead, ascended on high, and now sits on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens; that through the atonement thus wrought out, all men may come to God and find acceptance [compare A of F 2]; all of which they believe is revealed in the Holy Scripture.

2. That God requires all men, wherever his gospel is proclaimed, or his law known, to repent of all sins, forsake evil, and follow righteousness; that his word also requires men to be baptized, as well as to repent; and that the direct way pointed out by the Scriptures for baptism, is immersion. After which, the individual has the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit. … This gift of the Holy Spirit, was anciently bestowed by the laying on of the apostles’ hands [Compare A of F 4]: so this church believes that those who have authority to administer in the ordinances of the gospel, have this right and authority [compare A of F 5]…

3. That God will, in the last days, gather the literal descendants of Jacob [compare A of F 10] to the lands anciently possessed by their fathers; that he will lead them as at the first, and build them as at the beginning. … And that, as men anciently saw visions, dreamed dreams, held communion with angels, and conversed with the heavens, so it will be in the last days, to prepare the way for all nations, languages and tongues, to serve him in truth [compare A of F 7].

4. That the time will come when the Lord Jesus will descend from heaven, accompanied with ten thousand of his saints; that a mighty angel will lay hold on the dragon, bind him, cast him into the pit. …

5. They believe in the resurrection of the body; that all men will stand in the presence of God, and be judged according to the deeds, or works, done in this life.4

While Joseph Young’s articles of faith emphasize Christ’s atonement, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, authority, and the literal gathering of Israel, as are included in six of the Articles of Faith today, God is not explicitly identified here as the eternal heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost is not referred to as a member of the Godhead, as in the current Articles of Faith.5

Orson Pratt

The Apostle Orson Pratt wrote a lengthy summary of beliefs in 1840, while he was preaching the gospel in Scotland:

First, We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost [compare A of F 1], who bears record of them, the same throughout all ages and for ever.

We believe that all mankind, by the transgression of their first parents, and not by their own sins, were brought under the curse and penalty of that transgression, which consigned them to an eternal banishment from the presence of God, and their bodies to an endless sleep in the dust, never more to rise… [compare A of F 2].

We believe, that through the sufferings, death, and atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind, without one exception, are to be completely, and fully redeemed, both body and spirit from the endless banishment and curse, to which they were consigned, by Adam’s transgression. … After this full, complete, and universal redemption, restoration, and salvation of the whole of Adam’s race, through the atonement of Jesus Christ [compare A of F 3], without faith, repentance, baptism, or any other works, then, all and every one of them, will enjoy eternal life and happiness, never more to be banished from the presence of God, if they themselves have committed no sin…

We believe that the first condition to be complied with on the part of sinners is, to believe in God, and in the sufferings and death of his Son Jesus Christ. … That the second condition is, to repent…

That the third condition is, to be baptized by immersion in water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for remission of sins; and that this ordinance is to be administered by one who is called and authorized of Jesus Christ to baptize, otherwise it is illegal, and of no advantage, and not accepted by him…

And that the fourth condition is, to receive the laying on of hands, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the gift of the Holy Ghost; and that this ordinance is to be administered by the apostles or elders, whom the Lord Jesus hath called and authorized to lay on hands. … These are the first conditions of the gospel… [compare A of F 4]

It is the duty and privilege of the saints thus organized upon the everlasting gospel, to believe in and enjoy all the gifts, powers, and blessings which flow from the Holy Spirit. Such, for instance, as the gifts of revelation, prophecy, visions, the ministry of angels, healing the sick by the laying on hands in the name of Jesus, the working of miracles, and, in short all the gifts as mentioned in Scripture, or as enjoyed by the ancient saints [compare A of F 7]. We believe that inspired apostles and prophets, together with all the officers as mentioned in the New Testament, are necessary to be in the Church in these days [compare A of F 6].

The gospel in the ‘Book of Mormon’, is the same as that in the New Testament, and is revealed in great plainness, so that no one that reads it can misunderstand its principles [compare A of F 8] …

Many revelations and prophecies have been given to this church since its rise, which have been printed and sent forth to the world. These also contain the gospel in great plainness, and instructions of infinite importance to the saints… We believe that God will continue to give revelations [compare A of F 9].6

Orson Pratt’s summary is notable in that it contains much of the material that will eventually be contained in the Articles of Faith, but it is more verbose than Joseph’s pithy statements.7

Orson Hyde

The Apostle Orson Hyde published yet another summary of beliefs while serving a mission in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1842. He included sixteen points which were called “Articles of Faith and Points of Doctrine.” Each article is an essay of some length, rather than a sentence or a paragraph, but he is clearly creating something similar in content, if not in length, to what Joseph would write that same year. His essays include such titles as “About the Godhead,” “About the Use and the Validity of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament in Our Church,” “Faith,” “Repentance,” “Baptism,” “Confirmation By the Laying on of Hands After Baptism,” “The Sacrament of the Bread and Wine,” “The Confession of Sins and the Method of Dealing With Members Who Act Contrary To The Laws of The Church,” “Baptism For the Dead,” “Prayer and the Manner of Prayer,” and “Patriarchal Blessings and A Word About Marriage.” In these summaries of belief, Orson Hyde appears to focus a significant amount of his attention on ordinances, while addressing other topics which are more wide-ranging than the current Articles of Faith.8

The Why

The Articles of Faith we have today are brief, but they treat each issue very concisely, clearly, and well. In addition, the scope of Joseph Smith’s articles is wider-ranging, addressing more crucial gospel topics than most of these four other early statements, while not being as verbose. In addition, most of these Articles of Faith make use of words and phrases that are found in the New Testament letters of the Apostle Paul, making these declarations accessible to readers of the Bible everywhere.9 Above all, each of these statements of the basic beliefs of the Church boldly declares and encapsulates points of doctrine rather than trying to elaborate or justify each point.

Moreover, the similarities between Joseph Smith’s Articles of Faith and these earlier articles composed by these four priesthood leaders show the basic consistency of doctrine that was taught by all the early members of the Church, an important testament to the faithfulness of these early missionaries to the central teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith. It may also show some points of collaboration between Joseph and these early church leaders in crystallizing the most important ideas of the church, something that may have been in progress for some time before Joseph wrote his response to Wentworth in 1842.10 Although small modifications were sometimes made to these and other such Articles of Faith in several places and publications around the world, the Church voted wisely and faithfully at General Conference in 1880—as they celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the organization of the Church in 1830–to accept and to canonize the Articles of Faith as written by Joseph Smith.11

Seeing other possible ways in which the Articles of Faith could have been finally adopted can help readers of the Articles of Faith today to appreciate their versatility in clarifying basic principles of the gospel for members of the church all around the world, as well as explaining the gospel to people wholly unfamiliar with it. In addition, the thirteen articles today help readers to appreciate the precision and succinctness of these articles and their functions today, as has been noted: “The Articles of Faith are living and open. They invite further thought. They influence us in numerous ways, as they give our lives both clarity and breadth. They enhance our understanding of certain principles and give us simultaneously a commitment toward living the same.”12

Further Reading

John W. Welch and David J. Whittaker, “‘We Believe. …’: Development of the Articles of Faith,” Ensign (September 1979).

Oliver Cowdery, “Address,” Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate 1, no. 1 (October 1834): 2.

John Hayward, The Religious Creeds and Statistics of Every Christian Denomination in the United States and British Provinces (Boston: J. Hayward 1836), 139–40.

Orson Pratt, An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions, and of The Late Discovery of Ancient American Records (New York: Joseph W. Harrison Printer, 1842) 27-35.

Footnotes

1. See John W. Welch and David J. Whittaker, “‘We Believe. …’: Development of the Articles of Faith,” Ensign (September 1979). Joseph Smith, as the new editor of the Church news magazine, the Times and Seasons, provided some context for this publication: “At the request of Mr. John Wentworth, Editor, and Proprietor of The Chicago Democrat, I have written the following sketch of the rise, progress, persecution, and faith of the Latter-Day Saints, of which I have the honor, under God, of being the founder. Mr. Wentworth says, that he wishes to furnish Mr. Bastow [George Barstow], a friend of his, who is writing the history of New Hampshire, with this document. As Mr. Bastow has taken the proper steps to obtain correct information all that I shall ask at his hands, is, that he publish the account entire, ungarnished, and without misrepresentation.” See “Church History,” 1 March 1842, p. 706, in the Joseph Smith Papers. See also, “Gospel Classics: The Wentworth Letter,” Ensign (July 2002).

2. Oliver Cowdery, “Address,” Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate 1, no. 1 (October 1834): 2.

3. For more on this, see John W. Welch and David J. Whittaker, “‘We Believe. …’: Development of the Articles of Faith,” Ensign (September 1979), 52.

4. John Hayward, The Religious Creeds and Statistics of Every Christian Denomination in the United States and British Provinces, (Boston: J. Hayward, 1836), 139–40.

5. For more on this, see John W. Welch and David J. Whittaker, “‘We Believe. …’: Development of the Articles of Faith,” Ensign (September 1979), 52.

6. Pratt, Orson Pratt, An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions, and of The Late Discovery of Ancient American Records (New York: Joseph W. Harrison Printer, 1842), 27-35.

7. For more on this, see John W. Welch and David J. Whittaker, “‘We Believe. …’: Development of the Articles of Faith,” Ensign (September 1979), 53.

8. For more on this, see John W. Welch and David J. Whittaker, “‘We Believe. …’: Development of the Articles of Faith,” Ensign (September 1979), 54.

9. See John W. Welch, “Co-Authors of the Articles of Faith?” Instructor 114 (November 1969): 422-26; and “The Articles of Faith in the Letters of Paul,” in John W. Welch and John F. Hall, Charting the New Testament (Provo: FARMS, 2002), chart 15-16.

10. For more on this, see John W. Welch and David J. Whittaker, “‘We Believe. …’: Development of the Articles of Faith,” Ensign (September 1979), 54-55.

11. For some examples, see Hugh Findly, The Mormons or Latter-day Saints (Bombay, India, 1853) and Jesse Haven, Some of the Principle Doctrines or Belief of the Church (Cape Town, South Africa, 1853).

12. John W. Welch and David J. Whittaker, “‘We Believe. …’: Development of the Articles of Faith,” Ensign, September, 1979.