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Beginning Programming with Python® For Dummies®,
2nd Edition
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street,
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2017964018
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Beginning Programming with
Python® For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to
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Table of Contents
Cover
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started with Python
Chapter 1: Talking to Your Computer
Understanding Why You Want to Talk to Your Computer
Knowing that an Application is a Form of Communication
Defining What an Application Is
Understanding Why Python is So Cool
Chapter 2: Getting Your Own Copy of Python
Downloading the Version You Need
Installing Python
Accessing Python on Your Machine
Testing Your Installation
Chapter 3: Interacting with Python
Opening the Command Line
Typing a Command
Using Help
Closing the Command Line
Chapter 4: Writing Your First Application
Understanding Why IDEs Are Important
Obtaining Your Copy of Anaconda
 Downloading the Datasets and Example Code
Creating the Application
Understanding the Use of Indentation
Adding Comments
Closing Jupyter Notebook
Chapter 5: Working with Anaconda
Downloading Your Code
Working with Checkpoints
Manipulating Cells
Changing Jupyter Notebook’s Appearance
Interacting with the Kernel
Obtaining Help
Using the Magic Functions
Viewing the Running Processes
Part 2: Talking the Talk
Chapter 6: Storing and Modifying Information
Storing Information
Defining the Essential Python Data Types
Working with Dates and Times
Chapter 7: Managing Information
Controlling How Python Views Data
Working with Operators
Creating and Using Functions
Getting User Input
Chapter 8: Making Decisions
Making Simple Decisions by Using the if Statement
Choosing Alternatives by Using the if…else Statement
Using Nested Decision Statements
Chapter 9: Performing Repetitive Tasks
Processing Data Using the for Statement
 Processing Data by Using the while Statement
Nesting Loop Statements
Chapter 10: Dealing with Errors
Knowing Why Python Doesn’t Understand You
Considering the Sources of Errors
Catching Exceptions
Raising Exceptions
Creating and Using Custom Exceptions
Using the finally Clause
Part 3: Performing Common Tasks
Chapter 11: Interacting with Packages
Creating Code Groupings
Importing Packages
Finding Packages on Disk
Downloading Packages from Other Sources
Viewing the Package Content
Viewing Package Documentation
Chapter 12: Working with Strings
Understanding That Strings Are Different
Creating Stings with Special Characters
Selecting Individual Characters
Slicing and Dicing Strings
Locating a Value in a String
Formatting Strings
Chapter 13: Managing Lists
Organizing Information in an Application
Creating Lists
Accessing Lists
Looping through Lists
Modifying Lists
 Searching Lists
Sorting Lists
Printing Lists
Working with the Counter Object
Chapter 14: Collecting All Sorts of Data
Understanding Collections
Working with Tuples
Working with Dictionaries
Creating Stacks Using Lists
Working with queues
Working with deques
Chapter 15: Creating and Using Classes
Understanding the Class as a Packaging Method
Considering the Parts of a Class
Creating a Class
Using the Class in an Application
Extending Classes to Make New Classes
Part 4: Performing Advanced Tasks
Chapter 16: Storing Data in Files
Understanding How Permanent Storage Works
Creating Content for Permanent Storage
Creating a File
Reading File Content
Updating File Content
Deleting a File
Chapter 17: Sending an Email
Understanding What Happens When You Send Email
Creating the Email Message
Seeing the Email Output
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Chapter 18: Ten Amazing Programming
Resources
Working with the Python Documentation Online
Using the LearnPython.org Tutorial
Performing Web Programming by Using Python
Getting Additional Libraries
Creating Applications Faster by Using an IDE
Checking Your Syntax with Greater Ease
Using XML to Your Advantage
Getting Past the Common Python Newbie Errors
Understanding Unicode
Making Your Python Application Fast
Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Make a Living with
Python
Working in QA
Becoming the IT Staff for a Smaller Organization
Performing Specialty Scripting for Applications
Administering a Network
Teaching Programming Skills
Helping People Decide on Location
Performing Data Mining
Interacting with Embedded Systems
Carrying Out Scientific Tasks
Performing Real-Time Analysis of Data
Chapter 20: Ten Tools That Enhance Your Python
Experience
Tracking Bugs with Roundup Issue Tracker
Creating a Virtual Environment by Using VirtualEnv
Installing Your Application by Using PyInstaller
Building Developer Documentation by Using pdoc
Developing Application Code by Using Komodo Edit
 Debugging Your Application by Using pydbgr
Entering an Interactive Environment by Using IPython
Testing Python Applications by Using PyUnit
Tidying Your Code by Using Isort
Providing Version Control by Using Mercurial
Chapter 21: Ten (Plus) Libraries You Need to
Know About
Developing a Secure Environment by Using PyCrypto
Interacting with Databases by Using SQLAlchemy
Seeing the World by Using Google Maps
Adding a Graphical User Interface by Using TkInter
Providing a Nice Tabular Data Presentation by Using
PrettyTable
Enhancing Your Application with Sound by Using PyAudio
Manipulating Images by Using PyQtGraph
Locating Your Information by Using IRLib
Creating an Interoperable Java Environment by Using JPype
Accessing Local Network Resources by Using Twisted Matrix
Accessing Internet Resources by Using Libraries
About the Authors
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
 Introduction
Python is an example of a language that does everything right
within the domain of things that it’s designed to do. This isn’t just
me saying it, either: Programmers have voted by using Python
enough that it’s now the fifth-ranked language in the world (see
https://www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index/ for details). The amazing
thing about Python is that you really can write an application on
one platform and use it on every other platform that you need to
support. In contrast to other programming languages that
promised to provide platform independence, Python really does
make that independence possible. In this case, the promise is as
good as the result you get.
Python emphasizes code readability and a concise syntax that lets
you write applications using fewer lines of code than other
programming languages require. You can also use a coding style
that meets your needs, given that Python supports the functional,
imperative, object-oriented, and procedural coding styles (see
Chapter 3 for details). In addition, because of the way Python
works, you find it used in all sorts of fields that are filled with
nonprogrammers. Beginning Programming with Python for
Dummies, 2nd Edition is designed to help everyone, including
nonprogrammers, get up and running with Python quickly.
Some people view Python as a scripted language, but it really is
so much more. (Chapter 18 gives you just an inkling of the
occupations that rely on Python to make things work.) However,
Python it does lend itself to educational and other uses for which
other programming languages can fall short. In fact, this book
uses Jupypter Notebook for examples, which relies on the highly
readable literate programming paradigm advanced by Stanford
computer scientist Donald Knuth (see Chapter 4 for details). Your
examples end up looking like highly readable reports that almost
anyone can understand with ease.
About This Book
Beginning Programming with Python For Dummies, 2nd Edition is
all about getting up and running with Python quickly. You want to
learn the language fast so that you can become productive in
using it to perform your real job, which could be anything. Unlike
most books on the topic, this one starts you right at the beginning
by showing you what makes Python different from other
languages and how it can help you perform useful work in a job
other than programming. As a result, you gain an understanding
of what you need to do from the start, using hands-on examples
and spending a good deal of time performing actually useful
tasks. You even get help with installing Python on your particular
system.
When you have a good installation on whatever platform you’re
using, you start with the basics and work your way up. By the
time you finish working through the examples in this book, you’ll
be writing simple programs and performing tasks such as sending
an email using Python. No, you won’t be an expert, but you will
be able to use Python to meet specific needs in the job
environment. To make absorbing the concepts even easier, this
book uses the following conventions:

Text that you’re meant to type just as it appears in the book is

bold. The exception is when you’re working through a step
list: Because each step is bold, the text to type is not bold.
When you see words in italics as part of a typing sequence,
you need to replace that value with something that works for
you. For example, if you see “Type Your Name and press
Enter,” you need to replace Your Name with your actual name.
Web addresses and programming code appear in monofont. If
you’re reading a digital version of this book on a device
connected to the Internet, note that you can click the web
address to visit that website, like this: www.dummies.com.
When you need to type command sequences, you see them
separated by a special arrow, like this: File ⇒ New File. In this
case, you go to the File menu first and then select the New
File entry on that menu. The result is that you see a new file
created.
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
we without them cannot be made perfect, neither can they without us be
made perfect."[16]

Without Unity, No Perfection.—Perfection is the great end in view; and

without unity there can be no perfection. To bring about this great
consummation, the Gospel was instituted, the Savior chosen, Earth created,
and the human race placed upon this planet. Nothing imperfect can inherit
the Divine Presence—the fulness of God's glory. This important lesson is
taught by the principle of marriage—celestial marriage—the sealing of the
sexes, not for time only, but for all eternity. "The man is not without the
woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord."[17] United, they
represent completeness, perfection, each being the complement of the other.
Husband and wife, parent and child, the living and the dead, must be one,
lest it be said of them at the celestial gates, as it was said at the gates of
Verdun: "They shall not pass." The Latter-day Saints build temples and
officiate therein, the living for the dead, not only to save them, but to bring
them into that grand Order of Unity, so necessary to the perfection of God's
work.

The Keys of Preparation.—Past and present are related. It is the relationship

of parent and child. Neither is complete without the other. What has been
and what is must join, before perfection can reign. Without unity and the
perfecting power of righteousness, the Saints would be unprepared to
receive the King of Kings. Earth, unable to endure the overpowering glory
of his presence, would vanish from before his face, like hoar-frost in the
rays of the rising sun.[18] That there might be no such calamity, no
converting of an intended blessing into a consuming curse, Elijah restored
the Keys of Preparation.

The Universal Gathering.—The gathering of the House of Israel is to be

supplemented by a greater gathering—the bringing together of all the
Gospel dispensations, with all the sacred powers and mighty personages
connected therewith.[19] There is to be a general assembly, a universal union,
in which sainted souls from all glorified creations will join.[20] All things
that are Christs's, both in heaven and on earth, will eventually be brought
together, and the divided and discordant parts attuned and blended into one
harmonious Whole.
 Footnotes

1. "Elias," Canto 5, p. 37, annotative edition.

2. Acts 3:21.

3. D. & C. 77:12.

4. Ib. 128:18.

5. Dan. 2:44.

6. D. & C. 76.

7. D. & C. 107:56.

8. Ib. 84:23, 24.

9. Hist. Ch. Vol. 3, pp. 388, 389.

10. D. & C. 13.

11. Ib. 27:12; 128:20.

12. D. & C. 110:12-16; Hist. Ch. Vol. 3, p. 390.

13. See Luke 9:54 and 2 Kings 18:38; also James 5:17 and 1 Kings 17:1.

14. Hist. Ch. Vol. 6, pp. 249, 254.

15. Hist. Ch. Vol. 4, p. 211.

Elijah the Tishbite, as he is called in Scripture, figured in the history of the

Kingdom of Israel about nine centuries before the birth of Jesus of
Nazareth. It was a period of idolatry, when the priests of Baal (whom Elijah
overthrew) had Ahab the king and his wife, the wicked Jezebel, completely
under their sinister influence. Regarding the great Prophet of Restoration,
Dr. Geikie, says:

"The immense influence of Elijah during his life is seen in the place he held
in the memory of after generations in Israel. He takes rank along with
Samuel and Moses; not like the former, as the apostle of a system yet
undeveloped; or as the founder of a religion, like the latter; but as the
restorer of the old when it was almost driven from the earth. The prophet
Malachi portrays him as the announcer of the great and terrible day of
Jehovah. His reappearance was constantly expected as the precursor of the
Messiah. So continually was he in the thoughts of the people of New
Testament times, that both John the Baptist and our Lord were supposed to
be no other than he. The son of Sirach (See Apocrypha) calls him a fire, and
says that his word burned like a torch, and that it was he who was to gather
together again the tribes of Israel from the great dispersion . . . .

"His final coming, it is believed, will be three days before that of the
Messiah, and on each of the three he will proclaim peace, happiness and
salvation, in a voice that will be heard over all the earth. So firm, indeed,
was the conviction of this in the days of the Talmud, that when goods were
found which no owner claimed, the common saying was, Put them by till
Elijah comes."—"Hours with the Bible," Vol. 4, pp. 65,66.

16. D. & C. 127, 128.

17. 1 Cor. 11:11.

18. Mal. 3:2; 4:1.

19. D. & C. 27:5-14.

20. Ib. 76:67; Moses 7:31, 64.

 PART SEVEN
POWERS AND PRINCIPLES
 ARTICLE TWENTY-EIGHT.
The Priesthood.

What "Priesthood" Means.—Divine authority, or the right to rule, inherent

in the supreme Source of all power—such is the primal meaning of
"Priesthood." It also signifies the men in whom that authority is vested—the
servants of the Lord, who officiate for him and administer the laws and
ordinances of the Gospel.

Why Necessary.—Divine laws, like human laws, require officers and a

government to administer them. God, being in the form of man, cannot be
everywhere present in his own person. Immanent by the spirit that proceeds
from him, omnipresent by his power, influence and authority, He cannot, as
a personage, occupy two places at the same time, any more than he can
make something out of nothing or do aught else that is impossible. To say
that Deity can do that which cannot be done, is no glorification of Deity. It
is sheer nonsense, nothing more.

Since the Supreme Being cannot be everywhere present in person, cannot

be in Heaven and on Earth simultaneously, he requires representatives to
carry on his work in this as in other parts of the universe. Herein is the
prime reason, the fundamental fact, underlying the necessity for a
Priesthood and a Church organization.

A Twofold Power.—There are two priesthoods in the Church of Christ, or,

more properly, two grand divisions of priesthood, namely, the Melchizedek
and the Aaronic, the latter an appendage to the former.[1] This dualism is
owing to the fact that Divine Government takes cognizance of and deals
with things temporal as well as with things spiritual. Nevertheless, all things
are spiritual to Deity.[2] As Eternity includes Time, so the spiritual includes
the temporal.
Origin of Names.—The Melchizedek Priesthood was named for
Melchizedek, king of Salem.[3] The powers of this priesthood are unlimited.
It wields authority over all things. Holding "the keys of the Kingdom of
God," it is the divinely ordained "channel through which every important
matter is revealed from Heaven."[4] The Aaronic or Lesser Priesthood takes
its name from Aaron, the brother of Moses. It operates within a limited
sphere, having a special calling to administer in temporal affairs, in material
things.

Symbolized by the Soul.—The Government of God, with its two mighty

wings of priestly power and authority, corresponds to and is symbolized by
the soul. As spirit and body constitute the soul, so the Melchizedek and
Aaronic priesthoods constitute the government of the Church of Christ.
Through the medium of the body, with its various members and organs, the
things of this life are possessed and utilized, while those pertaining to a
higher state of existence are apprehended and made use of by means of the
spiritual faculties. Even so, by these two priesthoods, differing in powers
and prerogatives, yet allied, interwoven and harmonious in their mutual
workings, is carried on in all worlds the sublime work of Omnipotence.

Furthermore, to extend the analogy, it is the spirit or higher part of man that
controls, directs and supplies the motive power of the body, being the vital
mainspring of this wondrous piece of machinery, whose functions are
forwarded by the animation resulting from the union of the twain. In like
manner, the Melchizedek Priesthood, holding the keys of presidency,
controls and directs the entire body of the Church; delegating, however, a
portion of its authority to the Lesser Priesthood, that it likewise may wield a
legitimate influence and execute the purposes for which it was designed.

"No Man Taketh This Honor."—Men cannot constitute themselves servants

of the Lord. They must be called by him—literally called and ordained, or
they are not qualified to speak and act in his name and stead. While there is
no ban upon doing good, and all are free to promote truth and practice
righteousness, and will reap sure reward for so doing, there is no such thing
as heavenly sanction upon usurped office and authority. The Scriptures
make this fact exceedingly plain.[5] "God will not acknowledge that which
he has not called, ordained and chosen."[6]
Christ The Head.—Jesus Christ is the great "Apostle and High Priest,"[7]
standing at the head of the priestly-kingly Order of Melchizedek. It was
originally styled "The Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God;"
but this title was changed out of reverence for the Supreme Being, to avoid
"the too frequent repetition" of the all-sacred name. Melchizedek's name
was substituted, because he "was such a great High Priest."[8] "Apostle"
means "Messenger," or one who is sent. The use of the term, as one of the
titles of the Savior, is warranted by the fact that the Son was sent forth by
the Father.[9] He was therefore the Father's messenger. In like manner, those
sent forth by the Son are his apostles or messengers, particularly the twelve
special witnesses.

Adam Stands Next.—Next to the Savior in divine authority, stands Adam,

Ancient of Days, the father of the whole human family. So says Joseph the
Prophet, in his great discourse on Priesthood. "The priesthood was first
given to Adam; he obtained the First Presidency, and held the keys of it
from generation to generation. He obtained it .. before the world was
formed. . He had dominion given him over every living creature. He is
Michael the Archangel."[10]

Noah's Position.—"Then to Noah, who is Gabriel; he stands next in

authority to Adam in the Priesthood. He was called of God to this office,
and was the father of all living in his day, and to him was given the
dominion. These men held keys first on earth and then in heaven."[11]

These inspired utterances regarding Adam and Noah ought to set at rest the
question with which they deal. They are a sufficient answer to the charge,
sometimes made, that the Latter-day Saints rank Joseph Smith as next in
dignity and power to Jesus Christ. It is fitting that the Prophet himself
should supply the refutation.

An Everlasting Principle.—He goes on to say: "The Priesthood is an

everlasting principle, and existed with God from eternity, and will to
eternity, without beginning of days or end of years. The keys have to be
brought from heaven whenever the Gospel is sent. When they are revealed
from heaven, it is by Adam's authority."[12]
Succession and Descent.—From Adam, the Priesthood descended through
the following line: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Esaias,
Gad, Jeremy, Elihu, Caleb, Jethro and Moses.[13] Says the Prophet "The
Savior, Moses and Elias gave the keys to Peter, James and John, on the
Mount, when they were transfigured before him." He then asks: "How have
we come at the Priesthood in the last days?"—and answers thus: "It came
down, down, in regular succession. Peter, James and John had it given to
them, and they gave it to others." The "others" include Joseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery, the earliest Elders of the Latter-day Church.[14]

Agents of the Almighty.—Inherent in the Priesthood is the principle of

representation. So plenary and far-reaching are its powers, that when those
holding this authority are in the line of their duty, and possess the spirit of
their calling, their official acts and utterances are as valid and as binding as
if the Lord himself were present, doing and saying what his servants do and
say for him.

This is what it means to bear the Priesthood. It constitutes men agents of the
Almighty, transacting sacred business in the interest of the one who sent
them. These agents should represent their Principal fairly and faithfully,
reflecting, as far as possible, his intelligence and goodness, living so near to
him that when their letter of instructions (the written word) falls short, the
Spirit that indited it, resting upon them as a continual benediction, can give
"line upon line" of revelation, flash upon flash of inspired thought, to
illumine and make plain the path they are to tread.

"And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost
shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the
Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the
power of God unto salvation."[15]

No Unrighteous Dominion.—A tremendous power for frail mortal man to

wield! Yes, and to guard against its abuse, the exercise of this divine
prerogative is hedged about with certain conditions and limitations. Thus:

"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the

Priesthood, only by persuasion, by long suffering, by gentleness and
meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness and pure knowledge, which
shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy and without guile,
reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost,
and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom
thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy."[16]

Again:

"The rights of the Priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of
heaven, and .. the powers of heaven cannot be controlled or handled only
upon the principles of righteousness . . . . When we undertake to cover our
sins, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the
children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens
withdraw themselves, the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is
withdrawn, Amen to the Priesthood or the authority of that man."[17]

An Echo From the Heights Eternal, where the Gods, in solemn council
before the creation of the world, decreed freedom, not tyranny; persuasion,
not compulsion; charity, not intolerance, the platform upon which the Lord's
servants should stand. There is no room in all the Government of God for
the exercise of "unrighteous dominion."

The Other Side.—But there is another side to the question. If the men
bearing this sacred authority confine themselves to the lawful use of the
powers conferred upon them, doing no other than the things enjoined by
divine revelation or inspired by the Holy Spirit—what then? In that event
the responsibility shifts to other shoulders; and just how weighty the
responsibility is, the Savior himself shows in his parable of the Last
Judgment, where is indicated the standard or one of the standards by which
He will judge the world.[18]

Before the Bar of God.—When the Son of Man, sitting upon "the throne of
his glory," shall require of all nations and of all men a final accounting, and
shall put to them the crucial question: "How did you treat my servants
whom I sent unto you?" happy the nation or the man who can reply: "Lord,
I showed them the respect to which they were entitled—I honored them as I
would have honored Thee."
Warning and Exhortation.—Grievous the sin and heavy the penalty incurred
by those who mistreat the servants of the Master. But more grievous and
more weighty still, the sin and punishment of those who betray them. "See
to it," says the Prophet to the Elders of the Church, "that ye do not this
thing, lest innocent blood be found upon your skirts, and you go down to
hell. All other sins are not to be compared to sinning against the Holy Ghost
and proving a traitor to the brethren."[19]

Again that ancient admonition, sounding down the centuries, "Touch not
mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm!" blending with the Savior's
solemn warning to the world: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto Me."

Footnotes

1. Hist. Ch. Vol. 4, p. 207; D. & C. 107:1-20.

2. D. & C. 29:34, 35.

3. Gen. 14:18; Heb. 7:1-21.

4. Hist. Ch. Vol. 4, p.207.

5. 1 Sam. 13:9-14; 2 Sam. 6:6, 7; 2 Chron. 26:18-21; Heb. 5:4.

6. Hist. Ch. Vol. 4. pp. 208, 209.

7. Heb. 3:1.

8. D. & C. 107:2-4.

9. Abr. 3:27; John 14:24.

10. Ib. p. 386.

11. Ib.p. 386.

12. Ib. p. 386.

13. D. & C. 84:6-17. See also 107:40-52.

14. D. & C. 13. Ib. 128:20.

15. Ib. 68:4.

16. D. & C. 121:41-43.

17. Ib. vv. 36,37.

18. Matt. 25:21-46.

19. Hist. Ch. Vol.3, p. 385.

 ARTICLE TWENTY-NINE.
Church Government

An Incomparable System.—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

is conceded, even by many outside its pale, to be a most admirable and
most thorough system of government. It ought to be; for it is a product of
divine wisdom. The Church on Earth is the counterpart, so far as mortal
conditions will permit, of the Church in Heaven, as beheld in vision by
Joseph the Seer.[1] While the Church founded by him is not yet perfect, it is
approximately so, and is destined to attain that condition. It is doubtful that
the Church of Christ in any former age had so complete an organization as
it possesses at the present time. This wonderful scheme of spiritual-
temporal government was revealed from above, and established here below,
that the Lord's will might be done on earth even as it is done in heaven.

Earliest Offices.—The earliest offices in the Church were those of Elder,

Priest, Teacher and Deacon; all, excepting Elder, callings in the Aaronic
Priesthood.[2] Other offices, mostly in the Priesthood of Melchizedek, were
evolved as fast as they became necessary.[3] The first Bishops were ordained
in 1831, the year after the Church was organized. There was no First
Presidency until 1833, and no Stake organization until 1834. The Twelve
Apostles and their assistants, the Seventies, were not chosen until 1835. But
all these offices and callings were inherent in the two priesthoods conferred
upon the founder of the Church before its organization.

First and Second Elders—Other Titles.—Joseph Smith was the first

President of the Church. His original title was "First Elder;" Oliver
Cowdery being the "Second Elder." The initial use of these titles—an
anticipative use—was by John the Baptist, the angel who ordained Joseph
and Oliver to the Aaronic Priesthood. He told them of their future
ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood, and of their calling as "Elders"
thereunder.[4] As early as the date of the Church's organization, the titles of
Seer, Translator, Prophet and Apostle, were conferred upon Joseph, and that
of Apostle upon Oliver, by revelation.[5]

Puerile Complaints. In after years President Joseph Smith and his associates
were criticised by seceders from the Church, because of additions made to
the original list of offices, as the result of growth and development on the
part of the infant organization. It was contended that since it came into
existence with Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons as its governing
powers, and this by divine direction, therefore these orders should have
been deemed sufficient, to the exclusion of High Priest and other titles
claimed to have been added by "ambitious and spiritually blind" leaders.[6]
Such objections are manifestly puerile. The faultfinders would have been no
more inconsistent, had they contended that a new-born babe should remain
a babe, instead of growing up to manhood or womanhood and fulfilling the
measure of its creation.

The Correct View.—President George A. Smith, in speaking of the progress

of the Church, was fond of using, as a comparison, the growth of a hill of
corn—first, a single blade of green shooting up from the soil; then two or
three such blades; and afterwards a stalk, with ears of corn and silken
tassels pendant. One who made no allowance for the growth of the "hill,"
might be mystified at beholding it in these various stages of development;
but those familiar with the changes incidental to such an evolution would
see the matter in a clear light.

Greater Follows Lesser.—What more consistent, more in harmony with

correct principle and historical precedent, than for the greater to follow the
lesser, as when the Melchizedek Priesthood came to Joseph and Oliver,
after their ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood? The lesser prepares the way
before the greater. But according to the logic of the Prophet's critics, that
first ordination should have been all-sufficient; there should have been no
second ordination, and no further development of the Lord's work. It ought
to have halted then and there, when the keys of the Lesser Priesthood were
given. But the Lord knew best, and his inspired servants knew. There was to
be, and there has been, a great and mighty development, as the present
status of the Church testifies. It has had a wonderful history and a
marvelous growth. Never so strong or so well equipped as now, its future is
bright with glorious promise.

Offices in the Aaronic Priesthood.—The offices of the Aaronic Priesthood,

graded upward, are Deacon, Teacher and Priest. The presidency of this
priesthood is the Bishopric. The Bishop has charge of the Church property.
He receives and disburses, under the direction of the higher authorities, the
tithes and offerings of the people. A Presiding Bishopric of three have
general charge of the funds provided for the support of the poor, for the
building of temples, for the creation and maintenance of schools, and for
other purposes. The Church's general financial records are also in their
keeping. A bishop must be a lineal descendant of Aaron—in which event he
can serve without counselors—or else a high priest after the order of
Melchizedek,[7] having as his counselors two other high priests of that order.
Under the jurisdiction of the Presiding Bishopric, in temporal matters, are
the ward bishoprics.

Wards and Stakes.—The Ward is a division of the Stake as the Stake is a

division of the Church. A stake, in territorial extent, frequently corresponds
to a county, though in populous districts one county may contain several
stakes. There are four stakes in Salt Lake City. Each stake has a presidency
of three, and a high council of twelve, and these have jurisdiction over all
members and organizations in the stake, including the ward bishoprics.
Each of the latter constitutes a tribunal for the trial of members who
transgress the church laws and regulations. From the decision of the
Bishop's Court, either party in a case may appeal to the High Council, and
from a decision of this appellate court an appeal may be taken to the First
Presidency. They review the evidence, and if any injustice has been done,
the case is remanded for a new trial. If a President of the Church were tried,
it would be before "The Common Council of the Church," assisted by
"twelve counselors of the high priesthood."[8] The extreme penalty imposed
by any of the Church tribunals is excommunication.

Administration of Ordinances.—The Aaronic Priesthood administers in

outward ordinances, such as baptism, and the sacrament of the Lord's
supper. The higher ordinances—confirmations, sealings, adoptions, and
other temple ceremonies—must be administered by the Priesthood of
Melchizedek.

Offices in the High Priesthood—Quorums and Councils.—The

Melchizedek Priesthood comprises, in an ascending scale, the offices of
Elder, Seventy and High Priest. The Patriarch, the Apostle, and the
President must all be high priests after this order. Each specific body of
priesthood is called a quorum, though most of the general priesthood
organizations are termed councils.

The General Authorities.—The highest council in the Church is the First

Presidency. It is composed of three high priests, one of whom is the
President, the others being his First and Second counselors. These three
preside over the entire Church. The President is its Prophet, Seer and
Revelator, and also its Trustee-in-Trust, holding the legal title to its
property.

Next to the First Presidency are the Twelve Apostles. Their special calling is
to preach the Gospel or to have it preached, in all nations. The Twelve are
equal in authority to the First Presidency, but they exercise the fulness of
their powers only in the absence of the higher council. They have the right
to regulate and set in order the whole Church, but they act under the
direction of the First Presidency. The death of the President dissolves that
council, and makes necessary a new organization thereof. The Apostles
nominate the President, who then chooses his Counselors, and the three are
upheld and sustained by the Church in its public assemblies, called
conferences. The duty of the Presiding Patriarch is to bless the Church, give
individual blessings to its members, and comfort them with spiritual
ministrations. He also assists the Apostles in visiting conferences and
missions, and performing other duties as required.

The First Council of the Seventy, seven in number, preside over the entire
body of the Seventies. These, however, are divided into quorums of seventy,
each quorum having seven presidents of its own. In the absence of the First
Presidency and the Twelve, the First Council of the Seventy would preside
over the Church, associated with sixty-three others, the senior presidents of
the first sixty-three quorums of seventy. The Seventies labor under the
direction of the Twelve Apostles. They are independent of the stake
presidencies and bishoprics, as quorums, but not as individual members.
They are the "minute men" of the Church, subject to sudden calls into the
mission field.

The First Presidency, the Twelve Apostles, the Presiding Patriarch, the First
Council of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric, constitute the General
Authorities of the Church. Their names are submitted to the General
Conference, held twice a year, to be voted upon by the members. They are
also presented at the stake conferences, held quarterly, to be voted upon,
with the stake officers, in like manner.

High Priests, Patriarchs and Elders.—Each Stake has a quorum of high

priests, indefinite in number, presided over by three of its members. The
High Priesthood holds the inherent right of presidency. All the general
authorities, excepting the First Council of the Seventy, must be high priests;
and the same is true of stake presidencies and ward bishoprics. In each
stake are one or more patriarchs, performing, when active, duties similar to
those of the Presiding Patriarch. A Stake has one or more quorums of
Elders, each composed of ninety-six members, three of whom preside. Each
ward should have one or more quorums of priests (forty-eight), teachers
(twenty-four), and deacons (twelve), each with a presidency of three. The
ward bishopric presides in a general way over all the quorums of the
Aaronic Priesthood in the ward, and over all church members, as
individuals, residing therein. The bishop of the ward is ex officio president
of the priest's quorum. The Elder's office is the lowest in the Melchizedek
Priesthood. The duties of an elder are similar to those of a seventy, though
intended to be exercised more at home than abroad.

The Lesser Quorums.—The highest office in the Aaronic Priesthood, except

bishop, is that of priest. The bishop, however, is a priest, and officiates as
such when sitting as a judge; when presiding over his ward, it is by virtue of
the higher priesthood held by him. The priest may preach, baptize and
administer the Sacrament, but has not the right to lay on hands and give the
Holy Ghost; that being a function of the Melchizedek Priesthood.

The teacher is a peacemaker. He settles difficulties arising between church

members in his district; or, if he cannot settle them, he reports them to the
bishop. Two or more teachers labor regularly in each of the districts into
which a ward is divided. It is incumbent upon them to visit from house to
house, to see that no iniquity exists among the members, and that they are
attentive to their religious duties. The teachers report monthly, or as often as
required, to the ward bishopric. The deacons have charge of the ward
property, and they assist the teachers, as the teachers assist the priests.

Auxiliaries—Church Schools. All the organizations named are strictly

within the pale of the Priesthood. In addition, there are a number of
auxiliary organizations—helps to the Priesthood in the government of the
Church—such as relief societies, Sabbath schools, young peoples' mutual
improvement associations, primary associations, and religion classes.
Church schools, of which the religion classes are an adjunct, exist in many
of the stakes. The more notable of the schools are the Brigham Young
University at Provo, the Brigham Young College at Logan, and the Latter-
day Saints University at Salt Lake City. For the maintenance of its splendid
educational system, the Church makes an appropriation of nearly three
quarters of a million dollars, annually. All branches of learning find place in
the curricula of these institutions, but religion is the principal feature; the
object being to develop the spiritual, as well as the mental, physical, and
moral faculties of the student—in short, "to make Latter-day Saints."[9]

The Present Status.—At the period of this writing there are eighty-five
Stakes of Zion, all located in the region of the Rocky Mountains. The
Church's twenty-four outside missions comprise most of the countries of the
globe. The Latter-day Saints, in all the world, number about half a million.

Footnotes

1. D. & C. 76:54; 107:93.

2. Ib. 20:38-64.

3. Ib. vv. 65-67. Note.

4. Hist. Ch. Vol. 1, pp. 40, 41, 77, 78.

5. D. & C. 21:1.

6. David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, in a

pamphlet published after his excommunication from the Church, put forth
such a plea. He also found fault with the Prophet for receiving revelations
without the aid of a seer-stone, previously used by him, but laid aside after
he had fully mastered his gift, which David seems to have regarded as of
less consequence than the stone, which was no longer needed.—"Address to
All True Believers in Christ," by David Whitmer, 1881.

7. D. & C. 68:14-21; 107:16, 17, 69-76.

8. Ib. 107:82.

9. For further information on Priesthood and Church Government, the

reader is referred to Sections 20, 68, 84, 107, 112 and 114, Doctrine and
Covenants; also to Volume 3, p. 385 and Vol. 4, p. 207, History of the
Church.
 ARTICLE THIRTY.
The Law of Obedience.

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in Heaven before the foundation of this

world, upon which all blessings are predicated; and when we obtain any
blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is
predicated."—Joseph Smith.[1]

Pope and His Proverb.—"Order is heaven's first law," said Alexander Pope;
[2]
and many have accepted the poet's dictum as final. It sounds well, but is
it true? President George Q. Cannon denied its truth, affirming order to be
an effect rather than a cause, a result flowing from obedience, without
which order would be impossible. Obedience, he maintained, is heaven's
first law, and the order that reigns there, a condition consequent. Manifestly
this is a correct position.

Human and Divine Government.—That obedience is essential to order,

must be apparent even to a casual observer of the every-day life of men and
nations. All governments demand from their people obedience to the laws
enacted for the general welfare. Without it there would be no peace, no
protection. Confusion would prevail, and anarchy reign supreme. This is
readily conceded by most men as to human governments; but some think it
strange that divine government should be administered upon like principles,
and for similar though higher ends.

Aliens Must Be Naturalized.—A friend of mine, somewhat of a skeptic,

asked me: "Why must I belong to a church, or subscribe to a creed, or
undergo any particular ceremony, in order to be saved? I have always done
what I thought was right—have been truthful, honest, virtuous and
benevolent. Why is that not enough? Why will it not suffice to make my
peace with God and pave my way to Heaven?"
I answered: "Suppose you were an alien, born in some country of Europe,
or on some island of the sea, and you came to America desiring to become a
citizen of the United States. When told that you must declare your
intentions, take out naturalization papers, forswear allegiance to any foreign
power, and honor and uphold the Constitution and laws of this Republic,
suppose you were to reply: Why, what is the need of all that? I am a good
man; I have always acted honorably; am clean, moral and upright in
conduct and conversation. Why is that not sufficient to entitle me to vote, to
hold office, take up land, and enjoy all the rights and privileges of an
American freeman? Do you think such a plea would avail? No, you do not.
You see its inconsistency as quickly as the Government would see it and
reject your application. You would not expect to become a citizen of the
United States on your own terms. Why, then, should you hope for
admittance into the Kingdom of Heaven upon any conditions other than
those which the King himself has laid down?"

Man's Proper Attitude.—Men must not count upon their personal qualities,
when applying for citizenship in the Eternal Commonwealth. The proper
attitude is one of humility, not self-righteousness. The Pharisee who prayed,
thanking the Lord that he was better than other men, was less justified than
the Publican who also prayed, but in a different spirit, meekly murmuring:
"God be merciful to me, a sinner."[3] A disposition to laud self, or dictate the
terms upon which one is willing to be blest, is anything but modest,
anything but reasonable. Truthfulness, honesty, virtue, benevolence—these
are precious qualities, treasures enriching the soul under all conditions,
inside or outside the Kingdom of Heaven. But they are not valuable enough
to purchase a passport into that Kingdom. They go far, but not far enough to
secure salvation.

Better Than Sacrifice.—"To obey is better than sacrifice." So said obedient

Samuel to disobedient Saul.[4] Abraham's willingness to obey, when the
Lord commanded him to offer up Isaac, was accepted in lieu of the offering.
A literal sacrifice was not necessary in that case; but the offer to make it
was necessary; for thus was symbolized the most important event in all
history—the offering by the Eternal Father of his beloved Son for the
redemption of the fallen human race. The Patriarch's willingness having
been shown, the Lord, who had directed Abraham to offer up his son, sent
an angel with the countermanding order: "Lay not thine hand upon the lad."
[5]
The offering had been accepted, and he who made it was rewarded as
abundantly as if the sacrifice had been consummated.

Dead Letter and Living Oracle.—But what if Abraham, when commanded

to offer up his son, had refused, citing in support of his position the divine
law against homicide, a law dating from the time of Cain and Abel—would
that have justified him? No; God's word is his law, and the word last spoken
by him must have precedence over any earlier revelation on the same
subject. If Abraham, after being forbidden to slay his son, had fanatically
persisted in slaying him, he would have been a transgressor, just as much as
if he had refused to obey in the first instance. After receiving the second
command, he could not consistently plead that he was under obligation to
carry out the first. Had he done so, he would have placed himself in a false
position, that of honoring the dead letter above the living oracle.

The Will for the Deed.—Let me give this principle another application. A
soldier goes forth to fight the battles of his country, goes with a willing
heart, offering his life that justice may prevail and freedom endure. Having
done his duty, he returns unscathed from the conflict where many went
down to death. Is not his offering as acceptable as that of his comrade who
makes what is called "the supreme sacrifice?" He certainly offers as much,
the only difference being that not as much of his offering is taken.

All honor to those who, during the dreadful war of recent years, perished in
the blood-soaked trenches, or fell in the open field with Prussian or Austrian
bullets in their breasts! All honor to those who met death by accident or
disease, in training camp or at battle-front, on land or on sea, losing their
lives while faithfully playing their part in the great world tragedy! Heroes,
every one! But the gallant fellows who lived through it all, patiently
enduring hardships and privations, dying daily by anticipation, and by
willingness to sacrifice all for the common good—be it not forgotten that in
spirit they gave as much as any; and the fact that their offering was not
taken, does not discount the motive that actuated them, nor diminish the
credit due. "As his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be
that tarrieth by the stuff; they shall part alike."[6]
The Just and the Unjust.—All blessings come by obedience. When the
Savior said of the Father: "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the
good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."[7] he did not mean that
no distinction is made between the two classes. He meant that the Great
Judge is just to both—just even to the unjust, sending to them his rain and
his sunshine, causing their orchards to bloom and their vineyards to bear
equally with those of the righteous, provided similar conditions surround,
and both classes are equally obedient to the laws governing the culture of
the soil.

They Kept the First Estate.—But rain and sunshine, like all other blessings,
are for those who merit them. If the unjust (unjust here) had not "kept their
first estate," had not manifested in a previous life some degree of obedience
to divine law, they would not have been given a "second estate," would not
have been placed where the sunlight and the showers could reach them.

Obedience Must Continue.—In this life, however, further obedience is

necessary, in order that greater blessings may come. God's gifts are both
spiritual and temporal; but whatever they are, their bestowal is regulated by
the great Law of Obedience. A good man may be a poor farmer, and thus
fail to raise the full crop that he might have reaped had he been more
skillful or more thorough in the practice of his vocation. On the other hand,
a bad man may be an expert tiller of the soil, realizing bounteous returns
because of his strict observance of the law in that particular department of
industry.

Higher Laws and Higher Blessings.—There are greater blessings, however,

than those pertaining to the harvest field and the workshop, and they also
are to be had only by obedience to the laws governing their bestowal and
distribution. One cannot become a member of the Church of Christ by being
a successful merchant or stockraiser; and one may hold church membership,
yet not be entitled to the privileges of the Temple. It takes more than the
skill of a mechanic to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. There is but one
way into that kingdom, and he who tries to pick the lock or climb over the
wall, will be treated as a trespasser or a robber.

Rod and Rock.—Obedience is the rod of power which smites the rock of
divine resource, causing it to flow with the waters of human weal. And the
most obedient are the most blest. There are "many mansions" in the great
House of God, and the highest are for those who render unto the Master of
the House the fulness of their obedience.

Footnotes

1. D. & C. 130:20,

2. "Essay on Man," Epis 4, line 49.

3. Luke 18:10-14.

4. 1 Sam. 15:22.

5. Gen. 22:12.

6. 1 Sam. 30:24.

7. Matt. 5:45.
 ARTICLE THIRTY-ONE.
The Divine Doorway.

The Most Important Personage.—What particular acts of obedience are

required from man, in order that the One who redeemed may likewise save
and exalt him? What must he do for himself, to the end that he may profit
by the great things done in his behalf? In other words, how shall the alien
seeking citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven, obtain it? What are the
divine laws of naturalization? The one who can answer such questions, is
easily the most important personage of his time. Such a one was Peter, the
Galilean fisherman, chief of the twelve special witnesses of the Savior.

The Pentecostal Proclamation.—When Peter, on the Day of Pentecost,

preached "Christ and him crucified," and the conscience-stricken multitude,
"pricked in their heart," cried out, "men and brethren, what shall we do?" a
question was propounded which the most learned philosophers of that age
could not answer. Caesar, sitting upon the throne of the world, would have
been mystified had the question been put to him—What shall men do to be
saved? Not so, the Galilean fisherman. He knew, and he told them
straightway:

"Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for
the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."[1]

The Gospel Unchangeable.—These requirements have not changed. They

are in force today. They will remain in force so long as the Gospel is
preached. The Apostle did not say that these were all the requirements. But
he answered the question put to him, and it was the appropriate and
sufficient reply for that occasion.

In the Pit.—When Adam and Eve had transgressed the divine command by
partaking of the forbidden fruit, it was as if the human race had fallen into a
pit, from which they were powerless, by any act of their own, to emerge.
They could not climb out, for they knew not how to climb; and even if they
had known, there was no means by which to ascend. Human endeavor,
unassisted, could accomplish nothing in the way of deliverance. Man in his
mortal condition needed revelation, spiritual enlightenment, having
forgotten all that he had previously known. He also needed a ladder.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the ladder to Freedom and Light. Without it
there is no salvation, no exaltation. The Tower of Babel symbolizes the
situation. All man's efforts to reach Heaven without divine assistance, must
end in confusion and failure.

Self-Help Necessary.—Before there was a Ladder, or while it was not

within reach, fallen man could not climb. All his intelligence and skill were
unavailing. But the ladder having been let down, if he will use his God-
given powers and all the means provided for the purpose, he can mount
from Earth to Heaven, round by round. If he refuses to climb, who but
himself is to blame for his remaining at the bottom of the pit? The Gospel is
not a substitute for self-help. It does not supersede man's efforts in his own
behalf. It is the divinely appointed means whereby those efforts are made
effectual. It does for man what he cannot do for himself.

Redemption by Grace.—The Gospel of Salvation rests upon the rock of

Christ's Atonement—an act of grace, a free gift from God to man, to the
wicked as well as to the righteous. All profit by it, for through that
atonement, all are brought forth from the grave. This is eminently just.
Adam's posterity were consigned to death for no deed of their own doing. It
is fitting, therefore, that their redemption should be unconditional.

Salvation by Obedience.—But redemption is not salvation, nor salvation

exaltation. Men must "work out" their salvation,[2] and gain exaltation by
continuous upward striving. Depending primarily upon the grace of God,
salvation and exaltation are likewise the fruits of man's acceptance of the
Gospel, and of his steadfast adherence thereto, until it shall have done for
him its perfect work.

The First Requirement.—Faith is the first requirement of the Gospel. "He

that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." So the Savior declared, when
he commissioned his Apostles to "go into all the world and preach the
Gospel to every creature."[3] Peter's Pentecostal sermon omitted faith from
the list of essentials, doubtless for the reason that those whom the Apostle
addressed already had faith, a fact plainly shown by the question put to him.
Evidently they believed what he had told them about the crucified
Redeemer; else they would not have been "pricked in their heart," and
would not have anxiously inquired, "What shall we do?"

In like manner, the Savior, when making his conditional promise of

salvation, left out repentance, it being implied, virtually included, in the
admonition to believe and be baptized; since baptism is "for the remission
of sins"—sins of which man has repented. Faith, not repentance, is the first
essential—the initial requirement made of the seeker for salvation.

The Second Step.—The first fruit of faith is repentance. It follows faith as

naturally as kindness follows love, as obedience springs from reverence, as
a desire to be congenial with, succeeds admiration for, one whose example
is deemed worthy of emulation. God commands all men to repent; and a
desire to please him and become acceptable in his sight, naturally leads the
soul of faith to repentance.

"Sin No More."—Repentance is not that superficial sorrow felt by the

wrongdoer when "caught in the act"—a sorrow not for sin, but for sin's
detection. Chagrin is not repentance. Mortification and shame alone bring
no change of heart toward right feeling and right living. Even remorse is not
all there is to repentance. In highest meaning and fullest measure,
repentance is equivalent to reformation; the beginning of the reformatory
process being a resolve to "sin no more." "By this ye may know that a man
repenteth of his sins: Behold he will confess them and forsake them."[4]

What is Sin?—Sin is the transgression of divine law, as made known

through the conscience or by revelation. A man sins when he violates his
conscience, going contrary to light and knowledge—not the light and
knowledge that has come to his neighbor, but that which has come to
himself. He sins when he does the opposite of what he knows to be right.
Up to that point he only blunders. One may suffer painful consequences for
only blundering, but he cannot commit sin unless he knows better than to
do the thing in which the sin consists. One must have a conscience before
he can violate it. "Where there is no law given, there is no punishment . . . .
no condemnation."[5] "He that knoweth not good from; evil is blameless."[6]

Degrees of Damnation.—Souls who know that they have sinned, and who
refuse to forsake their sins, will be damned. They damn themselves by that
refusal. Damnation is no part of the Gospel. It is simply the sad alternative,
the inevitable consequence of rejecting the offer of salvation. Damnation
(condemnation) is not necessarily permanent, and it may exist in degrees,
the degree being determined by the measure of culpability in the one
condemned. Even the damned can be saved if they repent.

The Sin Unpardonable.—It is possible, however, to sin so far and so deeply

that repentance is impossible. Shakespeare puts into the mouth of one of his
characters—the guilty King Claudius—this speech:

"Try what repentance can: what can it not? Yet what can it when one cannot
repent?"[7]

Those who cannot repent are sons of perdition. Their sin is unpardonable,
involving utter recreancy to divine light and power previously possessed.

The Washing of Regeneration.—Sin must not only be repented of; it must

be blotted out. The soul must be cleansed of it. Baptism is the soul-
cleansing process, the divinely instituted means whereby sins are remitted
—that is, forgiven and washed away. Immersion in water, symbolizing
birth, or burial and resurrection, is the true form of the baptismal ordinance.
Baptism is the third principle of the Gospel.

Divine Illumination.—The soul cleansed from sin is in a condition to enjoy

the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, which "dwelleth not in unclean
tabernacles." Through this precious gift comes the divine light that "leads
into all truth," making manifest the things of God, past, present, and to
come. There is a light that illumines, in greater or less degree, every soul
that cometh into the world; but the Gift of the Holy Ghost, imparted by the
laying on of hands of one divinely authorized to bestow it, is a special
endowment, and only those having membership in the Church of Christ can
possess it. Each is thus given a direct personal testimony of the Truth, and is
founded upon the Rock of Revelation, against which the Gates of Hell
cannot prevail.

Gospel Principles Eternal.—The Everlasting Gospel is not an empty phrase.

It means just what it says. The principles underlying it are eternal.
"Intelligence or the light of truth was not created or made, neither indeed
can be."[8] The same is true of faith and repentance. God did not make them.
They are self-existent. Such ordinances as baptism by immersion for the
remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift (giving) of the
Holy Ghost, might indeed be created, and doubtless were; but not the
fundamental facts upon which they are based. It did not require a divine
edict to make washing (baptism) a prerequisite to cleanliness; nor light (the
Holy Spirit) the means of illumination.

A code or system of laws and ordinances can readily be conceived of as a

creation. Not so the principles embodied therein. The Gospel, like all other
creations, was organized out of materials already in existence—eternal
principles adapted to the needs of man and the purposes of Deity. The
Supreme Intelligence, recognizing these principles as ennobling and
exalting in their tendency, created a plan embodying them as the most
effectual means for man's uplift and promotion. That plan, the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, is the divinely appointed doorway into the Kingdom of
Heaven.

Footnotes

1. Acts 2:38.

2. Phil. 2:12.

3. Mark 16:15, 6.

4. D. & C. 58:43.

5. 2 Nephi 9:25.
6. Alma 29:5.

7. Hamlet, Act. 3, Scene 3.

8. D. & C. 93:29.
 ARTICLE THIRTY-TWO.
The Second Birth.

The Edict of the King.—"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
Kingdom of God."

"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
Kingdom of God."[1]

So said the King of that Kingdom, the only one empowered to prescribe
conditions upon which men may become his subjects, or his fellow citizens
in the Eternal Commonwealth. Nicodemus, to whom Jesus spoke those
words, was a ruler of the Jews, a Pharisee, and, as some suppose, a member
of the Sanhedrin, or supreme Jewish council. Favorably inclined toward the
unpopular Nazarene, yet too politic to be seen associating with him openly,
this man sought him out by night, avowing a belief that he was "a teacher
come from God." In response to this confession of faith, Jesus taught
Nicodemus the doctrine of baptism.

A Subject of Controversy.—The meaning of the language in which the

teaching was conveyed, though perfectly plain to Christians anciently, has
been a matter of uncertainty to their successors all down the centuries. From
the days of the early Greek fathers of the Christian Church, to the days of
St. Augustine, the great theologian of the Western or Roman Catholic
division of that Church; from his time to the time of Luther and Calvin, and
thence on into the present age, men have disputed over the mystical Second
Birth, declared by the World's Redeemer to be the portal of admittance into
his Kingdom.

Over the general meaning of the phrase, "Born of Water and of the Spirit,"
there may have been no serious contention. In all or most of the Christian
denominations, it means baptism, the ordinance whereby a person is
initiated into the Church. But the meaning of baptism, the significance,