Article of Faith #4, Changing Salvation.

— UPDATE —

I first published this essay in January of 2022 after reading a Reddit post about the alteration of Article of Faith #4. (That essay is found below in its original context without alteration) The original AoF #4 did not include the words “the first principles…” I made the assumption that this was something the church was trying to add in order to place emphasis on the temple ordinances and as an attempt to change the definition of salvation. As I studied this further I was made aware of additional statements by Joseph Smith with regards to these steps (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost) being “the first principles” and ordinances of the gospel. The following quotes come from the book “Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.” With anything written as church history, it is good to question the validity of any statement, but I’ll explain where my beliefs are after the quotes:

“I will proceed to tell you what the Lord requires of all people, high and low, rich and poor, male and female, ministers and people, professors of religion and non-professors, in order that they may enjoy the Holy Spirit of God to a fullness, and escape the judgments of God, which are almost ready to burst upon the nations of the earth. Repent of all your sins, and be baptized in water for the remission of them, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and receive the ordinance of the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power, that ye may receive the Holy Spirit of God; and this is according to the Holy Scriptures, and the Book of Mormon; and the only way that man can enter into the celestial kingdom. These are the requirements of the new covenant, or first principles of the Gospel of Christ . . .” (Joseph Smith, 4 January 1833, TPJS 16)

“And 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.” (Joseph Smith, 1 September 1835, TPJS 81)

“The speaker [Joseph Smith] then made some observations on the first principles of the Gospel, observing, that many of the Saints who had come from different states and nations had only a very superficial knowledge of these principles, not having heard them fully investigated. He then briefly stated the principles of faith, repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins, these were believed by some of the righteous societies of the day, but the doctrine of laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost was discarded by them.” (16 May 1841, TPJS 188)

“Oh, ye elders of Israel, hearken to my voice; and when you are sent into the world to preach, tell those things you are sent to tell; preach and cry aloud, ‘Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; repent and believe the Gospel.’ Declare the first principles, and let mysteries alone, lest ye be overthrown. Never meddle with the visions of beasts and subjects you do not understand. Elder Brown, when you go to Palmyra, say nothing about the four beasts, but preach those things the Lord has told you to preach about—repentance and baptism for the remission of sins.” (Joseph Smith, 8 April 1843, TPJS 292)

“The first principles of the Gospel, as I believe, are, faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, with the promise of the Holy Ghost.” (Joseph Smith, 15 October 1843, TPJS 328)

If these statements are correct, Joseph clearly taught that the “first” principles and ordinances are quite simple. So the question should be asked, are there more? To which I would say yes. Faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost constitute the foundation. But, what I overlooked is one very important statement from Christ in 3 Nephi 11:

39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

This foundation of faith and repentance was only the beginning of one’s path back to God. If we build our spiritual foundation on anything other than Christ and his atonement, we are building on a sandy foundation.

So if faith and repentance are the first principles and ordinances, what are the additional principles and ordinances? This is where things get confusing. Joseph was commanded to build a temple, as most religious dispensations have also done. He also began the process of sharing an “endowment” with the saints. The problem is, we have no record of what Joseph actually taught as the endowment and what the original ordinances were. Sure, men today tell us what should happen in the temple, but there is not a single record from Joseph’s era. But we do know that the temple experience has changed significantly from recorded history.

It is my personal belief that only remnants of what Joseph taught are found in the temple endowment today. Washings and anointings have changed from what was originally experienced. I believe Masonic aspects, including blood oaths and Adam-God theory, were introduced by Brigham. And I strongly believe that the core laws taught in the temple are done so with little to no explanation. True covenants cannot be made in ignorance. And that is to say nothing about how the church does little to nothing in actually living the Law of Consecration.

I also strongly believe that the original purpose of the endowment was to endow the living with knowledge and power through proper covenants. And this great endowment included piercing the veil and receiving the Second Comforter, even a personal witness of Christ. Today the emphasis has been placed on dead works, which was never the intended purpose. I believe the dead care very little about the work that goes on there. There are apocryphal writings from the Nemenhah Records that prophecy of the fallen nature of the latter-day temples:

41) Ponder these things in your hearts. For, verily I say unto you, the day shall come when your descendants shall go up to their temples and offer up oblation unto their god for and in behalf of the dead, just as I hope you shall do hereafter, but they shall stay not upon the words of peace.

42) Nay, they shall take no time at all in instruction and in pondering. Behold, they shall be like cattle in the stall, performing only that which is necessary and in the shortest time. Behold, they might just as well have stayed at home in their beds, for their kindred dead shall take no interest in such self-service.

43) Yea, I say they shall serve themselves and take pride in their service. They shall stand up and praise themselves for the great and glorious work they are doing in the name of their god.

44) Behold, in those days, a great curse shall be upon the people. Yea, they shall think themselves blessed above all the people of the earth. They shall advertise their worthiness to each other in words and in tokens, and they shall broadcast their righteousness to all the world and stand them up a light on a hill for all to look upon.

45) Yet, I say unto you, and I would that you should remember my words for they shall all come to pass, that they shall be cursed above all people. For, where they could have enjoyed the instruction of Angels, and even the very presence of the Savior, in the day that they take pride in their service, their oblations shall become empty, and their ordinances shall become vanity. They shall shun the instruction of Angels and they shall persecute those few who have such visitations.

46) And is this not a curse unto them who could have been blessed above all blessings? Consider my words and ponder them in your hearts. For, I would not that you should make a mockery of the ordinances and covenants of the temple.

There is far more I could elaborate on this topic, but the purpose of this update is to clarify what Joseph seemingly taught with respect to the original Article of Faith #4.

— ORIGINAL ESSAY —

“We believe that these ordinances are…” –Joseph Smith

How important or impactful are a few carefully placed words? It may surprise you to learn that the Articles of Faith that most LDS children memorize are not verbatim to what Joseph Smith originally included in the Wentworth Letter. That’s right, there have been five articles of faith with textual revisions. Most of them are quite minor and help add more contemporary language, but the edit to the 4th article of faith is quite significant. The addition of a few words changed what Joseph Smith considered to be the process of obtaining salvation. Let's take a look at both versions and see how closely they align with what Christ taught and why this is so significant.

Articles of Faith 3 and 4 are meant to be read in unison, you can't separate them without losing context.. #3 sets up the doctrine that salvation comes through Christ’s atoning sacrifice and that we ourselves can be saved by turning our hearts to him through obedience to certain laws and ordinances. Now here’s where the major shift comes. In AoF #4 we are currently taught what the “first” principles and ordinances are. By stating “first” we are led to believe there are more ordinances pertaining to our salvation. The typical LDS response would be, “Well of course these are just the first ordinances because we also have the temple ordinances.” Joseph made it very clear in the original AoF #4 that "these ordinances" of salvation are far more simple: faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. They are not "the first" ordinances, but they are the only ordinances necessary for salvation.

Which of these versions more closely aligns with Christ's doctrine? In 3 Nephi 11, the Savior presents himself to the people in the city Bountiful. The mode of baptism and the conferral of the Holy Ghost is set forth. Then we see the beautiful simplicity of his doctrine.

Prior to the Wentworth letter, we also have comparable instruction given by the Savior:

D&C 10

67 Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.

68 Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.

It is interesting to note that he said the addition of "principles" was "the only change". That is incorrect. The addition of the word "first" is the most significant change and he just blew it off. By adding "first", the church has added to the doctrine of Christ. Adding "first" has massive theological ramifications. Christ was very clear in 3 Nephi 11 about what constitutes His doctrine, and if anyone adds to it they are condemned.

The justification cited is that faith and repentance are not ordinances. But is that true? Here is the 1828 dictionary definition of the word Ordinance:

OR'DINANCE, noun

1. A rule established by authority; a permanent rule of action. An ordinance may be a law or statute of sovereign power. In this sense it is often used in the Scriptures. Exodus 15:25. Numbers 10:8. Ezra 3:10. It may also signify a decree, edict or rescript, and the word has sometimes been applied to the statutes of Parliament, but these are usually called acts or laws. In the United States, it is never applied to the acts of Congress, or of a state legislature.
2. Observance commanded.
3. Appointment.
4. Established rite or ceremony. Hebrews 9:1. In this sense, baptism and the Lord's supper are denominated ordinances.

According to the time when Joseph gave the original articles, "faith" and "repentance" are ordinances. Even by the modern definition, the word Ordinance does encompass the principles of faith and repentance. The current definition of Ordinance from Webster is: "an authoritative decree or direction, something ordained or decreed by fate or a deity, a prescribed usage, practice, or ceremony." So, in reality, Joseph Fielding Smith didn’t need to clarify the intent of Joseph Smith’s original words, but only muddied the waters by doing so.

The LDS church, by way of changing AoF #4, has added upon Christ's words and established it for doctrine. By the very nature of stating that there are more ordinances that lead to salvation, they have brought condemnation upon themselves.

There is a Reddit thread I recently read about this adjustment to the 4th Article of Faith and how the modern church continues to hide the fact that these changes were made. This person’s thoughts were so well written that I’d like to include their commentary verbatim:

———

Hiding Church history.

Many of you are aware that the Articles of Faith are taken from a document called The Wentworth Letter, a letter that Joseph Smith wrote to a newspaper editor in which he summarized the history of the Church and Church doctrine. The Wentworth letter contains a first-person account of the First Vision and other important Restoration events, so it is pretty important and well known. It was printed in the Times and Seasons newspaper in Nauvoo in 1842.

If you Google “The Wentworth Letter,” the first link is to a Church website titled “The Wentworth Letter – Gospel Classics.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2002/07/the-wentworth-letter?lang=eng

This is an Ensign article that originally ran in July of 2002. The article appears to be a reprinting of the original Wentworth Letter, with “spelling, punctuation, and capitalization modernized.” This gives the reader the impression that the only changes to the letter are spelling and grammar. However, if you scroll down to the end of the letter, where the Articles of Faith are located, you will find that the editors have inserted the revised Fourth Article without notice.

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on [of] hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Strangely, the editors put the word “of” in brackets, seemingly to (incorrectly) alert the reader that there has been an insertion into the original text. This gives the impression that the editors have been careful to document revisions to the original Article when, in fact, significant changes have been made without notation.

This is all an excellent study of how the Church hides accurate history from its members. Most casual readers access the Articles of Faith via their scriptures, which do not indicate that the Fourth Article has been changed. Thus, the vast majority of the Church will never know that the Article was rewritten from Joseph Smith’s version. A more studious reader, who is familiar with Church history, would likely Google “The Wentworth Letter” and be presented with a version of the Letter that the Church has altered to include the revised Fourth Article – again without notice. The Church has technically made the original text of the letter available, via the Joseph Smith Papers Project, but the vast majority of members will never have any reason to search out the original text because they don’t know it has been changed and it is much more easily accessed in their scriptures or the Church’s website.

This is how the Church hides its true history and simultaneously retains plausible deniability - by making the original text available, but making it difficult to find. Church apologists would have a good chuckle at anyone who accused the Church of hiding the changes to the original text of the Fourth Article of Faith. “Wow, they hid it right there on the internet on the Joseph Smith Papers website, derp derp.”

In fact, that is precisely what they did – and that is why almost no one in the Church knows that the Fourth Article has been changed, despite the fact that nearly everyone has it memorized.

———

The LDS church is a master at revisionist history. They've made changes to the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and many, many elements relating to church history including polygamy, the pioneer trek, most of Brigham Young's teachings, the murder at Carthage, temple rituals, the sacrament, and the Word of Wisdom, just to name a few.

Do I believe that covenanting to keep higher laws is important? Yes. I do believe that keeping the Law of the Gospel & Obedience, Sacrifice, Chastity, and Consecration are higher laws. But I do not believe that these laws are taught with any depth in the LDS temple ceremony. That may shock some of you to hear me say this, but it is true. For a series of laws that are considered to be binding covenants, we hear little to nothing about them in the temple ceremony nor are we taught about them prior to entering the temple. Sure, we may believe we are taught the “gospel” and about “obedience” in church, but when is the last time you had a Sunday school lesson on the Law of Sacrifice or the principle of Consecration and what it means to make a correlating covenant? If these laws are so important, why aren’t we teaching them to our children from the time they are able to learn?

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit down with an emeritus member of the Seventy. (A Seventy is a church calling just below that of an apostle.) I asked him, among many other things, why we don’t discuss the laws and covenants with any depth in the temple, and how could anyone be expected to make a covenant when they know little to nothing about the covenant they are making. His response? He said that we are to search the scriptures and find out for ourselves what each law means to us individually. I just shook my head in confusion. Yes, each person is ultimately responsible to learn and apply these laws, but if they are that important why not teach them to our children from their youth? How can you expect to hold up the scriptures and ask someone to keep the Law of Sacrifice when you have no idea if they even know what that means?

The LDS church included “first” in AoF #4 because they believe the higher laws and ordinances of salvation are taught in the temple. If you do a little research about the temple ceremony you’ll come to realize that the church really faltered after Joseph Smith was murdered. I think fragments of the endowment Joseph taught remain and it continues to be altered to this day. Even since the first time I entered the LDS temple in 1997, there have been significant revisions. And that’s to say nothing of what Brigham introduced as temple doctrine, most of those teachings being removed by subsequent church leaders.

I feel it important to mention that “salvation” does not occur by the mere act of performing an ordinance, but has everything to do with a person’s intent. Hence the need for “obedience to laws and ordinances.” Having faith in the law of sacrifice makes it possible for suffering to diminish, healing to occur, and lives to change. It comes because we have faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the knowledge that we may become pure, even perfect, one day. His sacrifice and love encompass the grace He so freely offers us all.

Christ’s doctrine of salvation is beautifully simple. Learn of Him, have faith in Him and what He taught. By living His teachings we are brought to repentance and are invited to follow Him as a disciple of Christ. In fact, you could say that all laws are encompassed in living the first and second great commandments. If we loved the Lord we would keep His commandments. If we loved Him, we would love those around us. If we loved our neighbors, we would sacrifice for them and care for those in need. If we loved ourselves, we would not allow others to abuse us. I invite each of you to come to know Yeshua, even Jesus Christ, the Peacemaker.

Shalom

Disclaimer: Only a small portion of my thoughts and feelings are contained within this essay. It is nearly impossible to condense a lifetime of study, thoughts, and impressions, into a few paragraphs. I value and encourage the need for altering perspective as new light and knowledge is acquired. One of the best ways to know a person’s heart is to sit down and talk face-to-face, perhaps while consuming a mild barley drink.

If you’d like to explore this topic further please see the linked resources below.

Disclaimer #2: I may agree with all, some, or maybe just a few words of the content listed below. I may also strongly disagree with elements that are shared. Take the Spirit as your guide as you study all things.

The original Articles of Faith in the Joseph Smith Papers

Wikipedia article on the Wentworth Letter

Orson Hyde and the Fourteen Articles of Faith

The LDS Endowment