All people under heaven by virtue of their agency, whether living un- der a republican, a monarchical or any other form of government, are entitled to religious freedom to wor- ship God according to the dictates of their own conscience, they being held accountable to God alone for the use they make of their agency.

With regard to the rights of the human family I wish to say that God has given unto all of His chil- dren of this dispensation, as He gave unto all of His children of previous dispensations, individual agency. This agency has always been the heritage of man unto the rule and government of God. He possessed it in the heaven of heav- ens before the world was, and the Lord maintained and defended it there against the aggression of Lucifer and those that took sides with him, to the overthrow of Lucifer and one-third part of the heavenly hosts.

All people under heaven by virtue of their agency, whether living un- der a republican, a monarchical or any other form of government, are entitled to religious freedom to wor- ship God according to the dictates of their own conscience, they being held accountable to God alone for the use they make of their agency.

It was made known to John the Revelator and to others of the Prophets and Apostles that in the last days, among the many great events which were to take place before the coming of the Son of Man, the everlasting Gospel would be restored to the earth. Re- ferring to this event the Apostle says: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him: for the hour of his judgment is come." As Latter-day Saints we believe that angels visited Joseph Smith whom God raised up, and delivered unto him the fulness of the Gospel; and that he was ordained under the hands of heavenly messengers who held the keys of the Holy Priesthood and also the Priesthood after the order of Aaron.

The aim and object of our lives today are what they were in the beginning, namely the building up of the Kingdom of God upon the earth. And I wish to bear my testimony to the Latter-day Saints and to the world that this Gospel of the King- dom which the angel of God de- livered unto Joseph Smith will be preached as a witness to all the world before the end come. It is the same Gospel that was preached by Christ and the Apostles, and which the Jews rejected.

There is but one Gospel plan of salvation, and it is eternal and everlasting in its char- acter; it cannot be perverted or changed with impunity; hence the Apostle Paul has said in this con- nection, "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gos- pel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

What was the Gospel taught by Paul, and by Peter, James and John? The first princi- ple of the Gospel they taught was faith in God; the next was repent- ance of sins, and then baptism for the remission of sins. Jesus Him- self was baptized of John, that he might fulfil all righteousness, be- cause baptism was a righteous law, and one of the ordinances of the ever- lasting Gospel. At first John de- clined to baptize the Savior, recog- nizing the fact that He was without sin, and that baptism was for the re- mission of sin. But Jesus answer- ing said, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." And He baptized the Savior and Redeemer of the world. As soon as this ordinance was attended to the heavens ac- knowledged the act by the manifes- tation of the Holy Ghost. And the next ordinance after baptism is the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost. This was the Gospel taught by the Apostles while they lived. The Holy Ghost gave unto men a testimony that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Redeemer of the World; and it was a guide to their feet and a lamp to their path during their whole lives

My feelings and views are that the Lord never did have a people from Father Adam to the present time that were called upon to build up His Kingdom and establish His Zion in the world, or to preach the gospel of repentance to the children of men, but what they were de- pendent entirely upon the God of heaven for their support.

When a man speaks as he is moved upon by the Holy Spirit, what he says is the word of the Lord; it is the mind of the Lord, it is scripture, it is the will of the Lord, it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. Why? Because the Holy Ghost is one of the personages of the Godhead. God the Father and God the Son posess tabernacles, and God himself has created man after His own image; but the Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit, which bears witness of the Father and Son unto the children of men.

With regard to the rights of the human family I wish to say that God has given unto all of His chil- dren of this dispensation, as He gave unto all of His children of previous dispensations, individual agency. This agency has always been the heritage of man unto the rule and government of God. He possessed it in the heaven of heav- ens before the world was, and the Lord maintained and defended it there against the aggression of Lucifer and those that took sides with him, to the overthrow of Lucifer and one-third part of the heavenly hosts. By virtue of this agency you and I and all mankind are made responsible beings, respon- sible for the course we pursue, the lives we live, the deeds we do in the body.

All people under heaven by virtue of their agency, whether living un- der a republican, a monarchical or any other form of government, are entitled to religious freedom to wor- ship God according to the dictates of their own conscience, they being held accountable to God alone for the use they make of their agency.

It was made known to John the Revelator and to others of the Prophets and Apostles that in the last days, among the many great events which were to take place before the coming of the Son of Man, the everlasting Gospel would be restored to the earth. Re- ferring to this event the Apostle says: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him: for the hour of his judgment is come." As Latter-day Saints we believe that angels visited Joseph Smith whom God raised up, and delivered unto him the fulness of the Gospel; and that he was ordained under the hands of heavenly messengers who held the keys of the Holy Priesthood and also the Priesthood after the order of Aaron.

The aim and object of our lives today are what they were in the beginning, namely the building up of the Kingdom of God upon the earth.

There is but one Gospel plan of salvation, and it is eternal and everlasting in its char- acter; it cannot be perverted or changed with impunity; hence the Apostle Paul has said in this con- nection, "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gos- pel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

What was the Gospel taught by Paul, and by Peter, James and John? The first princi- ple of the Gospel they taught was faith in God; the next was repent- ance of sins, and then baptism for the remission of sins. Jesus Him- self was baptized of John, that he might fulfil all righteousness, be- cause baptism was a righteous law, and one of the ordinances of the ever- lasting Gospel. At first John de- clined to baptize the Savior, recog- nizing the fact that He was without sin, and that baptism was for the re- mission of sin. But Jesus answer- ing said, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." And He baptized the Savior and Redeemer of the world. As soon as this ordinance was attended to the heavens ac- knowledged the act by the manifes- tation of the Holy Ghost. And the next ordinance after baptism is the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost. This was the Gospel taught by the Apostles while they lived. The Holy Ghost gave unto men a testimony that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Redeemer of the World; and it was a guide to their feet and a lamp to their path during their whole lives.

The Church at first was organized upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets, Christ Jesus being the chief corner stone.

I will also make a remark with regard to our views of the Priest- hood. Jesus Christ is our High Priest. He held the Priesthood af- ter the order of Melchisedec, which is without beginning of days or end of years, being from eternity to eternity.

In all the dispensa- tions whenever God has had a peo- ple upon the earth, no man has ever been called to administer in any of the ordinances of the Gospel except by and through the eternal and everlasting Priesthood.

The Holy Priesthood is the channel through which God communicates and deals with man upon the earth; and the heavenly messengers that have visited the earth to communicate with man are men who held and honored the Priesthood while in the flesh; and everything that God has caused to be done for the salvation of man, from the coming of man upon the earth to the redemption of the world, has been and will be by virtue of the everlasting Priesthood.

Truly has it been said the Lord has called the weak things of the world to confound the wisdom of the wise, and to bring to pass the purposes of God. And they like the servants of the Lord of former days have promised to all those who obey the Gospel that they should receive the Holy Ghost.

It is true we have passed through a good deal of persecution; but in this we are no exception to the rest of God's servants and people of other ages. The records that have come to us testify of these things.

Oppo- sition to God and His Christ, oppo- sition to light and truth has existed since the beginning to the present day. This is the warfare that com- menced in heaven, that has existed through all time, and that will con- tinue until the winding up scene, until He reigns whose right it is to reign, when He shall come in clouds of glory to reward every man ac- cording to the deeds done in the body.

The Prophets, Apostles and Patriarchs have left their inspired writings on record for our use and benefit, and we shall be held ac- countable in the exercise of our agency for the manner in which we treat the Word of God that has come unto us.

When men are called upon to repent of their sins, the call has reference to their own individual sins, not to Adam's transgressions. What is called the original sin was atoned for through the death of Christ irre- spective of any action on the part of man; also man's indi- vidual sin was atoned for by the same sacrifice, but on condition of his obedience to the Gospel plan of salvation when proclaimed in his hearing.

This gospel we are called to preach to the children of men, calling on them to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins, and promising them through their obedience and faithfulness the gift of the Holy Ghost, which shall lead and guide them in the ways of all truth and deliver them from darkness and doubt.

Whenever a nation or city has ripened in iniquity, the Lord has raised up Prophets to warn them of the destruction that awaited them unless they repented.

We should have faith in God and His promises, and we should read the revelations that have come unto us, and treasure them up. We are all in the hands of God; He holds our destiny and the destiny of this nation.