| 416 laying on of hands of those who are in authority, to entitle him to preach the gospel and administer the ordinances thereof.
"We believe in the same kind of organization that existed in the primitive church, viz.: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.
"We believe that in the Bible is contained the word of God, so far as it is translated correctly. We believe that the canon of Scripture is not full, but that God, by his Spirit, will continue to reveal his word to man, until the end of time.
"We believe in the powers and gifts of the everlasting gospel, viz.: the gift of faith, discerning of spirits, prophecy, revelation, healing, visions, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues, wisdom, charity, brotherly love, etc.
"We believe that marriage is ordained of God; and that the law of God provides for but one companion in wedlock, for either man or woman, except in cases where the contract of marriage is broken by death or transgression."
This your honor was the faith of the church up to 1844 A. D. under Joseph Smith, its founder-the same is affirmed by the Reorganized Church of to-day, and we submit that, in justice and by right under the laws of this government and in harmony with itself-it is now and must necessarily ever remain as the only and true faith of said church, the declaration of polygamic Mormons to the contrary notwithstanding.
3. The tenet of polygamy is not now, and has never been taught by said Reorganized Church, nor was it any part of the faith of the church organized by Joseph Smith in 1830, as this committee can clearly show; and as was shown before the Judiciary Committee during the session of last Congress, pending action on the Edmunds Bill. To the contrary the Reorganized Church did in June, 1852, and has since constantly maintained a persistent opposition to the tenet of polygamy and those who have affirmed and practiced it; and has now an organized mission under the ministerial charge of Elder W. W. Blair, an American citizen, in Utah teaching against it.
4. The effort against this delusive doctrine made by the Reorganized Church, has not been confined to Utah; but in all parts of the United States, in England, Wales, the Canadas, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Australia, and the Society Islands, the elders of the church have been actively engaged in denouncing it, and saying and declaring none other things than those provided for by law as accepted and held sacred by the church from its inception down to the present time.
"Wherefore my brethren, hear me and hearken to the word of the Lord, for there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife, and concubines he shall have none, for I, the Lord God, delighteth in the chastity of women, and whoredoms are an abomination before me, saith the Lord of Hosts."-Book of Mormon; Jacob 2:6-9. And again "Wherefore it is lawful that he [man] should have one wife, and they twain shall be one
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