castle conference), on the 28th ult. They were baptized in the Public Baths, by Elder Jeremiah Jones.

On the 25th ult. a baptismal service was held in the Turkish Baths, Sunderland (Newcastle conference), when Elder H. E. Taylor initiated four members into the Church of Christ.

On Sunday morning, June 21st, a baptismal service was held in the Dudley Public Baths, Dudley (Birmingham conference). After singing and prayer, President William E. Corbridge spoke briefly upon the significance of baptism. Four converts were then baptized, Elder Neil S. Forsyth officiating. Confirmations took place at the afternoon service.

A baptismal service was held at the London headquarters on Sunday last, the 28th ult., when another member was added to the London branch. President Soren Peterson officiated.

A baptism took place in the Corporation Baths, Hanley (Birmingham conference), on the 28th ult. President Charles W. Penrose was present and addressed the assembly on the first principles and ordinances of the gospel, after which eight candidates were baptized by Elders James Criddle and Geo. H. Lunt.

A baptismal service was held at the Belpher Street Baths, Blackburn, Sunday last, June 28th 1908, and was witnessed by a number of saints and friends. The opening prayer was offered by Elder F. A. Roberts, followed by a brief discourse by Elder William A. Jones. Four candidates were then baptized by Elder James A. Smith. Three of them were from Blackburn and one from Preston.

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR THEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. LESSON XXI.-SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

Text: We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc.-Articles of Faith, 7. I. Spiritual gifts characteristic of the Church.

1. Promised as signs to the sincere believer (Mark 16: 16; Doc. and Cov. 84: 64-73).

2. To continue with the Church (Book of Mormon, Moroni 7: 35-37; 10: 19, 23-27; Mormon 9: 7-11).

II. Nature of spiritual gifts.

1. An endowment of power from God.

2. Resulting in "miracles" (Book of Mormon, Mormon 9: 7-11). III. A Partial enumeration (I. Cor. 12: 4-11; Doc. and Cov. 46: 8-29; Book of Mormon, Moroni 10: 7-19).

1. The gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues. (a) Promised as one of the signs to follow the believer (Mark 16: 17). (b) Scriptural illustrations (Acts 2: 4, 6-12; 10: 46; 19: 6).

2. The gift of healing. (a) Some possess the power to heal (James 5: 14, 15). (b) Power to be healed (Doc. and Cov. 46: 19; 42: 48-51; compare Acts 14:9; Matt. 8: 10; 9: 28, 29). (c) Present method of administering to the sick (Doc. and Cov. 84: 68; 42: 43, 44). Anointing with consecrated oil; prayer, accompanied by the laying on of hands. (d) Melchisedek priesthood requisite in sealing ordinances. 3. Visions and dreams. See instances: Enoch (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 6: 25, 35); the brother of Jared (Book of Mormon, Ether 3). Moses (Exodus 3: 2; Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses); Jacob (Genesis 46:2); Peter (Acts 10: 10-16). Note the following instances of visions and dreams given to those not of the Church: Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9: 12); Cornelius (Acts 10: 3); Pharaoh (Genesis 41); Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2).

4. The gift of prophecy. (a) Prophets in communication with God (Amos 3:7). (b) Prophecy embraces more than the power of prediction.

5. Revelation (Doc. and Cov. 43: 1-6).

IV. Imitations of Spiritual Gifts.

1. Miracles wrought by evil power (Rev. 13: 11-18; 16: 13, 14).

2. Predicted (Matt. 24: 24; 7: 22, 23).

General reference: "The Articles of Faith," Lecture XII.

DIED.

TAYLOR.-At the Immigration Hospital, Quebec, on Wednesday, the 17th ult., Brother William J. Taylor, of consumption, late of the Darlington branch (Newcastle conference), aged 31 years. The remains were shipped to Salt Lake City, for interment.

APPLETON.-At Darlington (Newcastle conference), June 23rd, 1908, William Appleton, son of Brother James and Sister Charlotte Appleton, aged 12 yenrs.

EDITED, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY CHARLES W. PENROSE, 295 EDGE LANE,

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"Good men even with small views are immeasurably more important to the world than small men with great views.”—DRUMMOND,

No. 28, Vol. LXX.

Thursday, July 9, 1908.

Price One Penny.

THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION.

AN investigator writes: "I have made a careful, earnest and prayerful study of the first principles of 'Mormon' doctrine, and find them so reasonable and supported by so much scriptural evidence that I feel if I were to reject them I would be like the Pharisees and lawyers of old, who 'rejected the counsel of God against themselves.' Some of my relatives and friends, on learning of my leaning toward the 'Mormon' faith, have undertaken 'rescue work,' and are trying to make me believe that I have been laying hold of principles which, if I were to obey them, would profit me nothing, as they in no wise affect my eternal salvation.

"Besides being a believer in God, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost, also in the principle of sincere and genuine repentance, I am a firm believer in the ordinances of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. These I consider essential to my salvation; but they are not so considered by the church of which I am at present a member. I have been told by a very dear friend, a member of the same church, that Christ did not consider these ordinances essential to man's salvation; that the Savior never baptized anyone Himself, neither did He lay His hands upon any person for the purpose of conferring upon him the Holy Ghost. I have replied to this argument to the best of my ability, but would be pleased to receive some assistance in trying to show my friend that he has a misconception of these sacred ordinances." In answer to our friend's letter, we sent the following, which may be of benefit to some of our readers also:

"Dear Friend, The subject concerning which you wrote me a few days ago is one of grave importance, pertaining as it does to the eter

nal salvation of mankind. I shall, therefore, try to make it as plain as possible to your understanding. You believed for a number of years that faith and repentance were all that God required of man as conditions for an everlasting salvation and exaltation in His celestial kingdom; but through a careful and prayerful investigation of the doctrines of Christ, as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you have come to the conclusion that there are certain ordinances which must be conformed to before men can claim citizenship in the kingdom of God. Among these ordinances are: Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

"One of your friends has been trying to persuade you that these ordinances in no way affect your salvation, and, in support of his contention, has told you that Christ neither baptized nor laid His hands upon people for the gift of the Holy Ghost. While the Son of God may not have officiated personally in either of these ordinances, at the same time I hope to be able to show that His apostles laid great stress upon them, and that there are no ordinances of which mention is made in the New Testament that have received higher approval from the Almighty and that have been accompanied with such convincing evidence of His divine sauction than those of baptism for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

“I am sure your friend, being a professing Christian, would not for a moment question the calling and authority of John the Baptist. It is expressly stated in the scriptures that this man was 'sent from God.' His appointment was recognized by the Messiah Himself, who declared that of all the prophets that had been born of women, there had not arisen a greater than John the Baptist. Your friend must admit that while John taught the people to believe on Him who should come after him, that is, on Christ, and also the saving principle of repentance, he likewise taught them the baptism of water for the remission of sins (Mark 1: 4; Luke 3: 3), and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. (Mark 1:8; Matt. 3: 11.) He declared in all soberness that he had received a commandment from God to baptize with water (John 1: 33), and we have been told by the Savior Himself that all the people that heard John, and 'the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.' (Luke 7: 29-30). This shows the importance that was attached to the ordinance of baptism in the days of the Messiah: it was the counsel of God that people should obey it, and those who refused, rejected the counsel of God against themselves. Surely your friend does not wish you to believe that God is such a respecter of persons that He would condemn people in one dispensation for rejecting His counsel, and justify people in another dispensation who rejected the same counsel? "So essential did the Savior consider the ordinance of baptism

that He told John it was necessary for Him also to receive it, in order that He might fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3: 15). Who can think of the glorious manifestations, the seal of Divine approval, which the Father put upon this holy ordinance at the baptism of His Son and treat it as a thing of no consequence?

"Your friend seems to have forgotten that Christ taught as absolutely essential to salvation the very ordinances to which he attaches no importance but which he treats with supreme indifference. In explaining the plan of salvation to Nicodemus, the Savior, among other things, said: 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' (John 3: 5.) We have been told that the best interpretation of scripture is scripture. Now, there is ample scripture to prove that the birth of the water and of the Spirit of which the Messiah spoke is the baptism of water and of the Holy Ghost. These baptisms the Lord received Himself, and when He told Nicodemus that before a man were admitted into the kingdom of God he would have to be born of water and of the Spirit, He meant that he would have to follow in His steps.

"In sending forth His apostles to preach the gospel, the Savior laid just as much stress upon baptism as He did upon belief. He said: 'Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.' (Mark 16: 15-16.) Your friend admits that belief in Christ is necessary to salvation, but maintains that baptism is not. Why should he seek to put asunder that which the Lord has joined together? Why should he accept the one and reject the other?

"In the third chapter of John's gospel we find the following: 'After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.' (John 3:22.) However, in the following chapter we read: 'When, therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples),' etc. This is interpreted by some as meaning that Christ baptized His apostles but no others.

"But if the Redeemer did not baptize, He instructed His disciples to teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matt. 28: 19-20.) Here we see the teaching of the nations and the baptizing of them placed on the same equal footing; so if your friend says the nations have no need of baptism, then he must admit they have no need of being taught either; but if he admits that the teaching of the apostles was essential to the salvation of mankind (which, I am sure, he does admit), then he should admit that baptism was also essential to their salvation. No true believer in Christ would try to disannul one of His holy commandments, rather would he strive to keep all of them and teach men to do so.