The Brigham Young Center

President's Office,
Gt Salt Lake City,
June 25th, 1867.

Mr. Dell Stewart,
Chariton, Lucas Co. Iowa.

Dear Sir:

Your favor of the 21st May, making inquiry as to what is required of you ere you can be considered a member of our church, has been received. The first requisite is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world, then to repent of all your sins and be baptized, by one having authority, for the remission of them; and have hands laid upon you, also by one having authority, for the reception of the Holy Ghost. These are the first ordinances in the gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by himself and his disciples, and as restored to the earth and taught by his church in these days. Accompanying this, I forward you an epitome of our faith. It is brief, but still, will give you a better idea of our principles than anything I could say in the limits of a single letter.

Baptism, administered by a person who has not been properly ordained and does not, legitimately, hold the priesthood, is of no avail. The apostle Paul, in speaking of the priesthood, says, "no man taketh this honor to himself except he be called of God as was Aaron," and Aaron, as we well know, was called by direct revelation from the Lord, through his brother Moses. He did not take upon himself the honor of officiating in the ordinances of the Lord, or in other words, he did not run before he was sent. To claim authority in these days under the commission given to the old Apostles, appears absurd, although it is the universal practice of Christendom. Our Church would never have been organized if our authority had depended on the Bible alone. If an ambassador from one Court to another were to die or lose his commission, no person of reflection would say that the finding or gaining possession of that commission by another, would confer upon him the right to exercise the functions of ambassador, neither would any earthly government recognize his authority to do so. This being the case with earthly governments, how much more true is it of the government of God who is so jealous of his honor and authority?

There are no elders of our church that I know of in your vicinity. There is an Elder by the name of L.D. Rudd, with whom you might communicate; his address is No. 38 North Main St., St. Louis, Mo. It is possible that he might be passing through your country, or might know somebody else who would be doing so.

Praying that you may be blessed and guided aright in your search after truth I remain

Your obdt. servant in the Lord

Brigham Young