10
And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God;
wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him
according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends
of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement—
• • •
13
And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall
also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall
also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness
there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness
there be no punishment nor misery. And if
these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are
not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things,
neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have
vanished away.
• • •
26
And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the
children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from
the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act
for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.
4
We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable
to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious
opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of
others; but we do not believe that human law
has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the
consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion;
that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control
conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.
5
We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective
governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and
inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws
as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public
interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of
conscience.
6
We believe that every man should be honored in his station, rulers and
magistrates as such, being placed for the protection of the innocent and
the punishment of the guilty; and that to the laws all men show respect and deference, as without them peace and harmony would be supplanted by anarchy and terror; human laws
being instituted for the express purpose of regulating our interests as
individuals and nations, between man and man; and divine laws given of heaven, prescribing rules on spiritual concerns, for faith and worship, both to be answered by man to his Maker.
• • •
8
We believe that the commission of crime should be punished
according to the nature of the offense; that murder, treason, robbery,
theft, and the breach of the general peace, in all respects, should be punished according to their criminality and their tendency to evil among men, by the laws
of that government in which the offense is committed; and for the
public peace and tranquility all men should step forward and use their
ability in bringing offenders against good laws to punishment.
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