servants of the "Saints" in the world to come and after the second coming of Christ, which is expected soon.

The city of Salt Lake is divided into twenty-four wards, each of which has a governing officer called a bishop, who is also an informer to the high powers. They hear and determine upon civil or religious coinplaints, and inquire into the temporal and spiritual condition of each member of their ward in domiciliary visits each week; and all persons found to be disaffected as to word or doctrine are reported to the First President. All "Gentiles" are watched and reported of in the The bishops also collect the tithing. The intermediate tribunal between the bishops and First President is the High Council, composed of fifteen men chosen among the high-priests, twelve of whom act as jurors, who decide the case in hand by vote, the remaining three acting as judges, passing sentence, fixing damages, costs, etc. An appeal can be made from this council to the First President; but from him there is no appeal.

same manner.

Each bishop has assistant teachers, who catechise the children and people, and report all heresies. The different orders of the priesthood, and the quorum of the Seventies, are not elective, but permanent orders of the church; but all the other officers are elective, from the First President down to the teachers, twice a year-in April and in October. These elections are made by the whole body of the people, and are called "conferences," during which anybody is at liberty to prefer charges against any officer, from the highest to the lowest. There are other organized bodies within the Mormon Church polity, which are of a secret character, such as the band of Danites and the Endowment Rooms.

The highest test of faith as a body is the placing of

the entire church property in the hands of the first officers.

The cheerful payment of the "tithing" is regarded as a test of orthodoxy, and consists in the giving by every male member of every tenth day of his time in labor upon the public works (or the pay of a substitute for the same) and a tenth of his income.

THE FAITH OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS.

We believe in God, the eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgressions.

We believe that, through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.

We believe that these ordinances are: 1st, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; 2d, repentance; 3d, baptism by the remission of sins; 4th, laying on of hands by the gift of the Holy Spirit; 5th, the Lord's Supper.

We believe that men must be called of God by inspiration and by laying on of hands from those who are duly commissioned to preach the Gospel and administer the ordinances thereof.

We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive church-viz., apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.

We believe in the powers and gifts of the everlasting gospel-viz., the gift of faith, discerning of spirits, prophecy, revelation, vision, healing, and the interpretation of tongues, wisdom, charity, fatherly love, etc.

We believe the Word of God recorded in the "Book of Mormon," and in all other good books.

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will reveal many more great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God and Messiah's second coming.

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the ten tribes; that Zion will be established on the Western Continent; that Christ will reign personally on the earth a thousand years, and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory.

We believe in the literal resurrection of the body, and that the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years are expired.

We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our conscience, unmolested, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how and where they may.

We believe in being subject to queens, presidents, rulers, and magistrates; in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

We believe in being honest, true, temperate, benevolent, virtuous, and upright, and in doing good to all men ; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul, we believe all things." Everything lowly, virtuous, praiseworthy, and of good report we seek after, looking forward "to the recompense of reward." But an idle or lazy person cannot be a Christian, neither have salvation. He is a drone, and destined to be stung to death and tumbled out of the hive.

THEIR MODE OF WORSHIP.

Their mode of conducting worship is to assemble at a particular hour, and the senior priest then indicates order by asking a blessing on the congregation and exercises,

when a hymn from their own collection is sung, prayer made extempore, and another hymn sung, followed by a sermon from some one previously appointed to preach, which is usually continued by exhortations and remarks from those who feel moved to speak.

Then notices of the arrangement for tithe, labor for the ensuing week, and information on all secular matters interesting to them in a church capacity are read by the clerk of the council, and the congregation is dismissed by benediction. While the congregation is assembling and departing from the house, it is usual to have marches, waltzes, anthems, and the most brilliant music performed by a good band, to drive away all sombre feeling and to prepare the mind for exciting and eloquent preaching.

CHAPTER XIV.

The Josephites-Epitome of the faith and doctrines of the reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints--David Whitmer -The debate at Kirtland, Ohio, in 1884, concerning the "Book of Mormon " The revelation on celestial marriage, given to Joseph Smith in 1843.

THE branch of Mormons calling themselves "Josephites" and "Latter-Day Saints of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ" number twenty thousand at the present time. Their spiritual leader is Joseph Smith, Jr. He is the son of Joseph Smith, the first Mormon prophet, and Emma, "the elect." Until within two years he has resided at Plano, Ill., but has removed to Laomi, Decatur Co., Iowa, where he edits two journals in the interests of his followers, called respectively Zion's Hope and Saints' Herald. He is a man of ability, is well educated, and a law-abiding citizen, as the Josephites are generally considered to be in their residence in several States of the Union, principally in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois, but scattered throughout New England and the Middle States. When Brigham Young led the great body of Mormons to Utah, a few remained in the neighborhood of Nauvoo, and others, and in greater numbers, in Iowa. These were disaffected spirits, who would not yield to the rule of Brigham, and who naturally clustered about the young Joseph as the successor to the Prophet. The distinction between the Utah Mormons and the Josephites is, that the latter profess to be bitterly opposed to polygamy. In other particulars their creed