Footnotes
[1]. The following is the explanation given in the Evening and Morning Star for this change in the name of the Church periodical: "As the Evening and Morning Star was designed to be published at Missouri, it was considered that another name would be more appropriate for a paper in this place [Kirtland] consequently, as the name of this Church has lately been entitled the Church of the Latter-day saints, and since it is destined, at least for a season, to hear the reproach and stigma of this world, it is no more than just that a paper disseminating the doctrines believed by the same, and advocating its character and rights should be entitled The Latter-day Saints Messenger and Advocate."
There was also a change announced in the form of the Church periodical. The Evening and Morning Star as first published was a quarto, but the Messenger and Advocate was to be published in octavo form for greater convenience in binding and preserving. It was also announced that the two volumes of the Star would be reprinted in octavo form; which, by the way, was done.
This first number of the Messenger and Advocate contained a summary of the most prominent points of doctrine believed in by the Church at that time, signed by Oliver Cowdery; and as the doctrine development in the Church is a prominent feature of this work, that summary is here appended:
"We believe in God, and His son Jesus Christ. We believe that God, from the beginning, revealed Himself to man, and that whenever He has had a people on earth, He always has revealed Himself to them by the Holy Ghost, the ministering of angels or His own voice. We do not believe that He ever had a Church on earth without revealing Himself to that Church; consequently there were apostles, prophets, evangelists pastors, and teachers in the same.
"We believe that God is the same in all ages, and that it requires the same holiness, purity, and religion to save a man now as it did anciently; and that, as He is no respecter of persons, always has, and always will reveal Himself to men when they call upon Him.
"We believe that God has revealed Himself to men in this age, and commenced to raise up a Church preparatory to His second advent, when He will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
"We believe that the popular religious theories of the day are incorrect; that they are without parallel in the revelations of God, as sanctioned by Him; and that however faithfully they may be adhered to, or however jealously or warmly they may be defended, they will never stand the strict scrutiny of the word of life.
"We believe that all men are born free and equal; that no man, combination of men, or government of men has power or authority to compel or force others to embrace any system of religion, or religious creed, or to use force or violence to prevent others from enjoying their own opinions, or practicing the same, so long as they do not molest or disturb others in a manner to deprive them of their privileges as free citizens, or of worshiping God as they choose, and that any attempt to do so is an assumption unwarrantable in the revelations of heaven, and strikes at the root of civil liberty, and is a subversion of all equitable principles between men and man.
"We believe that God has set His hand the second time to recover the remnant of His people, Israel; and that the time is near when He will bring them from the four winds with songs of everlasting joy, and reinstate them upon their own lands which He gave their fathers by covenant.