What Are the 13 Articles of Faith? Joseph Smith’s Summary of Latter-day Saint Belief

The short answerThirteen sentences that summarize the faith

The Articles of Faith are thirteen short statements of belief written by Joseph Smith. He published them on March 1, 1842, in the Church’s Nauvoo newspaper, Times and Seasons, at the end of a history of the Church requested by Chicago newspaper editor John Wentworth (which is why the document is called the Wentworth Letter). They were later included in the Pearl of Great Price, which was canonized as scripture in 1880 (Joseph Smith Papers, “Church History,” 1 March 1842).

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The full textFrom the Pearl of Great Price

1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. (Article of Faith 1)
2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression. (Article of Faith 2)
3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. (Article of Faith 3)
4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Article of Faith 4)
5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof. (Article of Faith 5)
6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth. (Article of Faith 6)
7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth. (Article of Faith 7)
8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. (Article of Faith 8)
9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. (Article of Faith 9)
10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory. (Article of Faith 10)
11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. (Article of Faith 11)
12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. (Article of Faith 12)
13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. (Article of Faith 13)

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Articles 1–4: God and the gospelThe Godhead and the doctrine of Christ

Article 1 names three distinct persons, as the Bible shows at Jesus’s baptism, where the Son stands in the water, the Spirit descends “like a dove,” and the Father speaks from heaven (Matthew 3:16–17), and as Stephen saw “Jesus standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55–56). The Restoration teaches that God the Eternal Father is an exalted Man. Joseph Smith taught in the King Follett sermon that “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man,” and that the Father had a Father before Him. His children may grow to become like Him, always remaining His children. See Do Latter-day Saints Believe in the Trinity?.

Article 4 is Peter’s sermon at Pentecost: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38), and Nephi’s “gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 31:17). On Article 2, see What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Fall?.

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Articles 5–9: authority, organization, revelation“Called of God, as was Aaron”

“No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (Hebrews 5:4). Christ “gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers … Till we all come in the unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:11–13). Paul listed the gifts of the Spirit, including prophecy, healing, tongues and interpretation (1 Corinthians 12:8–10).

Article 9 rests on Amos: “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7), and the Lord’s words in the Book of Mormon: “because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished” (2 Nephi 29:9). See What Is the Priesthood?.

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Article 10: Israel, Zion and Christ’s reignThe “restitution of all things”

“The Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people … and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:11–12). Peter spoke of “the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). See Will Jesus Return to Missouri?.

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Articles 11–13: liberty, law and goodness“We seek after these things”

Article 11 defends everyone’s freedom of worship, including the freedom of those who disagree with us. Article 12 echoes Paul: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers” (Romans 13:1). Article 13 quotes Paul twice, from 1 Corinthians 13:7 (“believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things”) and Philippians 4:8 (“whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”) (1 Corinthians 13:7; Philippians 4:8).

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A short historyFrom a newspaper to scripture

According to the Joseph Smith Papers, the statements appeared in tracts under titles like “Faith of the Latter-Day Saints” between 1844 and 1851. Franklin D. Richards included them in the first Pearl of Great Price (Liverpool, 1851). The 1878 edition called them “Articles of our Faith,” a revised Pearl of Great Price was canonized in 1880, and the 1902 edition numbered them. Joseph may have drawn on earlier texts such as the 1830 “Articles and Covenants” (D&C 20). See What Is the Pearl of Great Price?.

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Check the premiseThe presuppositions baked into the question

Before this question can be answered fairly, the person asking has to justify a few assumptions packed inside it:

1. That the Articles of Faith are a complete creed. They are a summary; Article 9 says God “will yet reveal many great and important things.”
2. That Latter-day Saints reject the Bible. Article 8 calls it “the word of God,” and almost every article rests on Bible verses.
3. That Article 1 describes the Nicene Trinity. It names three persons; Restoration scripture teaches they are distinct beings, one in purpose (Matthew 3:16–17; Acts 7:55–56).
4. That Latter-day Saints believe others shouldn’t worship freely. Article 11 allows “all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”

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FAQQuick answers

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Sources

• Pearl of Great Price: Articles of Faith 1–13
• King James Bible (churchofjesuschrist.org): Matthew 3:16–17 · Acts 2:38 · Acts 3:21 · Acts 7:55–56 · Hebrews 5:4 · Ephesians 4:11–13 · 1 Corinthians 12:8–10 · Amos 3:7 · Isaiah 11:11–12 · Romans 13:1 · Philippians 4:8
• Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 29:9 · 2 Nephi 31:17
• Doctrine and Covenants: D&C 20:1
• Joseph Smith Papers, “Church History,” 1 March 1842 (Times and Seasons 3:706–710) · Joseph Smith, King Follett sermon, April 7, 1844, History of the Church 6:305

• Featured image and in-article graphic: original graphics by thebookofmormon.ai (painterly backgrounds; no photographs or likenesses of real people).