ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Taking his text from a phrase in the 13th Article of Faith, a BYU professor declared before an interfaith audience that Latter-day Saints allow all people the privilege to worship "how, where or what they may."

Joseph Smith explained: "All men ought to... maintain due respect to the rights and privileges of all other creatures, infringing upon none."

AP photo by Jessica Hill

Covered West Cornwall Bridge, which spans 172 feet across the Housatonic River between the towns of Cornwall and Sharon, Conn., may be considered an illustration of the interest among early Church leaders to build bridges with their neighboring faiths.

Fred E. Woods, professor of Church History and Doctrine, spoke March 29 as this year's lecturer for an event sponsored by the "Faith Beyond Walls" interfaith partnership in St. Louis. This year's event was held at the Frontenac LDS meetinghouse.

Brother Woods summarized the history of the Articles of Faith, saying they are extracted from a letter written in 1842 by the Prophet Joseph Smith to John Wentworth, editor of the Chicago Democrat newspaper.

"Later this same year," he said, "Joseph balanced this doctrine of liberty with the responsibilities and restrictions that must accompany any freedom. By way of a letter, Joseph explained: 'All men ought to be free ... to think, and act, and say as they please while they maintain due respect to the rights and privileges of all other creatures, infringing upon none. This doctrine I do most heartily subscribe to and practice."

Brother Woods quoted a public discourse delivered by the Prophet in Nauvoo in the summer of 1843, in which Joseph declared, "If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a 'Mormon,' I am bold to declare before heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination, for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves."

In the same discourse, Brother Woods noted, Joseph explained the appropriate course when encountering differing beliefs: "If I esteem mankind to be in error," Joseph said, "shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning, for truth will cut its own way."

Brother Woods cited an account from a Methodist preacher, Samuel A. Prior, who was invited to speak in Nauvoo and affirmed the kind, tolerant treatment he received from Joseph and the Latter-day Saints.

"Joseph demonstrated kindness towards people who provided service in other faiths," Brother Woods said, "as beautifully illustrated by the story of a local Catholic priest who was diligently trying to serve his people in the area surrounding Nauvoo. In 1841, Father John Alleman, a priest from France, arrived at his assigned post at Fort Madison in Iowa Territory. From there he ministered to a number of scattered Catholics in McDonough County and neighboring counties. Rev. Father John Larmer relates the following:

"'Strange to relate, Joseph Smith and the leading Mormons, at all times professed the greatest respect and friendship for the big French priest, as they called him. Father Alleman once related ... that he had not means of getting across the Mississippi river, to attend a sick Catholic in McDonough county, but the Mormons, having made known to Joseph Smith that the priest wished to cross, the latter not only had him ferried over, but furnished him a conveyance (carriage) to the sick man."'

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