D&C 20

As the Church was being organized in its infant state, the Lord provided some basic instruction and commandments including -

"...by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 20:37)

I believe the commandment "...and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ..." was somewhat a new and uncomfortable concept for the members of the Church. The commandment that those wishing to become members had to demonstrate by some form of "works" or evidence that they had received the Spirit of Christ probably was not generally taught. Of this revelation, the Prophet Joseph Smith recorded -

"Whilst thus employed in the work appointed me by my Heavenly Father, I received a letter from Oliver Cowdery, the contents of which gave me both sorrow and uneasiness. Not having that letter now in my possession, I cannot of course give it here in full, but merely an extract of the most prominent parts, which I can yet, and expect long to, remember. He wrote to inform me that he had discovered an error in one of the commandments—Book of Doctrine and Covenants: "And truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto a remission of their sins."

The above quotation, he said, was erroneous, and added: "I command you in the name of God to erase those words, that no priestcraft be amongst us!"

I immediately wrote to him in reply, in which I asked him by what authority he took upon him to command me to alter or erase, to add to or dimish from, a revelation or commandment from Almighty God.

A few days afterwards I visited him and Mr. Whitmer's family, when I found the family in general of his opinion concerning the words above quoted, and it was not without both labor and perseverance that I could prevail with any of them to reason calmly on the subject. However, Christian Whitmer at length became convinced that the sentence was reasonable, and according to Scripture; and finally, with his assistance, I succeeded in bringing, not only the Whitmer family, but also Oliver Cowdery to acknowledge that they had been in error, and that the sentence in dispute was in accordance with the rest of the commandment. And thus was this error rooted out." (HC 1:104-5.)

I believe this is a doctrine not only for those wishing membership into the Church, but also all members that desire any ordinances, ordinations, or even callings in the Church. That is why we have interviews. It provides the opportunity for members to -

"...manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 20:37)