If man had kept the law of God, as given to Adam after his fall, preserved by Noah, and observed by Abraham, there would have been no necessity for the ordinance of circumcision. And if the descendants of Abraham had kept the covenant, of which circumcision was a sign, they would never have been seduced into idolatry, nor would it have been necessary for them to suffer a life of bondage in Egypt; they would have kept God's law in mind, and there would have been no necessity for it to be proclaimed from Sinai or engraved upon the tables of stone. And had the people practiced the principles of the Ten Commandments, there would have been no need of the additional directions given to Moses.

Hvis menneskene havde holdt Guds lov, som den blev givet til Adam efter hans fald, bevaret af Noa og overholdt af Abraham, ville der ikke have været behov for omskærelsens anordning. Og hvis Abrahams efterkommere havde holdt den pagt, som omskærelsen var et tegn på, ville de aldrig være blevet forledt til afgudsdyrkelse. De ville heller ikke have behøvet at gennemgå slaveriets lidelser i Ægypten. De ville have husket Guds lov, og det havde ikke været nødvendigt at forkynde den fra Sinaj eller skrive den på stentavlerne. Hvis folket havde fulgt de ti buds principper, havde det ikke været nødvendigt at give Moses yderligere anvisninger.