Show AN ERRONEOUS impression MEM defeat of the mormon church la Is a phrase that frequently occurs in the articles which appear in our exchanges in reference to the late municipal elec election tian in this city it is an inapt expression and is misleading the mormon church has met with no defeat it has been engaged in no contest lately other than that which has occupied its attention since its organization namely a warfare against spiritual darkness the vicissitudes of political life which have been experienced in this city of late have involved no defeat to the church of jesus christ of latter day saints the peoples peopled party a large majority of the members of which are communicants of the church named were overcome by the fraudulent methods of the opposition in the contest for the municipal government but hundreds trained with that party and voted its ticket who neither believe nor practice the teachings of that church but who were impelled to support the peoples peopled party by the conviction that under it the city would be governed honestly and economically while the reverse would be the ow case under its opponents the result was the defeat of the conservative solid and reliable elements of the community as opposed to speculators boomers and the like the mormon church had no more to do with the contest than had the methodist presbyterian or any other religious society in the city we are not denying that the mormon 11 church inthe in the capacity of a religious body will be indirectly affected by the result for such will we anticipate be the fact hereafter for example it will be impossible to attribute to that church any responsibility for any policy pursued by the city government it has been the practice for many years past to flippantly and tauntingly connect the mormon ecclesiastical organization with anything done by city officials which was objectionable to the minority but the religious body which has been compelled to bear all this injustice so long to is now completely relieved of the burden in this sense the election brought victory to it and placed it beyond a certain line of attack in w aich its enemies have long delighted to indulge again credit or the opposite is reflected upon a church by the general reputation its members maintain for honesty morality and the christian virtues should a development take place which would in a sudden and striking manner show the character ter of the members of a given church to be high above that of the society which surrounds them in thew these respects that development would be in the nature 19 of a victory or at least a vindication for that church such will we believe be the result of liberal domination here both to the mor mons as individuals and to their church as a religious body in no sense to is the church in question any weaker in no sense has it lost any ground as a consequence conae quence of the election on the contra rythe result of the political contest will be to make it stronger than before and to increase the faith of its adherents in the divinity of its origin and the certainty of its speedy triumph over all unrighteous opposition |