Show PRIEST RULE IN staff editor penrose defends the mornion church and sets forth the yoa non partisan pa tusan functions 0 of the priesthood od to ti the editor oj of TM republican Republic au spring field in the of october appeared a temperate and ana fair discussion ot of some points put forth by me in defense of the mormon church in the forum coupled with them was an extract from a lecture by elder joseph E taylor on priesthood followed loll owed by some remarks castins casting doubts on the democratic character of the mormon ecclesiastical system ma ind to offer a few words in explanation as I 1 am ain of the opinion that tha the writer of the article in the republican was not ully fully f informed upon the subject or he would not dot have made those comments it is true anat the believe in the eternity of the priesthood which is spoken of in the bible as bein being after the order of dek 11 they beneve believe that pauls instruction st to the hebrews chapter vii berred to the priesthood and not cot to the man Melcye who held it as being without f abber without mother without descent having neither beginning jaing of das nor end of life in this respect he contrasted it with the or priesthood which was confined to on 1 unease ahey they also believe that this priesthood is conferred and as aa quoted by thi ite kubican puli pu bican ican it raould be used as aa god would have it but all this is perfectly compatible with the democratic char acter of the mormon organization which holds the above theory of the priesthood to show this let us ua see how cow god would have this thin hood 11 1 I quote from the doc trine and covenants page 37 no power or annance in nance cm or dr augat to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood only duly by persuasion by long suffering by gentleness and meekness and oy love unfeigned the reelection election re of certain men to boffl offices es in that priesthood is not reflected I 1 according to dictation a stated in the anere have been instances of i ejection by the body of the members ot nt men mel presented b Y th a fur for such reelection and tnt tire power to reject is ia in the majority according to uie the f fundamental doctrine dop trine that 11 all thin thing gaia sIS this church shall be done by common consent every member male and female has an equal vote voce on all watters matters of church polity and in rt ference to official authority priesthood comes from god presidency in any decree gree comes by the voice ot the people e in the corwon church the intimation Is incorrect that the priesthood places itself above toe the civil law its so called revelations as they are styled by the republicans Republica nr speak in this wise as to the civil law let rio no man break the laws of the land tor for he that keeneth the laws of god ha hath h no need to break the laws of the land wherefore be subject to the powers that be until he reigns arti us whose right it ato rewn and subdued ed all enemies under his feet doe doc aud and gov cov p the churan lor more than half a century lid its views on governments and laws in which the following appears we believe that every man maa should be honored in Ws station rul ruurd rs and as suca bein bearg placed for the protection of the io innocent and the punishment ot ol toe guilty and that to the laws all men inen own owe respect sod and deference the small of thle the article in the forum quoted by the se publican may be aa incomplete incomplete and unsatisfactory answer to the general charge of priest rule in utah but the whole article can sc scarcely arcey be thus condemned and I 1 think it is djs unjust to te call it an evasion awit asit aqua iely meets general assertions wil ia positive facca tacta and specific citations from recognized and undisputed church authorities there is no such autocratic rule in a the mormon church as la is genei aUy supposed and what is called itlie jule of the priesthood is really the rule of the people for nearly all the male ajile members hold the priesthood pries mood arid and every member is entitled to a voice in 10 church affairs toe tae peoples party which is entirely a political organize tion of the majority of the citizens of utah is separate and distinct the cauich in in all respect sand and is regulated by democratic principles the mor mons and their doings aud and doati ines have been misrepresented tor for so 80 many years that it is very difficult to obtain a full hearing by the public particularly through the press CHARLES W PENRO PaN ROSEi 1 13 NEW YORK 21 is |