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Show HONESTY VS. DISHONESTY. Perusal of the official report of tho last April conference held by the IJe-organized IJe-organized Church of Jesus Christ of Lnttcr-dny Saints brings to light an act in such significant contrast with the methods pursued by the money-grabbing Utah prophets-by-KcIf-appointment, that the temptation to acquaint tho public with its brief details may not bo reasonably rea-sonably withstood. It. appears that some timo ago there died at Lamoni, Iowa, a member of tho "Joscphito" church, ns Utah Mormons namo it, Mrs. Martha Wood. The deceased de-ceased left a will, in which she designated desig-nated Mr. Ileman C. Smith, n fellow church member, as executor. After making provision for the payment of all debts, and designating certain legacies leg-acies to the amount of a little over five hundred dollars, the will directed the executor to utilize the residuo in prosecuting the missionary work of tho Reorganized church in Europe. During her later days the executor, Mr. Smith, and others of tho deceased 's friends, had heard the lady, express a desire to so renrrange her affairs and chnnge her will that she could bequeath to certain needy relatives in Scotland tho sum of four hundred dollars, but had died bo-fore bo-fore having convenient opportunity to make this-contemplated change. Now camo Mr. Smith, tho executor, nnd presontcd tho matter to the conference con-ference last April. He stated his position posi-tion in tho case concisely in tho following follow-ing terms, ns copied from the official conference report: Now according' to the express terms of tin will the executor has no power to carry out lior expressed wish, unless the church which Is the chief benoflclary 6lmll authorize him so to do, and provide that he shall receive a receipt for the same from the church. This matter Is therefore presented for the action of the body. The report then goes on to say that "it was moved that the executor be authorized to pay to those mentioned in the document just read the sum of four hundred dollars in enso the will is not contested. The motion pro-vailed." pro-vailed." What a contrast! In no sense can this action be construed as ecclesiastical ecclesiasti-cal interference with the temporal affairs af-fairs of tho deceased sister, nor with tho legal processes to be pursued by her executor; because -tho church was the chief beneficiary, as stated, and in its act at tho conference merely relinquished re-linquished a portion of its own temporal tem-poral right in a splendid exhibition of human fooling. The organization teaches the cultivation of broad charity, char-ity, and tho evidence in this case is that in its organized aelf it practices what it teaches. Why do not tho Mormon people of Utnlropon their eyes to these things! They arc well awnro that ilio procedure of their own church in respect of matters mat-ters such as this to whii'h wo hero call attention, is altogether sollish, cruol and inhuman. Thoy know thnt the petition pe-tition of the widow and tho orphan and of tho poor and tho needy oT the. church is cast aside with indignant contempt, con-tempt, even though by all moral right it, deserves tho most. o.onsidtTato attention atten-tion ami the application of tho most hnninno instincts that should stir tho hearts of exemplary followers of the lowly and nll-chnritablo Nnznrcne, Utah Mormons know of cases wherein tho poor widow has begged to have returned re-turned to her a portion of the property that had been bequeathed to their tlmrch in the spite or rage of a cruel, fanatic spouse. They know that the supplicant in .such a case has been thrust asido with tho cruelly-disappointing answer that the' matter had been adjusted, or was being adjusted, by the courts, in accordance with tho terms of the will, and thai "tho authorities" really couldn't see what righl they had to iiitorferc with the course of the law. Or it has been stated that tho testator doubtless know what he was doing when he lcfl his property to the church that perhaps some of the members of the widow's family, or even the widow herself, had been of rebellious spirit against the lord and master of tho polygamous household-for it has usually been in such families that the life disagreements have appeared, with consequent displayed hatred after death) and that not for tho world would "the brethren" think of interfering inter-fering with the righteous judgment of a holder of the "holy Mclchiscdek priesthood." Lot every Mormon man and woman poudor this thing. It -may prevent the imposition of unjust and impious punishment pun-ishment by tho parent upon the children, chil-dren, by tho husband upon the wife. And chiefly and certainly an independent independ-ent attitude of the Mormon rank and filo in their personal temporal affairs would prevent the wholesale and inhuman in-human robbery of widows and ornhans by ghoulish hypocrites who pretend to emulate tho Christ. If tho Mormon leaders here could be trusted to do the fair, honest and charitable thing hi such matters, as tho leading men of the other branch of the church may be counted so worthy, it would, be' alto-uothcr alto-uothcr a different matter. But they can not be so trusted; and thev never i can be so long ns the Mormon people permit all the priestly acts in such affairs to be buried under the systematic syste-matic secrecy of tho inner circle. Awuken yourselves, Utah Mormons, and have the courage to call your souls your own! |
