Utah Enquirer | 1889-12-17 | Page 2 | Official Declaration

DEM SALT CITY december 1889 to whom it may concern ton cern III consequence 01 gross altion in alie doctrines aims and practices of the of jesus christ of lat ter day sainta commonly called alio mormon church chich foi cara and lias len revived for political purposes and lo 10 present all aliena qualified ilo are of alie moi inon froin acquiring it proper on cf haid to publicly deny aliee calumnies calum nies and enter our protest against bliem we solemnly make alie follow ing declarations cla rations viz that ichta alie of human blood etli alie utmost abhorrence hor rence cliate regard the killing of a human being except in conformity tt ith the ch 11 la as 1 capital crime which should be punished by shedding alie blood of alio criminal after a pub lie trial before a legally constituted court of the laud notwithstanding all the stariea told about the of apostates apoe tates no case of ting kind liss ever occurred and of course lias never been established against the church we represent hundreds of se ceders from the church have continuously resided and now liyo in this territory many of whom have amassed considerable wealth though bitterly hostile to the mormon faith and people even those who hava made it their business to fabricate the vilest falsehoods and to render them plausible by culling isolated passages from old sermons without the explanatory context and have suffered no opportunity port unity to escape them of vilifying and blackening the characters of the people have remained among those whom they have thus persistently calumniated until the present day without receiving the slightest personal injury wo denounce ab entirely untrue the allegation which lias been made eliat our church favors or believes in the killing of who leave the church or apostatize from its doctrines we would view a punishment of this character for such an act the utmost it is abhorrent to us and it is in direct opposition to the fundamental principles of our creed the revelations of god to this church make the penalty for capital crime and require eliat offenders against life and property shall be delivered up to and tried by the laws of the land we declare eliat no bishops or kotlier court in the church claims or exercises civil or judicial functions or the to supersede annul or modify a judgment of any civil court such courts while established to regulate christian conduct are purely ecclesiastical and punitive powers go no further than the suspension or excommunication of members from church that this church while offering advice tor alie welfare of its members in all condition of life does not claim or exercise alie right to interfere cit izau izeu in the free exercise of social or political rights and privileges alie ballot in this territory is absolutely un trammeled tramm cled and secret no mans business or other secular affairs arc invaded by the or any of its officers free agency and direct individual ac count ability to god are among alie essentials senti als of our all things in alie church must be done by common consent and no officer is appointed without the vote of the body wo declare eliat there is nothing in alie ceremony of the endowment or in any doctrine tenet obligation or injunction of this church cither private is hostile or intended to be hostile to the government of the united states on the contrary its members arc under divine commandment to the constitution as a heaven inspired instrument and obey as supreme all laws made in pursuance of its provisions utterances of prominent men in alie church at a time of great excitement have been selected and grouped to convey the impression eliat present members are seditious expressions pres were made more than thirty years ago when through the lwoods of recreant officials afterwards demonstrated to be baseless troops were sent to this territory and were viewed by the people in their isolated condition fifteen li undred miles from railroads as an armed mob coming to renew the bloody persecutions of years before at this time excitement prevailed and strong language was used bet no words of disloyalty against the government or institution were uttered public speakers confined coa fined their remarks to denouncing traitorous officials alio were pro tho powers of their positions to nefarious ends criticism of the acts of united states officials was not then neither is it now as treason against the nation nor as hostility to alie government inthis connection we may ay that the laem bors of our church have never offered or intended to offer any insult to the flag of our country but have always honored it as the ensign of laws aad liberty wo also declare that this church does ot claim to be an independent temporal kingdom of god or to be an im perlum aiming to overthrow tho united suites or any other civil government it has been organized bj divine revelation preparatory to the second advent of tho redeemer it proclaims that alie kingdom of heaven is at hand its members are commanded of god to be subject unto the powers that be until christ comes whose right ia to reign church government and civil government are distinct and separate in oui theory and and we regard it as a part ol 01 our destiny to aid in the mam k f cenance and perpetuity of the institution of our country vc no libe tv c ir to to vy isk for no h il 01 illicit j re not granted and guaranteed to in general we desire lo 10 be in harmony with the government and people of the united sl aei ann integral part of the nation we all attempts to exclude alien from naturalization naturalisation and citizens from the v ercile of the elective franchise solely because they are members of alic mormon church as impolitic dangerous encroach ments upon civil and religious liberty notwithstanding the wrongs we consider we have suffered through alie improper execution of national laws wo regard those wrongs as the acts of men and not of the government and we intend by the help of omnipotence tore inabin firm in our fealty and steadfast in 1 lita maintenance of constitutional principles and the integrity of republic we earnestly appeal to alie american crebs and people not to alie latter day saints unheard must we always be judged by alie misrepresentations of our enemies and never be accorded a fair opportunity of representing ourselves in the name of justice reason and humanity we ask for a suspension of national and popular judgment until a anu investigation can be had and all the connected with what is called the Mormon question can bo known and we appeal to alie eternal judge of all i men and nations to aid us in the vindication of our righteous cause WOODRUFF Q JOSEPH F SMITH of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints scow D Fit ANCIS M jonn HENRY SMITH GEORGE TEASDALE J GRANT L V SInn niLL A II 11 luan ABRAHAM II 11 members of the council of alio AVOS W YOUG counselor