Provo Daily Enquirer | 1896-04-08 | Page 1 | Address to the Saints

ADDRESS TO THE SAINTS the following B the address to taft saints verbatim xa it was issued and read at conference in salt lake oa mon day TO TUB TJ the and members of the church of jaeda christ of latter day iu general eadom bled dear brethren and sisters every latter day saint will recognize recognise the value of aaion not only in action ant in mattera 0 faith and discipline As to tho n ahta and of the priesthood of the son of G d it ia of abo highest importance that there should be no difference of opinion among the officers and of the church 0 jesua christ of latter day saints feel ini the of a correct understanding 0 this principle we deem it proper at this dixy sixth anniversary of the organs it on ot the churan in these last days to prepare and present a statement of the subject embodying the doctrine which has always prevailed in the church and conr views upon it we are prompted to adopt thia course at the time fie cause of events which have happened during the late political contest A great diversity of opinion on the subject has been ex pres eod and even oy leading elders in the church which litter fact haa naturally led in come instances to consul arable division of sentiment it is of ni oat importance that we un darai and each other and that there be carmot y in our teachings it is especially importing import int that these teachings ehnle OB in accordance with the rules an 1 regulations and doctrines which have been taught and which have pre vist d from be beginning until the present time bavine not only the sanction of undisputed usage but the ap broyal of all faithful faith lul leaders in the church and of him whore came and by whose authority they act in the ate contest to which reference haa been made the presiding authorities in some instances have been la other instances they have boen misrepresented which has led to a wrongful conception of their real views it has been asserted too freely and without foundation that there has been a disposition on their part to interfere with individual liberty and to rebuke in some men a course which was applauded in others in a word that they have appeared to desire to assert and maintain an unjust and oppressive control over atie actions of the members of the church and in thus doenz have endeavored to effect a union of church and state la the heat 0 political discua ion assertions have been made and arguments used conveying to the public mind a false idea concerning the position of the officers ol 01 the church and leaving tha impression that there has been and waa now being made an attempt to accomplish the union above referred to now that the excitement has passed and calmer reason has resumed its away we think it prudent to set forth BO that all may understand the exact poa itou occupied by the leading authorities of the church in the first place wa wish to state in the moat positive and emphatic language that at no time baa there ever been any attempt or even deagro on the oart of tho leading authorities referred to to have the church in any encroach upon the huhta of the state or to unite in any dearee the bunc eions of the one with those of the other peculiar circumstances circum have surrounded the people of utah ildr many yeara a majority of them in every portion of the territory belonged to one gyurci every reputable member ol 01 which was entitled to bold and did hold some ecclesiastical office it ia easy to see edw to the casual observer it might alper singular that BO many officers of the church were also offices ot tho but while this was in fact the cape the between the church and the state throughout leaie was carefully maintained the president of the church he id for firlit leeis the highest civil orece in the community com manity having been appointed by the national administration gov arnor of the territory the first peers tary of the territory was a t church official an apostle represent ed the Teni tory in congress aa a delegate duang ten years the mear bara of tho legislature held ako offices in the church this was un avoidable for the most suitable men were elected bv the votes of the keople and aa we have stitch every potable rp mau in the entire community held some church position tho moat energetic and capable holding leading tio s this is all natural and plain enough to those who consider the circumstances cum stances but furnished opportunity for these who were disposed to assail the people of tho territory Terri ory to charge them with attempting to baite church and taste A fair investigation of the conditions will abunda uly disprove the charge and show its utter balaity fa laity oa behalf of ibo church cf which we are leading officers we desire again to state to the men abera and also to the public generally that thera has not feea aar ia abera the remotest desire on our part or on the part of our co to do anything looking to a union of church and state we declare that there has never been any attempt to curtail individual liberty ibo personal liberty of any of tho officers or members of tiie church the first and other leading officers did make certain to the keople when the division on party lines took place ahe movement was aa entirely new departure and it in order that the full benefit should not be lost which was hoped to result from this new political thai people who were inexperienced should ba warned against hasty and ill considered action in some cases chiy were counseled to be alrie and prudent in the political steps ahoy were about t take and this with no idea of winning them against their will to either bide to this extent und no further was anything said or done upon this question and at no lime and under no circumstances was any attempt made to say to voters how they should cist their ballots any coarse thai haa bean made to the contrary is utterly false concerning Conc ernins officers of the church vod the feeling waa generally in the beginning of the political division spoken ol 01 that it would be prudent tor leadin fe men not to accept of office at hands of the political parly to which they might belong this counsel was given to men of both parties alike not because it was thought that there was any impropriety in re licious men holding civil office not to deprive them of any of the rights of citizenship but because of the feeling that it be better under all the which held now arisen to avoid any action that would be likely to create jealous y and ill feeling an era ot peace ana goodwill good will deemed to be dawning upon the people and it was deemed good to agun ahun that could bave the least tendency to prevent the consummation of this happy prospect in maicy instances however the pressure brought to efficient and popular men by the mem bera of the parties to which they belonged was of such a character that that they had to yield to the solicitation to accept nomination to office or subject themselves to the of bad fruh in their party affiliations in some cases they did thia without consulting tha of tha church but where important positions were held and where the duties were of a and exacting character some did seek the conniel and advice of the leai inK church authorities belore accept ine the political honors tendered them because bome others did not seek this counsel aad advice ail was engendered and undue and painful sensitiveness was stimulated misunderstand ink readily followed and aa a result the authorities of the church were accused of bad faith and made the subjects of bitter reproach we have maintained that in the case of men who bold high positions in the church whose duties are well defined and whose ec labors are understood to be continuous and would be an improper thing to accept political office or enter into any vocation that would or remove them from the ious resting upon them without first consulting consul tinz associate a and those who preside over them it has been understood from tha very beginning of the church that no officer whose duties are of the character referred refa to baa the right to engage in any pursuit political or otherwise that trill divide bis time and remove hia attention from the catl ing already accepted it has been the constant practice with officers ot the church to consult or to nee our lan gujic to counsel with choir brethren concerning all questions of this kind they haye not felt that they were sacrificing their manhood in do in so nor that they were to im proper dictation nor that in BO li citing and acting n pon the advice of those over them they were in any manner doing away with their individual rights and agency nor that to any improper were their rights and duties as american citizens being abridged or interfered with they realized that in accepting ecclesiastical office ahry assumed certain obligations that among these was the obligation to magnify the offida which they held to attend to its in preference to every other labor and to devote themselves exclusively to it with all the zeal aad strength they possessed unless released in oart or for a time br those who preside over them conr view and it haa been ane view oi ail our predecessors ia that no officer of conr church especially those in high stand ins should take a course to vo lato abia practice rather than disobey it and declare him aali by hia actions ent of his associates and his file leaders it has always been held that it would be better for a man to resign the duties of hia priesthood and we entertain tie same view today in view of all the occurrences to which reference has been made and to the diversity of views that have arisen in consequence we feel it to be our duty to define our position so there may be no cause hereafter for dispute or controversy upon the eubia ct first we unanimously aree t and as a rule that should always be observed in the church and by evary leading official thereof that before accepting any position political or otherwise which would interfere with the proper and discharge of his ecclesiastical duties and before accepting accept inc a nomination or entering into edgag to perform new duties said official should apply to the proper authorities and learn from them whether he can consistently with the obliga eions already entered into with the church upon assuming his office take upon himself the added duties and labors and responsibilities of the new position to maintain proper bisci pline and order in the church wi deem this absolutely necessary and in as sorting this rule we do not consider that we are in the laasi de aree upon the individual rights of the citizen oar position ia that a man having accepted tha honors and obligations of ecclesiastical office in the church cannot properly of his own volition make those honors subordinate or even ordinate coordinate co with new ones of an entirely different character we hold that unless be 13 willing to counsel with and obtain the consent of hia fellow laborers and presiding officers in the priesthood he be released from aall obligations associated with the latter before accepting any new position declare that m malting these requirements of ourselves selves and our brethren ia the ministry we do not in the least desire toa dictate to them concerning their duties as american citizens or to interfere with the affairs of the state neither do we con eider that in the remotest degree we are seeking the union of church and detate we bouce more here repudiate the insinuation that there ie or ever has been an attempt by our leading men to trespass upon the ground occupied by the state or that there haa been or a the wish to curtail in any manner any of its your brethren Q CANNON josf SMITH first presidency SNOW F D baikham topias frascia M allman JOHN hanat J glunt JOHN W TAYLOR W H CANNON apostles JOHN SMITH patriarch SEYMOUR B YOUNG C D r B H GECKOS REYNOLD JONATHAN kemball S WELLS EDWASD STEVENSON first of seventies WM B PRESTON R T JOHN R WINDER presiding bishopric bat lake city utah annl 6 1893 note the reason the signature of apostle A H lund does not appear in connection with those of his quorum ial because he is absent pit siding over the european mission HP ho weyer will be givel the opportunity ot ap hia signature when he returns home