Show GET NO paa bishop 5 B keeler ers rev jo willis to the editor I 1 have read the article byla cv J ceph that appeared in saturday otenius evenings E s enquirer in which he be asks eom questions relating rea ting to eer mona J in the journal of with regard to ta the questions he asks I 1 haye bave no objection object ioa i to offer but bat I 1 do wish te tc botica his hia closing paragraph as it is a covert insinuation that mormon bishops get rich by fleecing fleeming flee cing the people over whom they preside As I 1 belong to the chasis of officers mentioned I 1 laim the right to defend myself against the libelous attack of one who professes to be a follower of christ our lord that he may appear to be sincere and honest before his hia readers rea dersi he prefaces hii hid article with this sentence As I 1 may go east some day and may talk on mormonism in utah after having lived in all good coriE cit nee amborg nv mormon neighbors for six or seven years e amsl I 1 do not went want to ha ba branded as a falsifier directly 1 I get out ot of utah for misrepresenting morion doctrine then fearing evid antly something may be said by way i f critic criticism hm on his attl article cle he be closes with the following threat now mr editor dont call me a falsifier or a hireling or I 1 may ask how it is that mormon bishops ara able to i build baili such fine bosses lor themselves af after ter being in office a few years veara this reverend gentleman confesses that mat he has lived in ia mormon communities six eix or seven years and yet r seemingly he has never taken pains t ta know the truth regarding mormon bishops a id their business and spiritual relations with the people he cannot say truthfully that he ha has had no opportunity for forgetting getting correct information because almost daily he ha meets one or more of these mormon bishops on tle streets and elsewhere who pass tle time of day with him any one of them would gladly worm inform him of the true status and workings of the bishopric had bad he 33 desired to ba informed not only would it ba a pleasure to lo enlighten him on these matters but any respectable and courteous pers sm m seeking f facts acts would be respectfully trully listened to and answered judging from his remark before made he needs some information on this matter and therefore without asking the libert is hereby taken to enlighten his hia mind somewhat eo that when he goes east or west he may represent his neighbors truthfully truth tru heully hf full ully y and not do as ha be has already done in innuendo borne false witness against them it is well known at least by the members of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints that bishops receive no salary for their services BB as ministers in the church not even to the amount of a nickle it is ia true that bishops who receive and dia disburse louree the tithing contributed by members of their respective words wards are allowed a small percentage for handling the same though it is not nece necessary Esary that bishops handle the tithing cg and in many wards they do not the work is ia being done by clerks and employees bat generally whoever does he work gets whatever per is 1 whatever that may be ane rate I 1 er vent cent allowed for inand in the tithes is quito t when compared with wish the mount 0 time ams aud labor required by those thosa who have the labor abor in charge the rate allowed for Z the manipulation of the ot oi this his etsko U otah tab county its is ten c ut this rate is divided as equitably as aa ln aay y oe be abc acc according to the work in 1896 ilia smallest amount paid io 10 adv ward of this stake was in huud round numbers cumbers and the krte rte per cent cen was 15 the amount paid in one of the largest wards was and the raw rate was waa 8 per cent to handle this latter anifant several reveral clerks at busy times were required when it is fully known that tithing is paid I 1 in kind that is ij the products ot the iho soil the hard the manufactory and the like it lillne will fie seen that a great deal of labor attaches to this department of the church probably only about 20 per cent is paid on tithing in caan but bat as just intimated not all bk bie hops hopa handle the tithing and conee get nu per in provo and adjacent wards warde seven aeden in all the tithing a paid in at the provo office jihee find d one clerk and several assistants take charge of it tayac is no exception to tha universal rule that bishops pay tithing as other saints are required to d and they willingly eive alve their time and means vs aa other olber members do for the furtherance of a righteous cause among men now I 1 want to ai aay y a few words directly to bretler Br er joseph wilks W when wen hen you po go east eart ard have occasion to t tak k on mormon doctrine yon von might digress a luhe little and say eay brethren 1 have lived among the tha cormons mormons for a 3 number of years and have had bad addle time and opportunity to learn the tha method of conducting their tern coral and spiritual affairs their bishops for example fill a somewhat similar position to our ministers that is ip they aro spiritual advisers advia era and counselors conn selora of the people in addition to this they have a great deal of labor to in the temporalities ties of the people under their charge yet singular sa as it may appear brethren they all their duties of office without a dollars salary but what is more astound astounding liZ to me and doubtless will be to you is the fact that these same bishops pay tithes themselves and if the amounts thus paid were in a building association they each could build a fine house housa every five to ten years brethren I 1 dont see how bow those bishops can manage to poss possess cesa such comfortable homes and support their families see ing that they devote so much of their time to the ministry it must be th that tha A the lodal Lord bleses ases them in their nasonal pas onal business aff affairs airs as a reward at ai least tor for their devotedness to the welfare of their fel 11 you could eay something like libe that and tell the truth and chave I 1 have no idea that the truth would injure you in the least try it JOSEPH B KEELER |