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Show THREATENED WITH RUIN IN HIS SALT BUSINESS Charles ASmurlbwaitc Assails President of Mormon Mor-mon Church; Cited for Trial prophet of God." The testimony of the president before the Senate committee In the Smoot case and the position he took, the letter says, were Indefensible In the eyes of citizens and Latter-day falnts. Smorthwaite'a Defense. , ' In defense of his position and the stand that he has taken, Smurthwaite says: "It has been urged that. If I feel that Joseph F. Smith, the official bead of the church, and the so-called 'mouthpiece' of God, Is not God's prophet. It Is my duty to get out of he church. I make to that assertion the most emphatic denial. de-nial. I answer, first, that Joseph F. Smith Is only God's mouthpiece when he speaks his word, and second, that If it shall be alleged we are bound to 'accept 'ac-cept bis words as the words of God.' I answer that these words must be God's words, otherwise you demand that we shall live a He, I. e., assert that man'awords are God's.'-' Declined to Leave Church. Smurthwaite has voiced his opinions on several occasions, it is said, and the ward teachers have been called on to labor with him to change his views. He declares he is right and ln the following words declines to leave the church: "Again, I decline to leave this church, or to be forced to leave it, because I need It, and it needs me bo long as I use my powers and mv life according ta IDIsfellowship in the Mormon church for, Charles A. Smurthwaite of Ogden, one of the leading business men of Utah - and a, member of the quorum of seven-i seven-i ties of Weber stake, has been asked for 1 in a complaint filed with' Bishop Edwin T. Woolley of Ogden. by Hyrum H. Goddard, presiding teacher In the first ; district. The complaint charges Mr. Smurthwaite with voicing opinions that were "rebellious and unbecoming statements state-ments against the authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" and with assailing "the character, charac-ter, motives and actions of President Joseph F. Smltn." Further, Teacher Goddard declares Smurthwaite should show cause why the hand of fellowship should not be withdrawn from him for "apostasy and I unchristlanlike conduct." i Smurthwaite's Offense. i The complaint is' based upon an open ' letter addressed to Bishop Woolley of , the Ogden Fourth ward. Weber stake i of Zlon. on March 13, wherein Smurth-1 Smurth-1 walte attacked the head of the church, and demanded a change of policy ln the conduct of the Mormon church. The summons to appear before the bishop's court was served on Smurthwaite Smurth-waite March 14, and requires him to appear before the court on the evening of March 22, at 8 o'clock, to answer the charges. the laws Imposed by our Creator: and so long as this is true- (and to make It true is my endeavor) I have the tight to the fellowship and service of this church, as an original right investment. I,must remain at liberty to pursue such investigations and to reach such conclusions con-clusions as I may wish, and to publish such conclusions, provided they are matters of public moment. In brief, I ' have a right to this church, and unless j other cause shall arise. I cannot be ex- .Thxeatened in Business. ' In the letter addressed to the bishop, Smurthwaite. declares that during a business engagement with President Smith, regarding the salt interests, the latter threatened to ruin him should he dare oppose the interests of the church in business. President Smith, he asserted, was "not a good man, consequently not a eluded from it without injustice." Demands for Befonn. As a conclusion to his letter Smurth-wajte Smurth-wajte makes ten demands on the church for a change of policy. Among the demands de-mands made are: "I demand that the church retire from its domination of the State. At present the Mormon leadership does dominate the affairs of the State. It Is more powerful than all political parties and all civic officials put together. "I demand that the church retire from its commercialism: It cannot serve both God and Mammon. "I demand that the ritaes be accounted ac-counted for In detail, beginning at next April conference, and twice each year from that time forward at general conferences: con-ferences: that a list of all property holdings of the church, and of the leader lead-er of the church, acquired since he became be-came president, be read semi-annually at each general conference." |