| Show THE METHODIST conference OX ON IT is customary altti thele iceie ja S at their conferences in this territory usually held at O oden osden den to adopt resolutions on the state of affairs in utah cpr some j of the most atrocious falsehoods in reference to the 66 mor mons have inthis way been promulgated producing effects similar to the scenes scene of and bloodshed in georgia and tennessee we have taken kp dj these resolutions in their time ajdei posed their diabolical spirit and intent as well as their titter utter un trutha illness tills this yeara veara a very different document onetah on utah affairs lias has been prepared by the committee appointed for the purpose although a little vague in some of its Us fc statements tate ments it is til the most respectable s spec actable table tabie and gentlemanly report of witt the kind ever adopted hy by the tho methodist conter conler enco ence in utah we attribute this I change tu to the influx ence of the presiding lill elder whose nam nami appears last on the committee here heris the report or OF ox ON THE STATE grate 01 ol vl AIRS I 1 IN X stati presents to the civilized world a condition af affairs that is anomalous in its character and tendencies the mission of the christian chr chi istian churches and schools lu in this territory is s to allay and not to arouse antagonism to assist in arresting the tito tide of immorality lawlessness and violence that threatens its welfare ani and to help in advance itaf the moral and intellectual status of sloe floe society et IV wo deprecate the spirit of antigon antagonism und and ind mob vilet violence vlIet ce so ho prevalent heriaud here anti anil disapprove of the recent inas massacre sacre of mormon elders in tennessee we depiore deplore tue existence encoff licensed its resultant evils ili in thistel this ry and demand stern legislation for the erad crad eradication leation of these evils and pledge our co opera lon ion and support of alt ait 11 measures that shall shail bring brin about these results we protest agal against n t the position assumed eliat the tile american Natio nation nand naud anil the christian churches tre ire the perse cantors and antt the enemies ot or the mormon people ri un ite the attention of tile the country at lar larb large 0 to the great reat ecat mineral a agricultural irl I 1 and ind and commercial I 1 resources of utah and to the need of capital andl andi and intelligent industry to develop these resources profitably we greatly rejoice in the promises of 0 moral and material prosperity enty euty so evident here and in the rapid advancement of all christian influences and agen agencies agencies cies cles oAr with wilh them their inherent principles of loyalty to the flag and of the in inviolate sanctity of home we earnest earnestly y urge the necessity of ana progressive efforts in behalf of utah on oa tae tau pard part of all the christian churches of our land and by the government and people of the united states si signed lied tied T W LINCOLN P A H FRANKLIN r C 11 there are some mome things in the report which 1 tul x I ul I 1 for co comment mient the onia oni way ay that the mission of the schools and churches in this Tern tor can be fairly id d is is by theli theil attitude and add effects do they not nol oi come here heie in the spirit ol 01 what antagonism nave they to allay except that which they themselves vei create creat eThey they enter the territory for the th aloyed avowed purpose of attacking th creed and institutions of the people who dwell here for this durpos purpose money 6 ia sought for and f furnished u from froin eastern societies we are not disputing di the right light of the methodist Methodi sul sui or any other othur denomination to do this we merely avioli ish to show shon that they arou abou arouse aroune which aich is deprecated in the report and that hither hitherto tc they have biot nol doubt nought hought to allay hut but rather rathel to promote averyt bingoff this kind thal thau has exist existed fd here hen we art pleased to lee dev wee zev the tile disappio ballon bailon arlon arion expressed ot it i ihu he cru crua I 1 murders murder in 1 I emle emir ute mil it i 1 a i mark ma k of f a chris chrls Nan spirit lint auti huth melm icis i let lei nt by the mob violen ceso ceno so li liere ercill it appears to us lis that there is inh less of mob violence in utah than in any populous part of the union so with licensed iniquity there is nothing here that can be included under that head unless it be the liquor traffic and that is prohibited in many parts of the territory As to the position assumed that tg the american nation kation and the christian churches are the persecutors and ellent enemies les ies of the mormon people it ft would ouid have been more satisfactory it if it had been stated who assumes the I 1 position position ion lon it if it is meant to convey the Edea idea that the mormon people assume it we 0 o must sav say that is only half correct convel we do not ilot claim that the thel nation ration the great american people j are our persecutors perse peise cutora but we vo think we e can show with good reason that the christian sects are both our enemies and our persecutors they seek seck not td convert us by argument and persuasion but to coerce us by the force of civil law and even by suggestion of military violence they cla ela clamor n lor to congress for lewis legis legislation lallon to inflict pains and penalties upon us not only for acts prompted by bv our religious faith but for entertaining that faith without acting upon it laws have been advocated by the chief christian denominations to disfranchise the 11 Mor because they are mormons cormons Mor mons and to punish the whole 11 Mormon 11 people by oe depriving riving them of any olee oice olce voice whatever in a their local government the most radical of propositions for the of 11 destruction 2 in by the enslavement of the 11 mormons Mor mons I 1 and the spoliation of their church r property have come f from r am those sabe same christian tr t it churches more than that the persecutions which the latter day Saint saints shave have had to endure from the beginning to the present time have b been een started fostered and prompted by professed profess eq christian ministers the tar and feathering in ohio the massacres in dr ivings and martyrdom in illinois the in various parts ot the countey the murders InGeorg la and tennessee were the work of sectarian preachers and were incited by inflammatory harangues from religious exhorters exporters exhort ers and incendiary articles from a professedly christian press the so 0 called christian churches have persistently misrop misrepresented resented mormonism 11 reviled its chief exponents and urged extreme measures against them we therefore take the position that they are both the I 1 persecutors and the enemies of the mormon people let it be clearly understood that we have no grievance against churches or papers for that which we hold bold to be true we concede their right to attack an ihling flat ilat hat fiat they believe to be false lut we do not adroit i in their irr right g take e t u c e c urse which has been pursued by tue ine so called christian churches preachers lecturers te teachers hers and writers in relation to the mormon people and claim that it Is indefensible ven even on their own ground it mormonism is ever so untrue if its followers follower sare are everso ever so much deluded the measures to which its religious lowi assailants have resorted are unchristian ungentlemanly ent te unfair and unjustifiable in the st sight lit of and among alse those enemies aud and persecutors who have resorted to the vilest and wacl wick edest means to effect their anti antl mor I 1 rmon mon purposes many methodist preachers s and writers stand preeminent pre re eminent for falsehood cruelty and diabolism weare we are pleased tose to see e the moderation displayed in the report on utah affairs recently adopted by tile the methodist methi I 1 conference at ogden and trust it will 11 III lii characterize the tile future course of that denomination ili in its mission work in utah |
