Show individual responsibility IN MORMONISM 14 t DURING the insane insane assault upon mormonism which was opened by the passage of the edmunds act all the force and machinery of the j judicial power have been brought to bear upon a peaceable community whose domestic policy affected rio no one but themselves and who have proven their in to their convictions by unimpeachable pea chable evidence and what has been accomplished A number of individuals have baa boea been incarcerated in grison bhae wives and children ave beien deprived of their presence a and nd su support rt aud and the great body of the people baa been welded together in closer their faith has seen been confirmed and the they hae been made firmer la in their onto to sustain each other oilier and hold ho oa an to that which they are more than eyer ever convinced is true and divine A very few have been induced to bend bead the knee and make promises that were supposed to be agreeable to the chief actors an the anti mormon drama dralus they merely formed exceptions to the rule of strict adherence to principle and the effect of their departure A has proven absolutely nil in the desired direction it has but served to shock the sense of the faithful and act as a warning to the weak the institution that fat has been assailed has remained untouched IV II is only the persons punished and their families who have been injured red except so tar far as the damage done o ne t to 0 b business u interests and the pain 0 inflicted isted upon relatives and sympathizing till ing friends may be taken into account what seems to be wanted and expected is that the body of ef the mormon people will fall down upon their knees abjure their attachment to one of the salient features of their faith promise to put the laws jaws of man before the commandments of god and exalt the harnau above the divine this it is though twill cause the whole Mor mormon mons church to collapse victory will be won but after some ke years ars of judicial perse persecution cation comprehending n ding the perversion of an unjust law and the extension of its penalties away beyond its utmost rational meaning and the intent of its promoters not a step has been taken in the direction sought there is no indication of wea weakness lEness on the part of the people assailed nor of shrinking in regard to their confidence in their religion or their fealty to their sacred covenants the reason of this seems difficult of comprehension to their enemies many no doubt believe the statement made in open court by district attorney dickson thal thai it is the overmastering power 0 of the church which induces men when a loathsome prison yawns to receive them for protracted periods to decline liberty at the cost of their consciences it is supposed that the church exercises some sort of terrorism over its members by which they are forced to ref use freedom when in opposition to its decrees the whole idea is a fallacy it has no foundation in fact the church has not interfered with the free agency of any man it has not instructed any person to refuse to make a promise of any kind to the courts it nas has not excommunicated any member for making such a pro promise inise further than that the church has not commanded or compelled or coerced any man or woman to t enter into plural marriage or do anything else in defiance of the edmunds law all the fulminations of judges attorneys editor lecturers politicians ana aad priests charging this against the mormon Church are entirely untrue the word wora and will of the lord on the subject of celestial marriage are before the world and have been since 1852 the acts of Cong congress reps passed in opposition thereto one ten years and the other years are also on record every man and woman interested terea te ted is tree free to take such a course as way may be selected individually the church does not nott force erce people peo p le either one way or the other it to is a personal concern 1011 cern it is between man and his maker on the one hand and the laws have procured oa 94 the other the church excommunicates no one for taking either course u the opponents of not to take a rational and correct view of the attitude of the I 1 mormon people they have imattia od ed up some extraordinary hold of tife church upon its members that has vo no existence gad and they cannot hend bend ot 0 individual and individual choice hay what they w aul wul the same determination and ewt eni durance animate the latter day baiata in this matter as were exhibited b by y the be early christiana who suffered ered at home Ro methe the bo so called heretics who were mado made victims to the inquisition the martyrs under both Cat catholic holk and rule and all who haxe h aike refused rif r if used to re cankat tile the corn com mandlow tyrants and bigots in church and state Th ismay by bir sneered at as cheap martyrdom 4 atad mercenary attorney attorn ei betit K means bans a great d deal ea to ahem and their families and is as strong and rich a token 19 god and the world of their devotion to principle as they havethe have ithe opportunity to exhibit perhaps 4 41 their accuser were to change places he would find fethe etke voluntary martyrdom not quite so cheap cb eap V bucit Is not at all likely that principle would weigh a feather with him aim when balanced against present personal ad advantage vintage the immense strength of twe the almor mormon body consists largely of the individual faith falth of its members they lire are not depend dependent eat upon any man livin living or dead for their means of 6 spiritual iri support and personal standing they are a re free f ree agents they nave have to workout work their the irown own salvation they must choose their own course they are guided by inspiration to themselves they are devoted to a cause which they have have become convinced aldivine la As divine they cannot prove recreant 0 o it and retain their self respect they would have no confidence in themselves if they repudiated ted any enet of otheir belr creed they would have that god would hear their prayers if they proved untrue to their own knowledge of the truth I 1 I 1 I 1 when jonas lindberg Lla dberg threatened with an unjust and illegal threefold three fold told sentence was offered freedom on mak required promise and was urged to wait till next morning before he be decided h he e answered my conscience w will III pot 0 change fige by t 0 morrow 11 that is the mind of the body of the people multiplied sentences will not change their consciences the merciless and unscrupulous course pursued towards them will have the very opposite effect intended it always was so it always must beso be so with sincere religionists nothing that has beun been done in the courts since the extreme and vindictive enforcement of the edmunds act commenced has had any tendency to weaken the faith fsmith or cause any wavering among the IMor mormon people on the contrary it has deepened their devotion to their convictions and stimulated their conscientious resolutions it is not tear fear of men vor of a nor of anything ecclesiastical which induces men to decline making a mere verbal promise which would secure their liberty libery there is nothing of that character anat threatens them if any such element as fear figures ngu resin in their Epo motives tives it is fear to do wrong to disgrace dl grace themselves la in their own eyes aes to fro reu renounce ounce their families who would naturally and deservedly to act dishonorably in the sight of god and all just people 11 0 i 1 who understand the 8 situation it U a TA 0 n 1 the ph 1 promise which is to be extorted from those who are weak enough to submit comprehends the diser desertion tion of loving and trusting wives who have been the faithful laith ful ul mothers of their children the repudiation of those dear companions in violation of sacred covenants to love lov cherish and support them em the e branding ding ot of their names with infamy fa y the separation lion of dren re irom their mothers or else from their lathus fathers the utter avoidance in public and private of the objects of lond affection for years the course of a and a villain I 1 this is what men are urged to do on t the glittering lit ring promise ot exemption fr from vile imprisonment what prompts th them to refuse achurch Acu Acri A priestly edict A pressure from any source of that kind WO NO I 1 I 1 it itis is the voice 61 conscience the pleadings of affection tile the instinct of honor the power of faith the determination not to yield willingly to wrong and it is an individual matter true it is endorsed by the community it is applauded by the good and the true even honorable 41 gentiles cannot withhold their approbation no one approves of the shameful promise but the malicious the vindictive and those who place little orto orno or to no value on a verbal agrO agreement ement it is useless for the chief workers in the movement against the mormons cormons Mor mons to try to aake the church responsible for the refusal of convicted men to pledge themselves as required by the courts the world will and oot that Te responsibility is tenet of 11 each person receives the Gospel for himself every one must stand maud or fall for nim seli the truth is proclaimed the word of the lord is revealed revea ledi and the strait strai and tand narrow way is opened nobody is forced to enter or continue therein all ali people will be indeed for awn deeds no one will stand in the tead stead s oi of another there thear is ivo n 0 compulsion there will be no DO C bof bonse quen ces the latter day kaow kno for themselves that their religion is true 1 they are prepared to att lor for themselves them selve in relation tolt to it arld their conviction and nd ax r lu a and so must be their course whether therla ia reit tuon to law lair or gospel it is this personal but similar and united the tn eri emi mies amies of mormonism have to meet and they flad and it ic insurmountable and impregnable |