| Show APPEALS TO YOUNG UTAH for FOB several years occasional articles have been published in this city appealing to young mor imor monell mons to come out from the church to which they belong and repudiate certain things alleged to be part of It its creed screed and constitution this is varied now and then by a call upon some ll brave bravell and unselfish individual who is to figure as an evangel and lead his people out of conditions that trouble the imagination agi nation of the writer but have no existence elsewhere the author of these vain atus exhibits much literary talent in lines with which he is familiar and is perhaps sincere in his expressed belief that the evils of which he speaks are veritable realities ali ties if not he is prostituting his powers to a very ignoble purpose in either case his frequent appeals are failures as to their effect upon young mormons cormons Mor mons but may not be altogether abortive if the object in view is outside effect and the deception of the public we do not assert that the writers writer motive is of this baser sort but a suspicion to this effect would not be altogether unjustifiable from the fact that these sentimental appeals often appear in association with other articles from another and clum clumsier ster hand containing intentional misrepresentations wilful falsehoods and gross libels couched in the language of the blackguard and as void of argument as they are of truth and decency but perhaps a writer or any man must not always be judged by the company he keeps we would rather take the position that the author of the these appeals is ignorant of his subject than that they are written with similar evil designs to those that animate the personal attacks which disgust all respectable people who read them there are two misapprehensions apprehensions mis apparent in the appeals to which we refer one is that the mormon church imposes an obligation upon its members to fight the laws of this country the other is that the leaders of that church claim the right to control the consciences of its members one of the latest of these appeals for one man in the church brave enough to declare that no true religion imposed any obligation to fight the just lassof laws of a republic ani aal further that while declaring his full faith in his creed he shall assert that there was nothing in it which imposed any obligation upon any man to give up his conscience to the keeping of another the writer thinks the act might destroy his influence for the present in the church but as things are drifting he would very soon be vindicated dica ted all this is simply amazing to those who understand the doctrine and discipline of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints these two propositions for proclaiming which it is presumed a man would lose his influence in the church are announced in its creed are printed and published in the authorized works of the church and are parts parte of the revelations accepted as the very word of the almighty let no man break the laws of the land for he that keeneth the laws of god hath no need to break the laws of the land wherefore be subject to the 0 powers o W that be until he reigns whose right it is to reign and subdues dues all enemies under his feet doctrine and covenants p wherefore 1 I the lord justify you and your brethren of my church in befriending that law is the constitutional law of theland the land cland and as to pertaining to the law of men whatsoever is more or less than these cometh of evil ibid p we believe that all me meu u are bound to sustain an and uphold the respective spec tive governments in which they reside while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected and should be punished accordingly and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgment are best calculated to secure the public interest at the same time however holding sacred the freedom of conscience ibid p we believe in being subject to kings presidents rulers and magistrates in obeying honoring and sustaining the law articles of faith these are plain declarations no man however bravel brave or unselfish ishill or bold and fearless I 1 ca could uld make them more emphatic they are not new they have been on record have been read in public congregations and have been quoted in printed articles again and again for many years reference will perhaps be made to the edmunds act and its supplement but no matter what may have been the views and position of any one in relation to them it cannot be truthfully asserted that the church has imposed any obligation to fight them or any other laws of the republic whether they were considered just or unjust if such an untruthful assertion iside the very fact that the great body of the members of the church have neither violated nor fought the lamsis proof that no such obligation has been imposed if the brave rave man called for were to declare in the tabernacle or elsewhere that no true religion imposed any obligation to fight the just laws of the republic and a think he was going to make a aann sell bation he would be as greatly disappointed as the author of these appeals must be his remark would pass as a very trite and fawl faini liar saying a quotation from church articles forty odd years old there has been no such obligation there is ie none today and if any mormon breaks any law of the land ten he does it on his own responsibility and at his own risk and not because he is placed under any obligation to do so by the church or any of its legitimate authorities now as to conscience it is one on of the fundamental d doctrines oct rInes of the church that every soul is free to think and act on its own agency no man whether he be president prophet apostle bishop or priest pries assumes the right to think for another man and control his col science the revelations to t the church proclaim to the contrary ll it is revealed that the constitution n ot of inspired to e oe tills this government was cure and preserve to all deop people 1 we the sacred right of liberty of 00 conscience that every man may act in doc fa trine and principle pertain pertaining inq to wf durity according to the moral agen cy which I 1 have given accountable unto thewl that every man may be for his own sins sine in the day of judg ment therefore it is not right that any adv to man should be in bonc bondage lage one another doe doc cov p or no power or influence cin all of virtue ought to be maintained by the priesthood only by persuasion by long suffering by gentil g eness mee meekness k n ess and by love by kindness and pure I 1 know mul BU which shall greatly enlarge e the t withof and WIM without hypocrisy guile ibid p so then if the bold evoked to rise in the were to declare as requested that he had full faith in his creed but there was nothing in it which imposed any obligation upon any nan maa to give up his conscience to the keeping of another anether he would be simply repeating something that has been enunciated times without number lumber and if he were to call as desired le Wred for emancipation for him aalf and his people he would only nake make his hearers wonder what he was ovas driving at there to is no greater liberty in any organization on earth than ihan in ila the mormon church if there is anything to be deplored in this disconnection connection it is that its members are often permitted too great liberty to depart from its order and its regulations without proper reproof and discipline there 18 ImO nothing thing irksome in its obligations to 40 a 4 religious mind its yoke is y and its burden light it binds ho mans conscience it fetters no olles nes thought even when any of its ite members entertain opinions different to its standards of faith and principle it does not interfere with thera them of course if one of its ministers were ere to publicly proclaim false doctrines in the capacity of an author iced aed expounder he would be called to account and if he persisted his dhority tho rity would be taken from him t no one would interfere with his flea agency to think and speak and ac act for himself unless by overt acts he infringed upon the rightful liber laber ties wee of another so 80 all these appeals to castoff cast off a has no existence are wasted words they are void and without It hOut effect except as they may a in ill the dissemination of unjust nd incorrect ideas concerning the A mormon formOn church if the author baa this object in view we are sorry ta w see so go much ability misused if he really believes he is working for 4 good purpose we are surprised at his a lack of information and he y attribute his lack of success with wit ja young utah to the fact that every y young man and woman in the church church who knows anything of its doctrine practice and spirit and who 0 o happens to read his ef fusions WW wu only smile at his distortion of the he doctrines and purposes of their cod and pity his mental blindness is neither lawless jao tyrannical it comes nearer to ota a perfect law of liberty than ng on earth and he who boull awl be truly free as the great artor leato designs his children to be learn the way to that heavenly he venly liberty to enjoy it crever fu rever in the system that has its ite centre in these mountain vales and that is derisively called by the name of mormonism 12 |
