Show I 1 THE LAW OF GOD IS SUPREME THE lamoni herald the organ of the josephites pretends to reply to an article in the semiweekly semi weekly DESERET NEWS of july fth entitled I 1 gods law and mans law it was written in answer to one in the herald attempting to show that any law of congress is the supreme law of the land and that should a state city church or individual refuse submission they are arc the law breakers I 1 I 1 also to support the statement that the prophet joseph smith tau taught 11 lit this doc doctrine trige we argued the points in detail ng from the doctrine and covenants to prove that the word of the lord through the prophet enjoined obedience to the law aud and will of god first and foremost and then the support of all constitutional laws of the land any thing less leas than these coming of evil we further that some laws of nd alre obed congress had aad been declared invalid by the supreme court of the united states and tuat an unconstitutional law is in itself void from the beginning and that the supreme cou court rt itself is not infallible because bebau e it has reversed its own decisions and has given no leiss lebs than three diverse and opposite rulings upon the same question to wit the legal tender act our conclusion was that while a decision of the united states supreme court right or wrong is final in law it it is morally religiously actually wrong all the legal lore loie and national authority in the world will not make it right and our position was that when vie tie issue is obedience to god or submission to man the course of the true servant ot of god will be so plain that he be needs no voice to urge him in to his religious duty the article in the lamoni herald of august ath ignores tile the vital points at issue and endeavors to place our position in an improper light it also avoids all reference to the pointed questions we asked of its editor the same bume ideas he formerly advanced s and which we proved to b be 0 cal i incorrect from rom the very documents document s from which he pretended to quote are now reiterated and maintained summed up they amount to this every law of congress right or wrong is the supreme law of the land tie 9 and must be obeyed no matter what principle or religion it may invade it ever so 80 u geons ir ic is ia the sa gu preme law if not declared so by the Su courland court Cour tand and no one has the to resist it every claim to this effect ll 11 the editor says is hurtful I 1 wherever w 11 ere ver it obtains and there is not one passage iu in the turee three standard books of the church which can be made to lustily it tie he quotes the saying of the tae savior unto things and unto god the tunings that are gods the instructions instruction sot of keter submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the me lords sake whether it be to the king as supreme or unto governors as unto those that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers of paul let every soul be subject unto the higher powers etc all ana of tile the doctrine and Cove covenants in reference to keeping the laws of the land and goes on to argue that though such laws are utterly contrary to tue revelations given to the church through the seer beer yet the baines must submit to them and must not resist them whether for the reason that they are morally wrong or were contrary to the revelations ot of god given to govern the church to this we reply no law of the land is supreme it it is bot in accordance with we the constitution iu in tact it is not a law stall at all in the proper sense sence I 1 of tae term lu it never had a legal existence the constitution od and tae laws pas passed sedia in pursuance thereof and treaties in harmony therewith are tae lae supreme law but if unconstitutional they are arc void ab inirio initio it no one has the right tu to reside or refuse to submit to au unconstitutional law how is we the valia validity ity of we tae law jaw to be tested in the courts courtis on the theory of the tae editor of tie tae lamoni beram lie raid congress can pass any law it even it it Lr tramples amples upon religion and prevents the free exercise thereof ana aaa citizens have no choice out to odey and thus me lad very right of 0 appeal ana hebting uy by the bup supreme reLue court is id abro abrogated gatea courts do not take up laws to da decide upon their constitutionality cases bib brought brou fint to test anem and only by res resisting isLing them can their validity be judicially determined we need apelu no more inure space ou on W this Is point it ought to be clear enough to be admitted even by tue e editor ot ol the lamoni herald Berald there is a ai dividing viding line between the domains of religion iou and tue law ciesar caesar is to nave nis own but bui he aug encroach upon tu that at which belongs to god on we me Jodeph ice can claim and take it ails all lor for lue lad ailts submit even the law of waar is coulbar contrary coni atu to tile revelations leve lations and commandments of jud ignot iri not lae doctrine loc trine ut of jesus nor aur of ills AIS apostles nor ox ot lae eternal n atif bor ot 01 auy servant ot 0 I 1 lad lord ll 11 it t is the doctrine of the apostate the he time berver tile me truckler and ane nipo me crile akwiwu add a coul manumua manu mum la is supreme nid ine only LUUL lual can reasonably arise is US as lu IV lae of 01 we me law it if it 16 of 01 aou it must be all numan enact hente jiust any mau ma lo 10 be a representative tit ot dealy can place phwe a enactment beffie ana above aud and luperi or to 10 a law jaw of the almighty is an amazing piece ul ol lully lolly and a sure evidence that his claim of divine authority is a sham and a pretence predence pre tence all the tae duties and d obligations which tile the se rip bures enjoin up upon ua tile the people peoli e ot 01 god in regard yo LO the powers mat last be relate to tile the egid wate scheie lad and authority of powers enoi saints are not commanded cumm to render to cadar we me things that are gods they are arc not required to obey kings and governors eiten those rulers order mem to violate or retrain refrain from obeying in divine commandments they are not directed to obey that law of the and is lot for we lord says that of 01 evil by the me amree bLan standard dard books of the church the me herald editor means oi 01 course ja isilie book of MOI maimon non and he yaya mere is froe EO L one passage in these books willell which justines us tines our position let us see was nou not the line woid ot of me lae lord to israel through roe moses es opposed to the law of king wo would aid the israelites haye have ever escaped from bondage to lae egyptians E it the word of the ju lierd ard had not ot been regarded above the mandates ol of the king was not daniel justified of god in keeping keening tae lae divine law as opposed by human law iia did he not pui pub the will ot of jehovah above the edict of darius and are not the three hebrews held up as an example to all generations because they refused to obey the law of the land concerning the golden image their fear of the lord was greater than their fear ot of or 0 of we me nery fiery furnace the prophets who were persecuted and ancl tormented and tad had to i aie V in dens and eaves caves of ane earth suffered 2 ered because they obeyed god rather than man the apostles ot jesus christ who counselled counseller coun selled obedience to law to kings and governors and rulers were put in prison and to desta tor for resisting and refusing to obey laws and authorities that were iu a opposition to the law of the lord peter put the matter very plainly when commanded by the authorities not to speak at all nor teach in ia the nameon jesus 11 lie he and john answered I 1 I 1 W whether it be right in the sight of god to hearken unto you more than unto god j judge adge ye 1 acts iv 19 and when the captain and the officers arrested them for violating the tae regulations which were equal to law peter and the otner other apostles answered and said we awe ought to obey god rather than men acts v 29 come now to the book of mormon because he be would Carre out the me mission entrusted to him in spite of the commands of king noah was cast into prison and fluell anally arwas was burned i to death preaching in defiance of the kings law even in his dying moments mosiah chap 17 alms alma and amules tor for the same reason were smitten and imprisoned and many of their converts were cast into the are anre alms alma chap 14 the people of anti lehi lebi lepai refused to boey the law jaw in taking up arms preferring to keep their covenant wita god and suffer the conse quen ces A thousand and five were slam slain on this account alma chap 24 the doctrine and covenants contains the direce word of the lord an on this tais subject and now verily I 1 say unto you concern concerning i ng the laws of 01 the tae land it is my will that my people shall shail observe todo to do all things whatsoever I 1 command them and that law of theland which is co institutional constitutional supporting that principle of freedom in main taming gainin rights and privileges pi ivi leges belongs to all mankind and is justifiable before me here are the three standard books of the baurch uniting on the principle that the law of tied god is first and must be obeyed and that mans laws that sustain human frie freedom edom are al also also to be sustained by mis hig people but his law is supreme and paramount and to be obeyed even unto auto death the holy men of god and the martyrs who have suffered for conscience sake were persecuted fi the name of law II if they had bad been willing to put the laws of man and the edicts of bf secular rulers before the word and law of god they could have escaped from their awful awgull tabulations and deaths by violence 0 on a the Josep josephite bite the the ancient prophets and apostles who god rather than man were malefactors daniel and the three hebrews were not us tined in their non submission to secular supreme a law la w AlIthe ail the noble men and women who died for the were rebellious lawbreakers law breakers who deserved their late fate and god must bow before the flat of earthly rulers andi and never dare to reveal anything which ia i the notions of parliaments and congresses and the rulings oa A judges and courts we W e asked the josephite Joseph itell editor whether he would cease to baptize by immersion for the remission ut oi sins it congress should pass a law lam against it on tue ground that while it way may not interfere in matters of belief it may prescribe regulations ag against injurious customs but he does not to answer the question instead he b speaks of the submission of joseph tile the prophet to the process of courts and tries to insinuate that the ut utah a h people do not follow his example the answer is that the saints here have not resisted legal process but scores of them have gone to prison rather than deny their baith that is not the point in question it is toe the superiority of the law of god to the dicta of men that w we e do not think any sane and truthful man will dispute the proposition pio position is so plain as to be almost self evident lu in tiie the case called up this ais cassion cusa cus sion iou a revelation was v as received from god commanding certain things many years alter this commandment was received and obeyed a law of man was enacted for the purpose of suppressing the establishment of religion thus created those who haw haa entered into it having no doubt of its divinity are confronted by a law which on its lace is a violation of the constitution the choice with them is either to hearken to that which they know to be of god or bow down to an unconstitutional law of man we need not say what would have been the course under the circumstances of a moses an elijah a daniel a peter a john or a paul or of joseph the seer of the latter laiter days As lor for his degenerate son he speaks for himself he would put the law 0 of man first and thus escape trouble and subordinate his haa religion the revelations of god and deity himself to the secular power so that he may find favor of the world Com comment mut is superfluous gods true representatives never were of this stamp they reverence his word as the supreme law of the universe and will abide in his covenant even unto death A god that is subordinate to human authority au thorit is a bogus deity deita and is unworthy the adoration of of any rational being the god of israel it is above the nation sand saad the time is coming when every kingdom and organization which will not serve and obey him will utterly perish from the face of the earth |