Show TO THE SAINTS to the officers and members men church of jesus christ of day saints io in general con assem biba dear brethren and sisters baisl latter day saint will re value of union not only in 1 boum 1 I in matters of faith and discipline to the rights and authority of priesthood of the son ot of god it the highest importance that tbt should be no ino difference of of among the officers and members church of jesus chr at of latt saints saint feeling the necessity tf cf root understanding of this ciple we deem it art pet this sixty sath aoi of organization of the church in last prepare and present a 1 went ment on the sul auta eject act embodying doctrine which hai bas always preval in the church and our views we are prompted to adopt this at the present time because of evi berei 1 which have happened during thew the fates political contest A great diversity 1 opinion on the subject has been pressed and even by leading Elder sl the church which latter fact jar naturally led io in some JM considerable division of sentiments J it to is of great importance that we der each other and that then bholi ha harmony in our Leae teachings bings it Is w ept lally important that these tese shall be in accordance with the td raw and regulations and doctrines doctrine have been taught and which haape availed from the beginning until 06 1 present time having not only 1 sanction of u a undisputed disputed usage but ark approval of all faithful leaders leaden io in tb tto church and of him in whose name nam aud and by whose authority they act io in the late exciting contest to reference has baa been made the authorities to ID some instances have been 11 Y misunderstood in other int aock they have been which has led to a bronitt wro figI 1 conception of their real evlewt it has been asserted too freety and without foundation that there halli tat ta f t been a disposition on their part to ink lik with individual indi via ual liberty end and to 10 rebuke in some meu mea a course wiloh wits was applauded in others in a wordy that they have appeared to desire W to assert and aad maintain an unjust and andoe 40 olve control over the actions of wk me members abers of the church and la thu doing have endeavored to effect a union of church and state IS abis heat beat of political discue bloo aaa biome have bet n made and all used conveying to tb the po pa lo io mind a false idea n of the cf ficere of the and leaving the imbres sil bore 9 has baa been and was wae ng made de an attempt to ac the union inico above referred to t the he excitement has passed cleir Cl nir or besson reabon has baa resumed its rae we think it prudent to set forth aklan ja may understand the exact lea occupied by the leading au of abs tbs church e first place we wish to state in I 1 positive and emphatic lan filist sg at no time has hag there ever uy attempt or even desire on OB the 4 the leading authorities referred the church in any manner upon the rights of the state its in any degree the functions laone 0 with those of the other circumstances circum have our the people of utan utah for many a majority ot of them I 1 in a every por raf the territory belonged to one reo every reputable member b was entitled to hold bold and ald ald some come office it V to see flee how bow to the casual it right might appear singular Bin gular that kay ay officers of the church were lu officers core of the state but while was IM in fact the case the dia iween the church and the state out those years was wag carefully gained tied the president of the bh h hold held for eight years the high avil 11 office in the coia community been appointed by the national natio nati oval oal governor of the ter the first secretary of the terri F was waa a prominent church official astle represented resented the territory ress as a a delegate during ten ihk the members of the legisla W also offices in the church iras unavoidable for the most odle men were elected by the votes jrie poodle people and as we have stated i reputable man in id the entire corn neld soly boore o church position AWN at energetic and capable hold bold pleading thwing positions this is all al 1 and plain enough to who consider the cir icee cel but it fur tor r those ano w no were disposed to all the people of the territory to xe them with attempting unite lob and state A fair investigation efta conditions will abundantly dis anve re the h 0 charge and show its utter 64 I 1 ty I 1 I 1 Oabe balf ot of the church of which we loading leading officers we desire again to letoto to the members and also to the generally that there has not to is there the remotest desire maar part art or on the part of ofir our co to do anything looking to a aaa of at chereb and state we declare that there has never been any attempt to curtail individual liberty the personal liberty of any of the officers or members member of the church the first presidency and other leading officers did make certain suggestions to the people when the division on party lines took place that move ment was wag an entirely new departure and it was wai necessary in order that the full benefit should not be lost which was hoped to result from this new political division that people who were inexperienced should be warned against hasty and ill considered action in some cases they were counseled to be wise and prudent in the poll political steps they were about to take and this with no idea of chanina them their will to either tilde aide to this extent and no further was anything said or done u upon p n this question and at no time and under no circumstances was any attempt I 1 made to say may to voters how bow mey bey should cast their ballots any charge that has baa been made to the contrary is utterly false concerning of the church themo themselves elves the feeling was generally expressed in the beginning of the political division spoken of that it would be prudent for leading men not dot to accept of office an the hands of tile political party to which they might belong this hais counsel wai wa given to men of both parties alike sot not because it was thought that there was any impropriety in religious men holding civil office not to deprive them hem of any of 0 the rights of citizenship but because of the feeling that it would be better under all the circumstances which had now arisen to avoid any ady action that would be likely to create jealousy jea loupy and ill III feeling an era of peace and goodwill good will seemed to be dawning upon the people and it was deemed good to shun everything that could have the least tendency to prevent the consummation of this happy prospect in many instances however the pressure kressu re brought to bear upon efficient and popular men by the in embers of the parties to which they belonged belong td was of such a character that they bad to yield to the solicitation to 10 accept nomination to office or subject themselves to the suspicion of bad faith in their party affiliations in some oases cases they did this without con suiting the authorities of the church but where important positions were hold held and where the duties were of a responsible and exacting character some did seek the counsel and ad vice of the leading church authorities before accepting he political honors tendered them because some others did not seek this counsel and advice III ill feeling was engendered and undue and painful sensitiveness was stimulated misunderstand nit readily followed and as a result the authorities of the church were accused of bad faith and made the subjects of bitter reproach we have maintained that in the case of men who hold bold high positions in the church whose duties are well defined and whose ecclesiastical labors are understood to be continuous and necessary it would be an improper thing to accept political office or enter into any vocation that would distract or remove them from the religious duties resting upon them without first consulting and obtaining the approval of their associates anil and those who preside over them it has been understood from the very te beginning ginning of the church that no officer whose duties are of the character referred to has the right to engage in any pursuit political or otherwise that will divide his time and remove his it attention from the calling already accepted it has been the constant practice with officers of the church to consult or to use our lan gu aKetO cju neel 9 1 with their brethren concerning all questions of this kino kind they have not felt that they were sacrificing their manhood in doing so no nor that they were submitting to improper dictation inor nor that in go eo and acting upon the advice of those over them they were in any manner doing away with their individual rights and agency nor that to any improper do de gree woke were their rights and duties as american citizens being abridged or interfered with they realized that in accepting ecclesiastical office they assumed certain obligations that among these was the obligation to magnify the office which the they held to attend to its duties in preference to every other labor and to devote themselves exclusively to it with all the zeal industry and strength they possessed unless released in part or for a time by those who preside over them our view and it has been the view of all our predecessor ces is that no officer of our church especially those in high standing ng should take a course to violate this long established practice rather bather than disobey it and declare himself by his bis actions defiantly independent of his associates and his bis file lija leaders ders it haw ba always been held that it would be better for a man to resign the duties of his bis priesthood and we entertain the he same a me view today I 1 in view cfall of all the occurrences to which reference has ban been made and to the diversity of views that have arisen among the people III a we feel fee it to be our duty to clearly define our position so there way may be no cause hereafter for dispute or controversy upon the subject first we unanimously agree to and promulgate zate as a rule that should always be observed in the church and by every leading official thereof that before accepting any position political or otherwise which would interfere with the proper and complete discharge of his ecclesiastical duties and before accepting a nomination or entering into engage wants meets to perform new duties said eaid official should apply to the proper authorities ties and learn irom them whether he be can consistently with the obligations already entered into with the church upon assuming his bis office take upon himself the added duties and labors and responsibilities of the new position to maintain proper discipline and order in the church we deem this absolutely necessary and in as carting this rule we do not consider that we are infringing to in the inasi degree upon the individual rights of the citizen our position to is that a man having accepted the honors and obliga bious of ecclesiastical office lu ia the church cannot properly of his bis own volition make those honors nato nate to or even ordinate coordinate co with new ones of an entirely different lerent dif character we hold bold that unless be is wil litiff tu to counsel with and obtain the con jentof seat of his bis follow fellow laborers and presiding officers in ia the priesthood he be should be released from all obligations associated with the latter before accepting any new position second we declare that in making these toliese requirements ot of ourselves and our brethren in the ministry wedo we do not in the least desire to dictate to them concerning their duties rb ab american chi citizens zens or to interfere with the affairs of the state neither do we consider that in the remotest degree we are seeking the union of church and state we once more here repudiate the tiou that more is in or over ever has beau au AD attempt by our leading won men to trespass upon the ground occupied by the state or that there has boa been or Is the wish to curtail to ic any manner any of its bunc eions your brethren WOODRUFF GEO Q CANNON jos P F SMITH first presidency LORENZI SNOW y F D RICHARDS BRIGHAM YOUNG i FRANCIS M LYMAN JOHN HENRY HENBY J GRANT JOHN W TAYLOR WARRINER W MERRILL ABRAHAM H CANNON apostles JOHN SMITH patriarch B YOUNG C D FJELDSTED B H ROBERTS GEORGE REYNOLDS JONATHAN 0 KIMBALL RULON tf 8 WELLS EDWARD STEVENSON first council of seventies WM B E PRESTON B R T BURTON JOHN R WINDER presiding bishopric SALT LAKE CITY april jtb 1896 NOTE the reason the ibe signature of apostle anton H R lund land does not appear in connection with those orb quorum Is because he to is absent pre iding over too european h mission missi oo he however bowe verwill will be bilven bi given iven the opportunity of appending his hia signature when he be retura home |