Show A PLAIN VIEW OF THE CASE there 9 is one aspect of all this agitation concerning the recent epistle or declaration of the general authorities of the church on the subject of church discipline which deserves to be remembered and thought upon oot not only by members of the church itself but also aleo by the honest hearted of all other sects who take interest in the question this aspect of the case may be brittle stated thus T the he leading officers of the church called as they and the latter day saints believe by the almighty and also sustained by the unanimous vote of 0 the members at the semiannual semi annual general conferences are supposed to be guided in all their official sets acts by the spirit of the lord and to do nothing contrary to the intent genius and principles of the gospel if they are not thus mus consistent and dutiful they hey are not entitled to and would not receive the votes vote of the Sain sainto tei and can not enjoy the spirit of their high calling on the other hand when they do receive the united support of each other and of their fellow by their life and walk and not acts prove that they enjoy the spirit of their office they are entitled to and will be strengthened by the faith esteem and obedience of their associates abey are in the line of duty they have the ap of their own consciences and the unmistakable evidences of the fruits of the spirit follow their heir linit trat rations rat ioos loos now then when out of twenty five leading authorities of the church who are present or attainable at the latest conference in this city twenty four sign their names to a document reiterating their adhesion to so an original gospel principle and reasserting a well understood rule ol of church discipline and when at the very same meeting where this document Is i read and approved the signers are again sustained by she uplifted hands bands of their fellow members in the positions to which they have been called the attitude of an unwilling or recalcitrant member then or two or three weeks star on the said maid document need not be in the least degree misunderstood whether be be to lo salt bait lake city or provo or tooele thoele or anywhere elee cite and whether he be high or low or not at all in the priesthood ble bis action is susceptible of but one view that view la is that in his individual judgment the twenty four leading authorities tot referred erred to were wrong and the body of the church was WAD wrong not only io in approving the she document hut but also in voting to sustain the authorities aforesaid by big op posing vote on the document in quention he virtually dec declares lareis his hie unwillingness to sustain those who signed it and there is neither martyrdom nor any special about abou this his sot act he exer exercises cism the free agency which belongs to him and chiou the nas never sought improperly to restrain but here bere Js is the kernel of the whole question if by thus acting ing he be refuses to sustain bis big church leaders and those whom his associates in the church have voted to accept and support as lea leaders derp be must not be surprised id if they and all bis big other cluron a rassool atom ates refuse to sustain him by igo own act he be declares declare himself to be out of harmony with them and their principles st at least in part it would be worse than childish for fol him to ex expect pe 04 after such an that ithac they on their part could extend to him the hand of lull full fellowship when be withholds holds it from them if he has bag his senses he be must know that he and they banoo t pleasantly travel the same path to gether 1 s many people and pres ll 11 writers ibo not being members 0 of f the church cannot therefore fully understand its rules and obligations assume to speak pal wisely or tremblingly and yet foolishly about the class of Inc incidents idenO we have referred to we advise obese to ccok lc ok at the matter from the stand strad point we have attempted to define jt if they a are re fair minded whatever ve r the they Y may think about the declaration they will have to admit that it having been promulgated by the authorities accepted by the peoples people and the format attain again sustained by the lettera lat apt there is nothing tor for those who refuse to accept it and thus refuse to sustain we be authorities who signed it but to stop step down without whining and that tu any such action there is is nothing whatever upon which to base a sens senes tion or try to make a f fuss use |