Show ACTION OF THE APOSTLES the action at thursday s meeting of the council of Apost Ap oatlee lesi relative to a ormer mamat ut of that quorum was irae of vital importance as a t religious principle and was waa taken only after abe to most moat prayerful patient and careful consideration mat aoh such a serious mat ter requires require it was not the first fint finx in the be history of the charca that the be some quorum hall bai been called to do ft a similar idillar io illar painful duty and as a la in other cases of a like nature action WM was not takeo take a until further farther delay would have been a violation of the acred sacred obligations which the council of the twelve owes to the she church and to the tb direct commandments of the one whose priesthood has bae been conferred on the apostles in this dispensation it was wan with a full realization of the sole solemnity of the occasion and the duties it imposed upon the twelve as ae servants of the most moat high hib that brother moses thatcher was wae sev ered from the quorum and deprived ot of his priesthood for the reason that he be refused to maintain the fellowship which wag a condition to his receiving the sacred calling that bad been cou firmed upon him there was not a member of the council but bus followed to the grave those whom they loved better than life with less heavin ness nese of heart then than they a iso barged the duty of the meletine at the historian office on thursday for those apostles comprehend what is IB meant in the here and the hereafter by deprivation of the authority of god once conferred on a mav man but they had bad no alternative As AB men and members of the same council they lived the erring one and tor for years had baa pleaded and borne with him but their pleadings and forbearance were unavailing and the time came when they must choose between administering the law and ana violating it by railing failing to perform a plain duty por for them there was but ove choice to obey god rather than man in this matter there has not been the slightest element of haste baste the leaning all has bae been the other way the troubles which have led up to the present culmination have not been in their inception of recent origin later events eventa have been more mere incidents in a record that covers at least the past nine or ten years all attempts to show that the more serious and indeed the only difficulties are of recent date are very wide of the mark the leaven has baa been working for fora a long long time and for well nigh ball a score ot of years this same result has been feared by abb authorities who have sought earnestly to prevent it by and by pleadings with brother thatcher to place himself in full harmony with his bis quorum but he would not so bo eager has bus been the desire in his behalf that the slightest indication of reconciliation cil lation on his bis part was given full weight and accepted as evidence of the desired change only to be dashed to pieces by a new development under the these circumstances there has been a forbearance unparalleled in the history of the abe church for when a 8 culminating point was reached so that bis big name could not be presented to the general conference the time till the next conference was allowed to elapse before fo for any explanation was made to the people and then it had to be done in order to impress upon him the status h be really occupied but concerning alij ch fie be apte appeared sred to be peculiarly Ison insensible sible still SOU there was the hope that thA repentance would intervene and mikii alake lurther exposure unnecessary but bat the spirit of reconciliation and repentance was not exhibited and abi fault now reached had bad to come abat which has bas been done by the council of apostles has been in obe deedee to the revelations of the lord to his servants they have carried out cut to the full extent the ad monition admonition that no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood only by percussion by long suffering fering euf by Rent lenese and and by love unfeigned they also aleo bad ito to uDder understand stand the fact that men may be called but are not chosen because their hearts are set act so BO much upon the oi of this worl dand daDd aspire to the honors of meng men that they oo do not learn this one lesson that abat the rights of the priesthood are ine inseparably epars connected with the powers of heaven and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled not nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness the twelve also were brought to that the rights of the priest hood may be conferred but when men seek to gratify their pride their vain ambition or to exercise control do minion or compulsion in any degree of unrighteousness unrIghteous mose the heavens withdraw themselves the spirit of the lord la Is grieved and when it to la withdrawn a amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man when the lord bad said amen it was not mot in the province of the council of the apostles to say otherwise the latter day saints who honor the gospel they have received will recognize the necessity on their part to 10 view this matter with care and circumspection they will realize that hasty judgment is unwise and that the proper course is to follow the example of the apostles in this case being careful of their utterances and seeking by prayer and conformity to the gospel law to receive the inspiration of the holy spirit to testify to them of the right and doing this they will preserve their decorum and dignity as sainte saint receiving anew the divine witness that god will vindicate his servants in their actions pertaining to the sacred calling placed upon them and that he has not does not and will not leave without direct and immediate guidance the church authorities acting to in the unanimity of their official association to in church abat their action therein is inspired dictated authorized and approved of god |