| Show OFFICIAL DECLARATION r SALT SAI LAKE LAKE CITY December 1889 To WHOM IT MAY CONCERN In oon consequence of gross gloss gross misrepresentations misrepresentations misrepresentations o of he 1 he doctrines aims and practices of ot the Church Church Church of Jesus Grist of Latter-day Latter Saints Saints com corn commonly called thet o to Mormon Church which have been promulgated for fo r years and have recently been re revived re- re revived revived for political purposes and w to prevent to-prevent prevent all all aliens aHem otherwise q qualified qualified fied fled who are members of th toe Mor w mon inon Church from acquiring citi cUI- citizenship citizenship zet we wo deem it proper on be- be be behalf i half halt of said Church to Publicly publicly I I ties deny th these calumnies and enter our protest against them We solemnly make the following g declarations viz That this t Church hurch views the shed shed- shedding shedding shedding ding of human with the ut- ut utmost ut utmost most abhorrence abhorrence That we regard the killing of a human being ex- ex except except ex except in conformity with the civil law as a capital crime rime which should be punished by shedding she the blood of the criminal after a public trial trial before a legally constituted constituted constituted court of the land Notwithstanding all the s atries ries told about the killing of ot apostates no case of this kind has ever OC- OC OCcurred oc oc and of course has never been en established against the Church we represent Hu Hundreds of ers era from the Church have con COD continuously continuously r- r resided and now live in inthis inthis inthis this Territory many of 0 whom have amassed considerable amassed consider considerable ble wealth though bitterly hostile to the Mormon faith and an people eOple Even those who have made it their business to business to fabri fabricate cate the vilest falsehoods and to render them plausible by culling isolated passages from old sermons without the ex explanatory context and have suffered no opportunity escape them of vilifying and black back blackening ening the characters hara of the people ha have e remained among those whom they have ha e thus bus persistently calum calum- calumniated calumniated calumniated until the present day with with- without without without out nn the slightest persona l injury We denounce as entirely entirety untrue e the allegation w which has been made that our Church favors or or believe s io in the killing of persons persona who leave lean the Church or apostatize fl from m its i doctrines We would view a pun pun- punishment punishment pun pun- punishment of this character for such an act with the utmost horror it is i s abhorrent to us Uti and is in direct opposition to the fundamental prin prin- principles principles principles of our cr creed d The revelations of God to thi s Church make death the penalty for fo r capital crime and require that of- of offenders offenders of offenders fenders against life and pro y y shall be delivered up to and tried by bythe b bythe 3 the laws 1 of the land We declare that no Bishops Bishop's or o r othEr court in this Church claims 01 or o r f 5 i 4 5 exercises the right to su A t or modify a judgment of any civil court Such courts while established V Jishe to regulate Christian conduct are purely ecclesiastical al and aud their punitive powers go no further er tha than r the suspension or excommunication r of members from Church fellow fellow- fellowship fellowship ship That this Church while offering advice for the welfare of i its mem mem- members members t bersin bers in all conditions of life does es eel not claim or exercise the right to interfere with citizens in the free of social ROcial or political rights s sand and privileges The ballot in th this s t Territory is absolutely ly meled meled and secret No mans man's s busine business s or other secular aft affairs are invaded by the Church or any t of I Its ite I ot officers Free agency and w dir direct t in individual I to tok r- r God d are among the essentials e of our Church doctrine All All- All things in inthe the Church must be done by com om common mon rona-mon mon consent and no officer is ap- ap ap appointed appointed r i pointed d without the vote of the body We declare re that there is nothing ng in the ceremony of the Endow Endow- Endowment ment went or in an any doctrine tenet obligation or injunction on of this Church either private private- or public t which is hostile or intended to to tobe f be ho hostile tile to th the Government of the United States On the con cow contrary teary its members are under di- di divine vine di-vine 45 vine command commandment ment to w Constitution as a inspired heaven beave in- in instrument in instrument strument Ut Utterances ances of prominent men n 11 i th the Church at a time of great ex- ex excitement ex excitement 1 have been selected and I b grouped to convey the impression that present members rs are seditious Y Those were expressions were made more t than thirty years ago when through the f falsehoods ls hoods of oft ff I falsehoods T recreant officials ciaJa afterwards demonstrated to be base base- baseless baseless less Jess troops were wert sent to this Terri Terri- Territory t tory and were viewed by the people s Z in their isolated condition fifteen Y hundred miles from railroads as 8 an n armed arwed mob co coming coming to renew the he bloody bloody persecutions of At that time excitement i prevailed and strong language was used used d but A no words of disloyalty against against st the Government Govern Government ent or its Institutions n we wet were 1 t 11 f v 1 c l uttered public speakers confined J their remarks to denouncing traitor traitor- traitorous t tous ous e officials who were prostituting the powers of their positions to accomplish nefarious ends Criticism Criticism Criticism cism of the acts of U United States officials was not Rot considered then neither is it now as treason against the nation nor as hostility to the Government In this connection Y we may say that the members of our Church have never offered or intended to offer any insult to the t L flag of our country but have haves haveL 1 s always honored it as the ensign of la laws ws and liberty Y We also declare that this Church t does not claim to be he an independent temporal kingdom of God or to be bean bean J an m in n imperio aiming to b overthrow the United States or any t other civil government nt It has been organized by divine revelation revelation tion preparatory to the second ad- ad advent advent ad advent vent of the Red Redeemer emer It Proclaims 4 that the kingdom of heaven is at hand band Its member members are com com- commanded commanded commanded of God to be be subject unto the powers that be until Christ comes whose right it is to reign Church government and civil government are distinct and separ separ- se separate separate r ate in our theory and practice and andye fe ye regard it as part of our destiny to aid in the maintenance and per per- perpetuity perpetuity perpetuity f of the Institutions of our country AN We claim no religious liberty k that we are are unwilling to accord to others We ask for no civil or political y rights which are not granted and guaranteed to citizens in general generate We desire to be in harmony with the Government and people of the United States as an integral part of the nation I We regard all attempts to exclude aliens from naturalization and citi citi- citizens citizens zens zeus from the exercise of theA the f K elective ve franchise solely because A elective they are are members of the Mormon Church as Impolitic r lican and dangerous encroach ments upon civil and and religious lib lib- liberty lib liberty ib- ib erty Notwithstanding the wrongs we con consider lder we have suffered Buffered through through the Improper improper execution of national 4 h L n y- y s J laws we regard those wrongs as the acts of men and not of the Govern Govern- Government Government Government ment and we intend by the help of Omnipotence to remain firm in our fealty and steadfast fast in the maintenance of constitutional prin prin- principles principles principles and the integrity of this Re- Re Republic Republic Re Republic public We earnestly ap appeal eal to the American press and people not to condemn the Latter day Latter day Saints unheard Must we always be judged by the misrepresentations of our enemies and never be ac- ac accorded accorded ac accorded corded a fair opportunity of representing representing representing ourselves In the name of justice reason and humanity we ask for tor a suspension of national and popular judgment until a full till investigation can be had and all the facts connected with what is called the Mormon ques ques- question question question tion can be known And we ap- ap appeal appeal ap appeal peal to the Eternal Judge of all allmen allmen allmen men and nations x o aid u la in the vindication of our righteous cause WILFORD WOODRUFF GEORGE Q CANNON JOSEPH F P SMITH Presidency of the Church of J Jesus US Christ of Latter-day Latter Saints LoRENZO SNOW FRANKLIN D RICHARDS Mos MOSES THATCHER FRANCIS FRANOIS M LYMAN JOHN HENRY SMITH GEORGE TEASDALE HEBER J GRANT JOHN W TAYLOR M W MERRILL MERRILLA A H ND L-ND ABRAHAM H CANNON Mem Members rs of the Council ef of the Apostles JOHN W YOUNG DANIEL H WELLS WELLS Counselors |
