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Show DECLARATION OF PRINCIPE ilED W FIRST PRESIDENCY Seventy-Eighth Annual General Conference Con-ference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Oalnta a Memorable ono. Salt Lnko City. Tho chief fcatnro of tho opening ssssloit of tho seventy-eighth nnniiul general conferonco of tho Church of Jesus Christ of Lnt-ter-dny Saints, w. Ich convened In this city on April Gy was tho reading of tho declaration of principle: nnd Its npprovnl by tho thousand of members of tho church present at the morning session; together with tho address of President Smith, whloh was largely large-ly In tho nature of a review of tho work of tho church during tl.o year. Addresses were nlso made by(Apostlcs Hiram Smith, (Jcorgo A. Smith, D. O. McKay and George 1'. Richards. Their addresses wero devoted largely large-ly to theological themes. The tabcrnaclo wa crowded, nt least 8,000 peoplo bolng present. With tho nsscrtlou that the members mem-bers of tho Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nro living better lives, than ovor before, that thoy paid moro tithes during 190G than in nny other year In tho history of tho church, nnd that ns a result tho bonded bond-ed Indebtedness of tho church has been wiped out. President Joseph F. Smith opened h I s address. President Smith denied tho charges that -havo beon mndo to tho effect that tho officials of tho church havo been diverting tho tlthcB to their own personal per-sonal uso, by snylng: "Not ono general gen-eral nuthorlty of the church draws a dollar from tho tithing fund for his own uso and profit." President Smith then proceeded to explain whoro this money goes, saying: say-ing: "I want to tnko you Into n secrot. In tho past money belonging to tho church has been used to help start a number of Institutions, such ns tho ,. C. M. I., tho sugar factories, and other enterprises'. Every cent of tho amount so Invested hns boon returned to tho church, tho stock of all theso concerns Is now pnylng dividends and from theso dividends tho expenses of tho. general authorities of tho church nro paid. Wo aro not using ono cent of your tithing except for the purpose for which It was Intended. When you go homo nnd hear somo of the old charges about what Is being dono with tho tithing fund, I wnnt you to say that wo aro not using this fund for the purposes which thoy accuso us of; that tho tithing fund Is Intact and wo havo n llttlo to spare. And I would like to say to somo of thoso who havo charged us with misappropriation misappro-priation of this fund 'Put that In your plpo and smoke It.' " In referring to tho general financial finan-cial condition of tho church tho president presi-dent said: "Today tho ohurch does not owo ono cent to nnyouo that It ennnot pay. Wo do not want to borrow bor-row monoy and wo do not havo to borrow any. Wo oxpoct to seo tho day In tho nenr future when wo will not havo to ask you for ono cent in donations that you don't wish to give with, tho frocst kind of will. I hopo to seo tho day while I yet llvo In tho flesh." President Smith referred to tho declaration dec-laration of principles which hnd been formulntcd by tho church authorities, and Immediately after ho had finished nts address tho document was read by Apostlo O. F. Whitney, nnd adopted by tho members present, a rising voto bolng taken, tho voto being unnnlmous. Tho document Is qulto a lengthy ono, and wo nro unnblo to elvo It In full, but tho following covors the pertlnont points: Declaration of Principles. Tho principles and purposes of the church aro wldoly misrepresented nnd seriously misunderstood. Tho rollglon Is founded on tho revolutions rev-olutions of Cod. It teaches puro Christianity Chris-tianity and its theology Is based on tho doctrines of tho Rodoomor. "If It bo true Christianity to accopt Jesus Christ as dlvlno, to revere him ns tho Son of Qod through whom alono mankind can attain salvation, J accept his teachings ns a guide, to comply with tho requirements proscribed pro-scribed by him ns cssontltl to membership mem-bership In his church If this bo Christianity, then wo nro Christians." Tho theology of our church Is the theology taught by Jesus Christ, tho theology of scripture and renson. Thoso who accept of Mormontsm nro among tho best men nnd womon of tho nations from which they como honest, Industrious, virtuous and reverent. Thoy aro opposed to vlco and crlmo by Instinct and training. Thcro Is nothing In Mormonlsm to attract tho selfish or tho vllo. Tho Mormon peoplo aro not good, honest but misguided folks and tliolr loadors tho porsonlflcntlon of nil that Is bad. Prlostfiood and tho pcoplo aro Inseparable and stand together. Tho chargo that tho church relies on duplicity nnd shuns Investigation, Is contrary to reason and fact. Enlightened Investigation Is tho means by which tho phurch seoks to promoto bollof in its principles, Tho history of tho church and tho precepts of Its lenders aro sufficient proof that tho chargo that Mormonlsm Is opposed to education Is falso. It Is Impossible for n man to bo Bavod In Ignorance. A man Is saved no fnstor than h) gets knowledge. Mormonlsm is not destructive of the sanctity of the marrlago relation. Mnrrlage was not designed as merely an earthly union, but a union for eternity. eter-nity. Tho generations of pcoplo born and reared In Mormon homes will compare favorably In Christian virtues with any community in this or nny other country. Tho charge that tho church alms nt absolute domination In commercial affnlrs Is untrue; It Is true thnt the church claims the right to counsel and advise members In temporal as well as spiritual affairs. This has been dono without exercise of arbitrary arbi-trary power and hns resulted from wlso counsels, persuasively given and willingly followed. It has been tho policy of tho church to foster homo Industries. Government by consent of tho governed gov-erned Is the rule of tho church. Tho ecclesiastical government oxlsts Itself by the will of tho pcoplo; elections nro ficquont nnd mombers nro nt liberty lib-erty to voto as thoy choose. Tho clectlvo systom operates by popular acceptance rather than through popular selection. All church officials are answerablo to tho church for their conduct. Suoh n government cannot bo clnssed as a tyranny nor considered a mcnaco to free Institutions. Tho tithing system Is not an oppressive oppres-sive tax, but a systom of freo will offerings. It Is a voluntary offering for religious- purposes and not a scheme of extortion for tho enrichment enrich-ment of higher officials. Neither in mental attitude or In conduct hns tho church boon disloyal to tho government. Tho only conduct seemingly Inconsistent Incon-sistent with the profession of the Mormon peoplo as loyal citizens is Involved In controversies concerning plural marriages. Tho law against polygnmy passed In 1SG2 was conscientiously consci-entiously disregarded by Lattor-day Saints In their observance of n principal prin-cipal sanctioned by their rollglon, nnd as being contrary to tho constitution. Tho supremo court decision did not obtain until 1878, nnd no nttompt was mndo to enforco the law until six years lator. Surely, this toleration binds tho peoplo of tho United States to tho cxorclso of patience nnd char-ity char-ity In dealing with this question. What tho Mormon pcoplo did In disregard of tho court decision was In tho spirit of maintaining religious rights, and becauso tho law developed a conflict between a duty to God nnd n duty to government. Tho Mormon pcoplo havo now bowed In respectful submission submis-sion to tho laws enncted against plur-al plur-al marriage. Tho union of church and stntc, domination dom-ination of tho stnto by tho church, ecclesiastical ec-clesiastical Interference with tho political po-litical freedom of citizens nro contrary con-trary to tho policy of tho church. ThlB doctrino Is predicated upon tho understanding un-derstanding that there shall bo no Interference In-terference by tho stnto with tho church. Mormonlsm Is In tho world for tho world's good. |