Magazine Slanders Confuted

Magazine Slanders Confuted. BY THE FIRST PRESIDENCY OF THE CHURCH. [The following statement by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in reference to late magazine slanders, was read by Elder Heber J. Grant, at the general annual conference of the Church, held at Salt Lake City, April 9, 1911, and was upon motion adopted and endorsed by unanimous vote of the great congregation, consisting of representatives of members of the Church in all the world.—Editors.] To the Officers and Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, in General Conference assembled: Dear Brethren and Sisters : Ever since its organization, April 6, 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been bitterly assailed, the chief darts of slander being aimed at its leaders. Its first President, Joseph Smith, was the target for the shafts of abuse even before that date, as he was attacked by professing Christian ministers when he first announced, in 1820, that he had received a heavenly manifestation of vital importance. Misrepresentations followed him until the day of his martyrdom, in 1844, when he was cruelly and lawlessly slain at Carthage, Illinois. His successor, the great pioneer and colonizer and patriot, Brigham Young, came in for his full share of calumny and abuse, during all the years of his successful career as the founder of a splendid commonwealth in the midst of the Rocky Mountains. Each head of the Church, in his turn, has been libelled, lampooned, caricatured and vilified, and until they closed their eyes in death, their names were associated with everything that is evil, although they were men of the highest type of honor, integrity and sincerity. Revival of Refuted Falsehoods. It is not strange, therefore, that the present incumbent of the office they held so worthily, should be subjected to similar treatment. And yet, in view of the fact that the various falsehoods uttered against the Church and its presiding officers have been repeatedly refuted and exploded, it is somewhat surprising that the

720 1MPRO VEMENT ERA. old, stale and shattered fabrications are raked up and used anew in the opening years of the enlightened twentieth century. But they have been for some time newly exploited through respectable magazines (mostly from pens that cannot be regarded as worthy of such recognition), with the same purpose as that which animated anti- "Morraon" writers and speakers from the beginning. It is a question whether silence should be maintained, as a sign of that contempt that is felt for those attacks and their authors by the objects of their spleen, but there are so many requests for replies, or at least explanations, for the benefit of inquiring minds, that perhaps it is proper that something should be officially stated for the good of the reading public. Findings of the Senate Committee. The investigation by the committee on privileges and elections of the United States Senate on the right of the Senator from Utah, Reed Smoot, to the seat to which he was duly elected, that was prolonged for nearly four years, disposed of most of the old stories now revamped and patched up for current use. But several large volumes have to be waded through to obtain that definite information, while the mingled nonsense and venom poured forth from month to month is in present view and in popular form. Yet, after all, there is so much of frothy verbiage and proofless assertion that it is difficult to grasp anything definite enough, in the adroitly framed sentences, to hold up to view and expose its fallacy. However, there are some charges that are more or less direct, which it may be well enough to briefly answer. Folly of Current Charges. The Church is accused of violating certain pledges to the national government. It is also asserted that the president of the Church receives several millions of dollars annually by enforced levies upon the members, this revenue being in his absolute control, unaccounted for and at his personal service. It is further alleged that he, with a few other ecclesiasts, dictates the political affairs of the State, sending Senators and Representatives to Congress, and ruling the community with an iron hand, to the subversion of individual liberty and the destruction of American citizenship. In support of these charges there is nothing presented except vituperation and the repetition of fictitious narratives, really grotesque in their palpable absurdity. We hereby denounce them as utterly false and without foundation. First, as to pledges or compacts by the Church to the United States government: This charge on its face, is ridiculous, no matter

MAGAZINE SLANDERS CONFUTED. 721 how often or forcibly it is repeated. The compacts or agreements be tween Utah and the Government on which statehood was achieved, were not made, and indeed could not be made, by the Church or its authorities. They were required by the enabling act framed by Congress and were fully complied with by the State and its Constitution, and this was officially announced in the President's proclamation. The only pledge made by the authorities of the Church that could be construed as a compact, was that contained in a petition for amnesty for certain persons who were in legal jeopardy, or imprisonment, upon charges growing out of the anti-polygamy laws of Congress. This was framed in December, 1891, and signed by the then Presidency and Apostles of the Church, and the promise made was in these words: "As shepherds of a patient and suffering people we ask amnesty for them, and pledge our faith and honor for their future." Position of the Church on Plural Marriage. This may be coupled with the so-called manifesto of President ' Wilford Woodruff, adopted by the Church in conference assembled, October 6, 1890, in which he announced his intention to live according to the laws of the United States, and declared: "My advice to the Latter-day Saints is that they contract no marriage contrary to the laws of the land." Since that time the Church has not performed any plural marriages or authorized any violation of the law thus forbidden. But there were some persons who construed the language of that manifesto to signify plural marriages within the boundaries of the United States, that being "the land" wherein the laws spoken of extended. They, therefore, went or removed^ to Mexico and thus acted on that which they believed to be right without violating the manifesto. They looked on plural marriage within the United States as malum prohibitum and not malum in se. When this condition was discovered, a further declaration was made by President Lorenzo Snow, who succeeded President Woodruff, in which he announced that the manifesto extended to every place, and that "the Church has positively abandoned the practice of polygamy, or the solemnization of plural marriages in this and every other State, and that no member or officer thereof has any authority whatever to perform a plural marriage or enter into such a relation." This was published in the Dcseret News at Salt Lake City, January 8, 1900. Rumors of surreptitious unions contrary to these official announcements being circulated, the present President of the Church, on April 6, 1904, reiterated the universality of the inhibition, and proclaimed that any person entering into or performing a plural

722 IMPRO VEMENT ERA. marriage would be liable to be dealt with according to the rules of the Church and excommunicated therefrom. Such violations of these positive declarations as have been reported, wherever proven by sufficient evidence, have been dealt with by Church tribunals and the offenders have been disciplined or excommunicated. This course will be maintained, with due regard to the rights of individuals and the laws of the Church, common rumor or gossip without evidence being insufficient in a trial, either civil or ecclesiastical. We protest against the charge that the Church or its leading officers encourage the resumption of plural marriages, and hereby declare the same to be absolutely false. The Church Made No Political Compact. As to the insinuation that the Church has broken a compact not to dominate again in political matters, we challenge the production of any such pledge. There is no such agreement to be found. The authorities of the Church never assumed to dictate to members politically. The Church never attempted to dominate the State, and has not done so since the Constitution was framed. There are political aspirants who have attempted to dominate the Church, and who, failing in their endeavors, have become so rancorous in their disappointment that they waste time, money and reputation in fighting the Church and those officers thereof who have refused to employ the influence thus desired. In Utah every citizen is perfectly free to vote as he or she elects by an absolutely secret ballot. Primaries, conventions and the political machinery used by the several political parties are in vogue, and Senators are chosen by the Legislature, and Representatives by popular vote as elsewhere. No Church Dictation in Politics. One striking fact for the consideration of fair minds is, that with all the stories of Church dictation, not a solitary instance can be cited in which any Church member has been disciplined for voting for or against any candidate or proposition. Advocates of each party take the platform and freely ventilate their views and feelings as to their opponents, and if there is anything really objectionable, it is the excess of that liberty in the indulging in personalities and other extremes of partisanship, which are greatly to be regretted and ought to be condemned. But the Church does not interfere with or attempt to curtail the freedom of its members. The principal accusers of the Church as dominating in politics are persons who have sought for that influence in their own behalf, and are enraged because they could not obtain it. There are politicians who exercise their personal influence to effect their own ends, and yet

MAGAZINE SLANDERS CONFUTED. 723 deny to a Churchman the right to express an opinion even when asked for it. We claim for Church officers as well as Church members all the rights and privileges of American citizens, no less and no more; and do not claim, or exercise, power to compel, or coerce, or infringe upon the liberties of any person, and all assertions to the contrary are infamously untrue. "Mormon" Loyalty. Charges of disloyalty, treason and kindred absurdities that appear from time to time, to disturb the public mind, are sufficiently answered by the responses which have been made invariably when our country has called for aid in times of war or seasons of peace. There is rio instance referred to by our detractors of anything we have done or attempted, to give color to their monstrous untruths. But history affords striking incidents of the furnishing of men on the plains to protect the mails from Indian depredations, of service during the Civil war, and of devoted warriors in the Spanish war, and in the Philippines, who were scions of leading "Mormon" families. Revenues of the Church. The subject of Church revenues may be touched upon perhaps with profit. The Latter-day Saints believe in tithing. It is a principle of their faith. It is an ancient observance reaching back to patriarchal times, as related in the Bible. It was established in the Church in the year 1838. The manner of its payment and disbursement is revealed by Divine authority and has appeared in the Church books ever since that date. It is complied with religiously by the Church authorities themselves. It is not the property of the President. He does not claim it or collect it. Tithing is received and receipted for by the local bishops in the respective wards, who are under the supervision of the local presidents of stakes. The whole income is accounted for to the presiding bishopric of the Church and is under their direction. Their office contains complete records of all the tithing paid during each year. Every tithepayer will find in that office his record. The entire receipts and disbursements are there accounted for in the most complete detail. An auditing committee, composed of men well known in the community for their independence of character and business integrity, not of the leading authorities of the Church, chosen by the general conference, thoroughly inspect and report annually upon them. The funds thus received are not the property of the President of the Church or his associates, nor of the presiding bishopric, nor of the local bishops. They belong to the Church and are used for Church

724 IMPROVEMENT ERA. purposes, including the building and maintenance of temples, meetinghouses, schools, colleges, universities, and other structures, the aid of the poor and afflicted, the extension of missions abroad and the help of new colonies at home, and sundry other objects, and but a small amount is used for the support of persons devoting their whole time to the service of the Church, and that not out of the tithing, but from the proceeds of investments made with profit. This includes the Presidency and other Church leaders. All the monstrous tales told of the wealth at the command of the heads of the Church are distorted emanations from disordered brains, or wilful untruths manufactured in order to deceive the public. What "Mormonism" Stands For. It is impossible to take up all the misrepresentations given to the world by anti-"Mormon" preachers and writers. They have one merit: They stir up interest in what is called the "Mormon" question. People are led thus to investigate and many of them find out the truth, and unite with the people who are so greatly maligned. Our doctrines are open to the world. They are not secret or clothed in mystery. We proclaim the pure gospel of Christ as •revealed from heaven in these last days through the great prophet of the nineteenth century, Joseph Smith. We invite all mankind to look into our teachings and promise all who obey them a witness of their truth by the power of the Holy Ghost, which makes men free indeed. We love our country and pray for the perpetuity of its government, we support its institutions, we venerate the Constitution. We are proud of our State, and no one on the face of God's footstool need fear the growth and spread of "Mormonism," for it is the truth revealed anew from heaven, and it promotes freedom, peace, industry, temperance, faith, hope and charity, and stands for human rights, the salvation of mankind, and the glory of the most high God. Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, John Henry Smith, First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The address was adopted and endorsed by unanimous vote of the congregation, composed of representatives of the members of the Church in all the world.