Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-03-26
Correspondence of the N. Y. Tribune.
The Secrets of MOrmOnism.
SALT I.aKE CfTY, October 1856.

1t is fact to be looked upon with as
= Etohisbfnebt, and one most certainly desere
1 ing especial consideration, that the mos
: perfect union of Church and State, togeth
er with the most despotic Government {,
be found in the world, is that under which
10000 inhabitants of the United Statel
are now oppressed. Residing in Terri
4 tory important from the fact that through
it all central communication between The
Atlantic and Pacific States must find it,
way, they are bound down by an organized
system, the avowed object of which is uttel
overthrow of the present political, religious
moral and social institutions of this age
and the substitution in their stead of the
tenets of society whose doctrines embrace
not only the most Objectionable features
which are to be found in the social and po-
litical relations of mankind in the early ages
but also those principles which more pecu-
liarly attract the imagination of the ignor-
ant and depraved of the present day.
The Territory of Utah is nominally gov
erned by the laws of the United States, to-
gether with those passed by its Legisla-
ture, and it is generally supposed that these
laws are enforced by officers appointed by
] the United States Government. Such how
ever, cannct be the case as long as the
Church of Latter Day Saints exists with
its present organization. The leading ar
ticle of faith or belief in the Mormon creed,
is that of direct revelation from Heaven
This doctrine was at first applied in gen
eral sense, and one firm in the faith, and
who stood high in the Church, received
visions and revelations. But this soon be
came troublesome, the revelations often
clashed with each other and led to many
annoyances, and the power of receiving re-
velations was therefore confined exclusively
to the Presidency, in whom the supreme
authority of the Church rests. This Pres
idency consists of the President and his
two counselors the First President is, bow
ever, sole monarch, for his assessors, though
they may demonstrate, have no power of
resisting his DEGREES. Next in authority
in the Church stands the Apostolic Col
lege, which is composed of twelve Apostles,
who form kind of Ecclesiastical Senate,
but the majority of them are generally on
missions taking charge of the different
branches of the Church in other parts of
the world. After these come the High
Priests, who, together with the Elders,
constitute the body polite of the Church,
whose duty it is to carry out and enforce
its DEGREES and regulations. These High
Priests and Elders are divided into socie-
ties, called Quorums of Seventies. Every
quorum preserves on its records complete
genealogy of each of its members.
Among the dignitaries of the Church
the Patriarch stands eminent, as he has
the power of pronouncing benedictions upon
individuals, which benedictions, sold for a
certain sum, are supposed to act as a sort
of charm upon their reciepint. He holds
his office for life; all other stations are fill
ed with candidates nominated by the Pres
idency and elected annually in Convention
by the body of the Church. The Bishops
are also conspicuous and important officers,
for it is their duty to collect the tithing, to
inspect once week every family in their
ward or district and to examine strictly In
TO their temporal and spiritual affairs. In
order to do this more thoroughly, each
Bishop has his two Counsellors, who as
sist him in the business. The Bishop also
adjudicates and settles all difficulties occur
ring between persons residing in his ward,
though from his decision an appeal can be
made to the High Council. This is tri-
bunal composed of fifteen men selected
from among the high priests, twelve of
whom sit as jurors and hear the testimony
of witnesses in the case, and then by voting
make a decision-a majority on one side of
the other deciding the question; the remain
ing three as Judges rendering Judgment
as to the costs or punishment. From this
Court the only appeal is to the Presidency.
A Mormon makes himself liable to the
penalty of excommunication from the
Church if he takes suit before a civil
court for settlement, unless it is BY the
consent of the High Council; SO that his
temporal as well as spiritual difficulties ae-
settled by the Church. This Church Gov
ernment, is intimately connected with the
Territorial Government, for the First Pres
ident, Brigham Young, is Governor of the
Territory. His first counsellor, Heber G.
Kimball, is Lieutenant Governor, or Presi-
dent of the Territorial Council; and his
second counselor, Jedediah M. Grant, is
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
All the Members of the Legislature are al |
so appointed by Brigham, and, of course,
are dignitaries in the Church. AS he re-
ceives revelations direct from Heaven upon
this subject, he, of course, will best know
whom to nominate as Legislators, and to
his ticket there is never an opposing voice.
As the law on the subject of elections re-
quires that each person, before voting, shall
register.his name and number his ballot
with the number opposite his name, if he
dared to vote against the regular ticket he
must suffer the consequences. ;--
The power of Brigham in temporal af-
fairs is even carried into the civil courts, for
no juror dare sit in the jury-box without
his consent and he of course takes care
who he allows to occupy such a position.
This interference i'll the judicial affairs of
the Territory completely counteracts any
afforts which the United States, Judges
may make to enforce the laws or to admin
lister justice.
Brigham Young is enabled by this Or
ganization of the Church to become init
mately acquainted with even the most pri-
vate concerns of each and every one of his
followers, and thus to hold them completely
in his power. For instance, if family be-
come dissatisfied with Mormonism, the