Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-09-02


temples and other places of worship; par
to helping the poor and needy converts OF
their way to this country; and the larges
portion to the support of the poor among
the Saints.
H. G.-Is none of it paid to Bishop,
and other dignitarios of the Church
b. Y.-Not one penny No Bishop
no Elder, no Deacon or other church off
Ger, receives any compensation for his oflica
services. A Bishop is often required to put
bis hand in his own pocket and provide
therefrom for the poor of his charge; but
he never receives anything for his services
II. G.-E1ow, then, yourminiSters live
b. Y.-By the labor of their own hands
like the first Apostles. Every Bishop, ev-
cry Elder, may be daily seen at work in the
field or the shop, like his neighbors; every
minister Of the Church has his proper call
ing by which he earns the bread of his
family; he who cannot or will not do the
| Church's work for nothing is not wanted
IN her service; even our lawyers (pointing
to Gen. Ferguson and another present, who
are the regular lawyers of the Church. are
paid nothing for their services; l am the
only person in the Church who has not a
regular calling apart from the Church SER
vice, and never received Que farthing from
her treasury; if obtain anything from the
tlthing-house | am charged with and pay
for itjust rs any one else would the clerks
in the tithing-store are paid like other clerks,
but no one is ever paid for any service per-
taning to the ministry. We think man
who cannot make his living aside from the
Ministry Of Christ, unsuited to that office.
am called rich, and consider myself worth
S250,o00; but no dollar of it was ever paid
me by the G lurch or for any service as a
minister Of the everlasting Gospel. was
nearly stripped again when Joseph Smith
was murdered and we were driven from IL
linois; but nothing was ever made up to
me by the Church nor by any one. | be-
liere know how to acquire property and
bow to take care of it,
Ii. G.-Can you give me any rational
explanation of the aversion and hatred with
which your people are generally regarded
by those among whom they have lived and
with whom they have been brought direct
ly in contact?
b. Y.-No other explanation than is af-
forded 10y the crucfixion of Christ and the
kindred treatment of Gods ministers,
prophets and saints in all ages.
IL. G.--I know that a new sect is always
decred and traduced--that it is hardly ev-
er deemed respectable to belong to one
that the Baptists, Quakers, Methodists,
Universalists, &c, have each in their turn
been regarded in the infancy of their sect
as the otfscouring of the earth; yet | can
not remember that either of them were ev-
er generally represented and regarded by
the older sects of their early days as thieves,
robbers, murderers.
B. B.--If you will consult the cotempo-
rary Jewish accounts of the life and acts of
Jesus Christ, you will find that he and his
disciples were accused of every abominabe
deed and purpose--robbery and murder in
.cluded. Such work is still extant, and
may be found by those who seek it.
II. G-What do you say of the so-called
Danites, or Destroying Angels, belonging
TO your Church?
B. Y.-What do you say3 l know of
no such band, no such persons or organza-
tion. | hear of them only in the ISLANDERS
Of our enemies.
H. G.-With regard, then, to the same
question on which your doctrine and prac-
tlcos are avowedIy at war with those of the
Christian world--that of plurality of
wves-is the system of your Church ac-
ceptablo to the majority of its women9
B. Y,-Thcy could not be more averse to
it than | was when it was first revealed to
us as as the Divine will. l think they
generally accept it as l do, as the will of
God.
H. G.-How general is polygamy among
youG
B. VI could not say Some of those
present heads of the church, have each
but one wife, others have more: each de-
termincs what is his individual duty.
H. G.--What is the largest number of
wives belonging to any one mani
B. VI have fifteen; | know no one
who has more; but some of those sealed to
me are old ladies whom regard rather as
mothers than wives, but whom | have ta-
ken home to cherish and support
H. G-Does not the Apostle Paul say
that bishop should be the "husband of one
wife9"
B. Y.-So we hold. We do not regard
any but a married man as fitted for the Of
flee of bishop. But tho Apostle does not
forbid bishop having more wivesthan one
H. G.-Does not Christ say that he who
puts away his wife, or marries one whom
another puts away, commits adulteryl
B. Yes; and l hold that no man
should ever put away his wife except for
adultery-not always even for that. Such
is my individual view of the matter do
not say that wives have never been put away
in our church, but that do not approve of
the practice.
H. G.-How do you regard what is COM
monty termed the Christian Sabbath!
B. Y.-As divinely appointed day of
rest. We enjoin all to rest from secular la
Dor on that day. We would have no man
enslaved to the Sabbath, but we enjoin all
to respect and enjoy it.
Such is, as nearly as l can recollect, the
substance of nearly two hours conversation,
wherein much was said incidentally that
would not be worth reporting, even if l
could remember and reproduce it, and
wherein Others bore part; but, as Presi