The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-09-07
G. What is done with the proceeds of

this tithing? a1 Ats
Y. Part of it is devoted to building
temples and other places of worship; part
to helping the poor and needing converts
on their way to this country; and the lar
gest portion to the support of the poor
among the Saints.
G. Is none Of it paid to Bishops and
other dignitaries of the Church?
Y. Not one penny No Bishop, no
Elder, no Deacon, or other church officer,
receives any compensation for his official
services. A Bishop is often required to
put his hand in his own pocket ard pro-
vide therefrom for the poor of his charge;
but he never receives anything for his SER
vices.
G.. How, then do your ministers
| live? --Ea; ,, -ti ss.v.
| Y. BY the labor of their own hands,
like the first Apostles. Every Bishop,
every Elder, may be daily seen at work in
the field or the shop, like his neighbors;
every minister of the Church has his
calling by which he earns the bread of his
family; be 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; am
the only person in the church who has not
a regular calling apart from the church's
service, and never receive one farthing
fromlher treasury; if obtain anything
from the tithipg house, I am charged with
and pay for it, just as any one else would;
the clerks in the tithing store are paid
like other clerks, but no one is ever paid
for any service pertaining to the minis
try. We think that o man who cannot
make his living aside from the ministry
of Christ unsuited to that Office. 1 am
called rich, and consider myself worth
f$250,000, but not dollar was ever paid
me by the Church or for any service as q
minister. of the Everlasting Gospel. ]
lost nearly all had when we were broken
up in Missouri and driven from that State,
1 was yearly stripped again when Joseph
Smith was murdered aud we were driven
from Illinois; but nothing was ever made
up to me by the church, nor by any one.
l believe l know how TO acquire property
end how to take care of it.
G. Can you give me any rational ex.
planation 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?
Y. No other explanation than is af
forded by the crucifxion of. Christ and
the kindred treatment of Gods ministers
: prophets and saints in all ages!
G. l know that new sect is Away
decried and ,traduced-thst, it is hardl!
ever deemed respectable to belong to ont
that the Baptists, Quakers, Methodists
Universalists, &c, have each in their sec
of the ,offscouring of the earth, yet / can
not remember that either of them wer,
ever generally represented and regarded
! by the older sects of their early days q
thieves, robbers, muderers. i
Y. If you will consult the cotempora
ry Jewish accounts of the life and acts Q
Jesus Christ, you will find that be and hi
- disciples were accused of every abomina
" BILE deed and robbery and muir
der included Such work is still extan
= and may be found by those who see
it. rU ~ J
!. G.. What do you say of the so calle
- Danites, or Destroying Angels, belongin
" your Church? 4..
Y. What do you say? i know of n
such band, no such persons or organization OF
a l hear of them only in the ISLANDERS of ou
enemies.
. G.. With regard, then, to the gra,
J. question on which yoor doctrines an
practices are avowedly at war with thos
II of the Christian world--that of pluralit
8 OF wives--is the system of your chure
u acceptable to the majority of its womeI
,e Y They could not be more averse
N it than was when it was frs. revealed
us as the Divine will Ithink they gel
is orally accept it, as I do, as the will
God. 49, r - tt.-a
G.. How general is polygamy amor
Id you?
Y. could not say Some of tho'
IN present (heads of the church, have eac
nt only one wife; othe.s have more; each d
es termines what is his individual duty.
r. G. What is the largest number
wives belonging to any one man?
j. Y. have fifteen; know of no or
n, who has more; but some of those scale
to me are old ladies whom I regard ratl
- er as mothers than wives, but whom
D. have taken home to cherish and support.
Sc G. Does not the Apostle Paul sa
a. that bishop should be "the husband
Id one wife?"
er Y. So we hold. We do not regal
to any but married men as fitted for the Off,
de of bishop. But the Apostle does not fo
h. bid bishop having more than one.
G. Does not Christ say that he wi
th puts away his wife, or marries one who
ch another has put away commits utter
ch Y. Yes; and hold thatno idsn shou
he ever put away a wife exception adultery
II Al =