Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-08-27

N|IYLI|.
helping the poor and needy converts on
tholf way % this country; and the largest
portion 70 the support Of the poor among
the Saints.
H. G.--Is none Of Il paid to Bishops and
other dignitarles Of the Church
B. Y.--Not ono penny. No Bishop, no
Elder, no Deacon, or other church officer,
receives any compensation for his official SER
vices. A Bishop is often required TO put
his hand Ia his own pocket aud provide there
from for the poor Of his charge but be never
receives anything for his services.
III. G.--How, then, do your ministers live
b. Y.-By the labor Of their own hands,
like the FIRST Apostles. Every Bishop, every
Elder, may be daily seen at work in the
Geld or the shop, like his neighbors every
minister ofthc Church has his proper calling
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 ser.
vice 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 regular
calling apart from the Church's service, and
{ saver received one fsrthin g from her treas
ary if obtain anything from the tithing-
house, 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 ministry. We think man who can
not make his living aside from the Ministry
Of Christ, unsuited to that Office am call
edrich, and consider myself worth $3.50, 900;
but no dollar of it was ever paid me by the
Church or for any service as a minister of
the Everlasting Gospel. lost nearly all /
had when we we're broken up in Missouri
and driven from that State; l was nearly
stripped again when Joseph Smith was mur-
dered aud we we're driven from Illinois; but
nothing was ever made up to me by the
Church, nor by any one. / believe know
bow 10 acquire property and how to take
ssse Eft
4. G.--Can you give me any rational ex-
etsAation 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 directly
ia contact?
B. Y.-No other explanation than is af-
iofded by the cruci6xion of Christ and the |
kiadred treatment of Gods ministers, proph. |
cts and saints in all ages.
Fl. G.-I know that new sect Is ALWAYS
decried and traduced-that it is hardly ever |
deemed respectable to belong to one-that
the Baptists, Quakers, Methodists, Uniyer-
saIists, &c, have each in their turn been re-
garded in the infancy of their sect as the
offscouring Of the earth; yet cannot remem-
Der that either of them were ever generally
represented and regarded by the older sects
Of their early days as thieves, robbers, mur-
derers.
b. Y.-If you will consult the cotempo-
rary Jewish accounts Of the life and acts of |
Jesus Christ, you will fnd that he aud his !
disciples were accused of every abominable |
deed and purpose-robbery and murder in
cluded. Such a work is still extant, and |
may be found by those who seek it.
III. G.-What do you say of the so called |
Danites, or Destroying Angels, belonging
70 your ChufchI
r. WHAT do you say? know of no
such band, no such persons or organization.
j hear Of them only in the ISLANDERS of our
enemies.
ii. G.-Wittss regard, then, to the same
question on which your doctrine and nracti-
ees are avowedly at war with those of the
Christian world--tbat of a plurality of
wives-is the system of your Church accep-
table to the majority of its women
b. Y.-They could not be more averse to
It than was when it was FIRST revealed to
US as the divine will. ] think they general
iy accept it, as / do, as the will Of God.
II. G.-How general ispolygamy among
you?
B. u could not say. Some of those
present (heads Of the church, have each
bat one wife; others have more; each deter
mines what is his individual duty.
H. G.-What is the largest number of |
wives belonging to any one manG
b. VI have fifteen; l knew 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.
III. G.--Does not the Apostle Paul say
that bishop should be "the husband of
one wife?"
B. Y.-So we hold. We do not regard
any but q married man as fitted for the
Office of bishop. But the Apostle does not
forbid bishop having more wives than one.
ID. G.-Does not Christ say that he who
puts away his wife, or marries one whom an
other puts away, commits adultery?
b. Yes; and hold that no man
should ever put away a wife except for
adultery-nOt always even for that. Such
Is Ssy individual view Of the matter / do
Aot say that wives have never been nut
away in our Church, but that do not an
prove OF the practice.
H. G.-How do you regard what is com.
monty termed the Christian Sabbath 7
B. Y.-As a 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 can reeoIleet, the
Substance Of nearly two hours converse
Noas wherein much was said incidentally
that would not be worth reporting. even
u } could remember and reproduce IT, aud
wherein Others bore part bat. as Presi.
esnt Young is the Erst minister Of the
Mormon Church. and bore the principal
part in the conversation, l have reported
Bis answers alone to NV 0ueEtions .nd ~