The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-25
COMMON CONSENT
Is a Cardinal Prin-
ciple.
TRIUMPHANTLIBERT
Apostle Thatcher's Thought
full Exposition,
OLA DOCTRINE OF MORMONISM
The War in Heaven and the Contest
on Earth are for Mans Free
Agency.


meaning people throughout the civil
lied world have come to believe
"Mormonism"-so called-to be a
wickedly and cunningly devised scheme
Of priestly rule, designed as a means of
oppression and wrong; and having,
under an organized system of religious
forms, all the autocratic powers of an
irresponsible absolutism, but none of
the Safeguards and ennobling princi-
pies of democracy as exhibited in the
exercise of Individuality, independence
and manhood.
In worldly sense, the position in
which these scandalous fabrications
have placed the Mormon" people is
deeply TO be regretted, though
it is by no mems Wit o1t
parallel in the history OF the
past. The unenviable reputation
they bear, in the estimation of those
misinformed, as to the correct belief,
real practices and abiding hopes of all
true "Mormons," is but the natural
result Of exceedingly unnatural and
questionable causes.
The Apostle Paul in his time pro-
claimed the Gospel of Christ to be, "a
perpect law ofliberty." Notwithstand-
ing this inspired and irrefutable declar-
alton. those who believed in its precepts,
and sought to practice its doctrines,
were by the masses regarded as fanati-
cal zeaIots, unworthy of the protection
freely accorded to others. There were
g
now, who willingly DETAINED and
soandalizsd without scruple the fol-
lowers of the meek and lowly Jesus;
seeking thereby to engender sectional
natreds and religious animositIes. In
those times it required a great deal of
manly fortitude and independence of
character to be a Christian, everywhere
spoken against, hated, prosecuted and
often killed. OF the craven and cow
ardly, not many espoused the cause of
the unpopular Nazarine. Only the
courageous-men of stout hearts and
brave spirits followed Hin that was
familiar with sorrow, and acquainted
with grief. Serbs can r ow float in the
currC Mt Of Christian thought. Not so
them
HE that loveth father or mother
better than me, is unworthy of me-"
was an announcement too emphatic
and unequivocal to draw towards 10
the following of even God. How,
then, could the craven join Him that
mad declared The that seeketh to save
his life shall lose it?' Men who for
sock for him and his doctrines, not only
fathers and mothers, but wives and
children, to say nothing of worldly
wealth and honors, can hardly be re-
garded as weak and insincere, or to
have Lacked manly independence.
History. to my knowledge, affords no
single instance when or where poten-
tates or powers ever successfully re-
tanned long in bondage men of that
character. Those who follow honest
convictions based on eternal truth and
Justice, afford unsuitable material with
which, under any circumstances what
ever, to make irresponsible tools.
Force may chain their bodies, but fet-
ter their souls, never. If, in our times
"Mormonism' has developed men who,
for the love Of the cause they espoused,
have sacrificed the esteem of kindred,
forgone home and the endearments of
home, and met the scorn and contempt
and derision of loved ones until their
very heart-strings seemed to break, in
their stretch over the keyboard OF
human misery, is it consistent or rea-
sonable to believe that such would be- !
come the willing victims of the design |
ing or slaves to the INSCRIPTIONS, |
whether priest or potentate? To an |
unpreiudiced mind such thought |
is simply preposterous. And yet that |
is exactly the attitude assumed by |
those who assert that "Mormonism" |
is a theocratic system of priestly rule, |
which smothers agency, stiles indi- |
yidual manhood and destroys indepen- |
dence.
To the Mormon there is degree of |
satisfaction, though tinged with sorrow, |
in the thought that however numerous |
and vile the accusations heaped against
him, they are neither more numerous
nor more vile than those patiently en-
dured by the early Christians. While
the sweat of death gathered on the
brow of the dying Redeemer, He prayed
for the guilty who knew not what they
did. So the chief victory of Saint
consists in praying for those who perse-
cute and despitefully use him.
Having thus generally prefaced my
SUBJECT, l now unhesitatingly affirm
that "Mormonism," as the world now
calls the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is still
as perfect law of liberty" as when so
pronounced by Paul, eighteen centuries
ago. It is now, as it was then, pre-
eminently theo-democratic, and in it's
doctrines embraces common consent,
free-agency, individuality. 1t teaches
love of God, love of humanity, love of
country. 1t advocates Cancellation and
denounces coercion. It favors the
highest liberty for both man and wo~
man, and opposes bondage of body or
soul. It urges gentleness and persua-
sion, and arrays itself against misrule,
nsurpation and oppression in whatever
form and from whatever source. 1t
teaches that governments. whether
n~der political or ecclesiastical forms.
should be based on the consent
of the governed. Its revela