The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-19

there was the usual mob In attendance
and the Ii eral forces were augmented b.
the acquisition of Farley L. Williams.
DIR. II. j. RICHARDS.
have resided in Salt Lake city since
1S4S Have been physician since 1871
Have been a member of the church since
was eight years old. Received my endow
ments in 1856. madeno covenant or oatl
to avenge the blood of the prophets agains
the government of the United States
Nothing of that character was presented
] took no obligation to enter into polyg
amy.
To. p. L. Williams-1 never oficiated II
the Endowment house. l saw Heber G
Kimball and DR.. Sprague. l do not know
whether hold the priesthood or not. This
is because was notified that if l did moi
join a quorum 1 would be dropped from
the priesthood. l did not go to the meet
ing. ] am not very active member OF the
church. l go to no meetings whatever
My arm was anointed to aveDge the blood
of the prophets. Joseph and Hyrum were
not mentioned. l remember no obligation
to obey the priesthood. l do not remember
anything about polygamy being said.
When / was married there was nothing in
the ceremony about avenging the blood of
the prophets, obedience to the priesthood,
or polygamy. l have no recollection of any
statement that plural marriage was not
adultery promised not to state any of
the obligations 1 entered into there. |
could not state them, nor am l willing to do
so. / don't wish to reveal any of them.
decline to state what they are.
To the Court understood that Joseph
and Hyrum Smith were numbered among
the prophets. took no oath to avenge
their blood.
To LeGrande Young-I did not under
stand the aveGging of the blood referred to.
To the Court did not understand that
the avenging was to be done under orders
of the church, or that l was to do it at all
To LeGrande Young-When l was mar
ried there was nothing said to me about
adultery. There was nothing said about
the people or the government of the United
States. l did not feel enioined to go out
and kill anybody. Never heard any such
instruction in public or private
did not understand that an apostate
was to be killed. Never heard of any one
being killed for this. l understood that !
could offer my life as an atonement for GER
tain sins.
the blood of apostate5 was not the minds
of the Mormon people at that time. 1t
was a current belief, in 1856, that a man
might offer himself as an atonement for his
sin. But that his death need not neces-
sarily follow. That was not taught in the
Endowment house. l have heard talk
about the subject. Never heard how the
death penalty could be inflicted. Never
heard the authorities teach such doctrine.
Have never heard that idea since the ex-
element of what was called the reforma-
ton, in 1856. 1t was then the talk of peo-
pie, not of any authorities.
To Decentralization Young never
preached the doctrine of blood atonement,
that know Of
To Baskin-In this talk about man of
fering his life, it was not said that it was
for violation of the endowment COW
chants. These may have be y included.
There was no one authorized to l1tiict the
death penalty. l never heard any one state
how it should be done, nor did l ever hear
any OF the leading men say anything
about IL
z. L. +. HARRISON.
1 have resided in Salt Lake twentyseven
years. Am ffty-nine. Have been a mem
Der of the Mormon church. Was member
twenty years. Left the church in 1869. Am
an architect. When was in the church 1
went through the Endowment house. This
was in 1862 or 1868. l have clear remem-
branoe Of what took place. There was no
covenant to avenge the blood of the pro-
phets against the government. The govern
meat of the United States was not referred
to. There was nothing that could be CON
strued into a teaching a man not to be a
good citizen. No reference was made to
citizenship. The teachings were Of an
other nature. l don't remember polygamy
being mentioned. II it came up it had no
prominence in the ceremony. | made no
promise about it.
To P. L. Williams-I never went through
the Endowment house more than once.
Do not remember polygamy being men
toned there. 1t was publicly taught at
the time. / was severed from the church
for opposing the doctrine of the church
governing in temporal affairs, at least that
was my understanding. My particular act
was opposing the direction of the church
in temporal or business matters We
opposed the giving of council about this,
by the president. 1t was a dispute about
financial matters. One of the points was
the development of the mines. There was
a church trial. Brigham Young and
George Q. Cannon were present. was
also tried by the high council. Beca"se of
my position l was charged with disc )ey-
ing the counsels of the church. we did
not consider that the teachings We're to
obey the priesthood, but at that
trial it was decided contrary to
our views, as l understand it. l
was in some apprehension for my
personal safety for year or two. William
S. Godbe and l were tried. A number of
others left the church or were eXcommuni-
Gated for sympathizing with US. l barri-
caded my house because l had apprehen-
sions for my personal safety. L thought
some violence might be done by over yea
Ious Mormons. There were no teach
ings to cause that result, brt there were
some violent men. There was a penalty
attached for revealing certain mysteries of
the Endowment house. | know of no pen
atty for apostasy. The penalty Of death
was attached to revealing these Masonic
ceremonies. l have heard more of that in
later times than did then. A requisition
was made that the blood of the prophets
should be avenged. This was in instruc-
tons. No special Importance was attached
to it. The people covenanted to keep
themselves holy and pure. l remember
my washings, and there was no Importance
or sacredness attached to the avenging
business. The penalties were applied to
the signs, passwords, etc.
To LeGrand Young-The reason for my
accommodation was because l objected
to the direction of the church in temporal
matters. There was little talk about, or
inter est, in politics. We started the Nor
mon Tribune, which was changed to the
Salt Lake Tribune, and I was the first
editor. There was at our trial a charge
that we believed in spiritualism, or recev-
ing revelations for the church; but that
was not the principal charge The special
matter was in what enterprises people
should invest their money. The movement
we engaged in was called the New Move
ment; il afterwards drifted into a spirit
ualistic movement. The people called us
Godbeites. There was no charge of spirit
revelation, though we believed in it. was
never personally molested after I left the
church. My apprehensions were not from