The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-25
MANIFESTO.
sAlr LAKE CRY, Dec. 18th, 1889.

Saints, commonly called the Mormon
Church, which have been promulgated for
years, and have recently been revived for
political purposes and to prevent all aliens,
otherwise qualified, who are members of
the Mormon" Church from acquiring citi-
zenship, we deem it proper on behalf CT
MES and enter our protest against
them.
We solemnly make the following declar-
atoms, viz:
That this church views the shedding of
human blood with the utmost adherence.
That we regard the killing of human
oe1ng, except in conformity with the civil
law, as capital crime which should be
punished by shedding the blood of the Grim
constituted court of the land.
Notwithstanding all the stories told
about the killing of apostates, no case of
this kind has ever occurred, and of course
has never been established against the
church we represent. Hundreds of
seceders from the church have
continuously resided and now live in
this territory, many of whom have
amassed considerable wealth, though bit
terly opposed to the Mormon faith and
people. Even those who made it their
business to fabricate the vilest falseLoods.
and to render them plausible by culling
Isolated passages from old sermons with
ont the explanatory context, and have suf-
fered no opportunity to escape them of vii
Trying and blackening the characters of the
people, have remained among those when
they have thus persistently illuminated
until the present day, without receiving
the slightest personal injury.
We denounce as entirely untrue the allie
cation which has been made, that orr
church favors or believes in the killing of
persons who leave the church or apostatize
from its doctrines. We would view pun
ishment of this character for such an act
with the utmost horror, it is abhorrent to
US and is in direct opposition to the funda-
mental principles of our creed.
The revelations of God to this church
make death the penalty for capital crime,
and require that offenders against life and
property shall be delivered up and tried by
the laws of the land,
We declare that no bishops or other
court in this church claims or exercises
civil or judicial functions or the right to
supersede, annul or modify Judgment of
any civil court. Such courts, while estab-
lished to regulate Christian conduct. are
purely ecclesiastical, and their punitive
powers go no further than the suspension
or accommodation of members from
church fellowship.
That this church, while offering advice
for the welfare of its members in all condi-
tons of life, does not claim or exercise the ,
right to interfere with citizens in the free
exercise of social or political rights and
privileges. The ballot in this territory is alb
solutely untrammeled and secret. No
mans business or secular affairs are in
vaded by the church or any of its officers.
Free agency and direct individual account
ability to God are among the essentials of
our church doctrine. All things in the
church must be done by common consent.
and no officer is appointed without the vote
of the body.
We declare that there is nothing in the
of the endowment or in any doc
trine, tenet, obligation or injunction of this
church, either private or public, which is
hostile or intended to be hostile to the gov
of the United States. On the con-
trary, its members are under divine com
mandment to revere the constitution as a
heaven inspired instrument and obey as su-
preme all laws made in pursuance of its
provisions.
Utteranccs of prominent men in the
church at time of great excitement have
been selected and grouped, to convey the
impression that present members are sedi-
ious. Those expressions were made more
han thirty years ago, when through the
,alsehoods of recreant officials, afterwards
demonstrated to be baseless, troops were
sent to this territory and wero viewed
oy the people in their isolated con-
1ition, fifteen hundred miles from rail
'oads, as an armed mob coming to renew
he bloody prosecutions of years before.
At that time excitement prevailed anfSz
strong language was used but no words of
iisloyalty against the government orits in
situations were uttered; public speakers
confined their remarks to denouncing trait
'rous officials who were prostituting the
powers of their positions to accomplish ne
arious ends. Criticism of the acts of
United States officials was not considered
hen, neither is it nov, as treason
Igainst the nation nor as hostility
% the government. In this connection
We may say that the members of
'ur church have never offered or intended
% offer, any insult to the flag of our
country; but have always honored it as the
'nsign of laws and liberty.
We also declare that this church does not 4
lain to be an Independent, temporal king
lom of God, or to be an Emporium in imperio
inning to overthrow the United States or
my other civil government. It
las been organized by divine revela-
ion preparatory to the second advent of
he Redeemer. 1t proclaims that ''the
rngdom of heaven is at hand" Its mem
'ers are commanded of God to be subject
INTO the powers that be until Christ comes
whose right it is to reign.
Church government and civil government
re distinct and separate in our theory and
ractice, and we regard it as part of our
estiny to aid in the maintenance and per
etuity of the institutions of our country.
We claim no religious liberty that we ara
unwilling to accord others.
We ask for no civil or political rights
which are not granted and guaranteed to
itizens in general.
We desire to be in harmony with the gov
and people of the United States as
N integral part of the nation.
We regard all attempts to exclude aliens
rom naturalization and citizens from the
xercise of the elective franchise, solely