Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-07
A MORMON TALE OF WOE
THE SAINTS DENoUNCE THE UTAH
COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
An Emphatic Denial of the Statement
That the Church Dominates Its Mem
bers in Political Matters or Endorses
Polygamy in Any Shape.

SALT LAKE Cry, Oct. Cat today's
session of the Mormon conference a
| lengthy set of resolutions was adopted
| relative to the statement made by the
majority of the Utah commission in their
recent report to the secretary of the
| interior. The resolutions set forth that
the commission made many untruthful
statements concerning the Church of
Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints and
! the attitude of its members in relation
| 10 political affairs, etc. The resolutions
deny most emphatically thsassertion of
The commission that the church domi-
mates it's members in political matters,
and that church and state are united.
"Whatever appearance there may have
been in the past of union of church and
state, the cause was," say the resolu-
tions, "that those holding ecclesiastical
authority were elected to civil Office by
popular vote. There is now no founda-
ton or excuse for the statement that
church and state are united in
Utah, or that the leaders of the church
dictate to members in political matters.
No coercion or any other influence what
ever of an ecclesiastical nature has been
exercised by our church leaders, in refer
ence to which political party we shall
Join, and we have been, and are per-
fectly free to unite with any or no
political party as we may individually
elect. The Peoples party has been en-
tirely and finally dissolved, and our
fealty henceforth will be to such ma
tional political parties as seem to us
best suited to the prosperity of the re-
publican government"
The resolutions further declare that
the members of the conference do not
believe that there have been any
polygamous marriages solemnized among
the Latter Day Saints during the period
named by the commissioners, and de-
nounce the statements which convey the
idea that such marriages have been con-
tracted, as false and misleading. They
protest against the perversions OF fact,
principle and intent, contained in the
report of the commission, and declare
that the manifesto of President Wood
ruff forbidding future plural marriages,
was adopted at last October's confer
ence, in all sincerity and good faith. and
that 1--WE have reason to believe 1T has
been carried out in letter and spirit"
The conference appeals to the press
and people OF the country to accept its
united declaration and protest; to give
it publicity and aid in disseminating
the truth, that falsehood may be cir
cumvented and justice done to people
continually maligned and almost uni
versally misunderstood.
Following this a declaration signed by
n
and Joseph l. Smith, was adopted, say
ing the commissioners report OF polyg-
amous marriages was utterly without
foundation in truth, and repeating IN
most solemn manner the statement by
President Woodruff at the last general
conference, that there had been no plu-
raj marriages during the period named;
that polygamy had not been taught,
and that the practice had been strictly
forbidden.
After the usual election Of officers,
the incumbents being retained, the con-
ference adjourned.
The Tribune (Gentile), says the con-
ference today resolved itself into some
what of political meeting. The most
prominent men in the councils of the
church delivered addresses. The Utah
commissions report, says the Tribune,
has stirred Mormondom to its depths,
and the leaders who endeavored to in
fuence the report, will have to wait on
congress, when their long cherished
object OF making Utah state is pre-
sented.
The Tribune asserts that the language
of the speakers was such as to leave no
doubt that the division of party lines
was made under the direction of the
church, and that its ultimate object was
to achieve statehood.