Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-10-24
"REORGANIZHDv ABsURDIrIEs
RESUMED.

NEWS u trlhcthcut anu hptue NtIy
illogical arguments are used In regard
10 the property rights OF seeding or
accommodated members Of tho
Church. Our correspondent attaches
moro Importance 10 the article In the
Herald than we thought It entitled TO.
We Intended TO let II pass As scarcely
worthy Of notice. But since he has
offered some arguments which he de.
sires TO present, we give place TO COM
mcnta on the subject.
rhc Herald very fairly Published In
full the editorial which appeared In
the DKsERfsr NEWS Of September II,
entitled "Rcorganlzed Absutditles."
II then proceeded to charge this paper
with drawing unfair inforonccs from
statements made by the Heroidin rela
ton 10 what the 'Josephites" Intended
TO DO about claimlng Church property,
and set forth the legal proposition that
"when separation between the mem
betship Of church takes place, the
right Of succession belongs 10 those
who remain In the original faith,
whether those thus remaining be few
or many" This tho Lamont Herald
lays down rs "a rule that Il clear"
and 'atiested In a hundred well con.
tested legal battles Tor tho possession Of
church tltles, munimcuts ani prop.
erty."
Our correspondent elites n long list OF
instances In which the Lord, accord.
ing 10 the Bible, gave rules and laws
and commandments 20 His people,
and then changed them a. citcum.
stances required. irom the days Of
Adam down 10 thc time Of the prlmi.
tive Christian Apostles. Aud he
maintains that II tho legal proposition
Of the Lamont Hcraid 10 correct, then
In every instance, any Of the original
membcrs Of the Church or religious
body who refused 10 accept the newly
revealed doctrine or rule Of action,
were entitled 10 bo called the true
church and 10 succeed 10 ii-tille, mum.
ment- aud property. Hia letter Is
lengthy, and contains rome harsh ex.
presslons 10 we do not publish Il, but
the gist Of his argument Is good, aud
this we give In our own language hut
according 10 the drit Of his reasoning.
Speaking now for the DEsEREr
NKws, We will say that We have drawn
no unfair Inference from the Iferd'd's
statements and would not mlsrcp resent
II In the least. There was no need 10
DO NO, for It, position was sufficiently
absurd without an cndeavor TO put II
ia u false Hight. We gave the exact
Language Of that paper which was;
"when We get ready 10 assert claim TO
property In Utah ostonslbly belonging to
the Utah Church we shall serve notice In
due form Of law aud try tho Issue before
tho proper tribunals"
The pre,ohcc Of claim to succession
In property ns well az title IA still set
forth by the Herald, Notwithstanding
its complaint aud its insinuatlon that
we did not tell the truth In reference
to II. For I, says Ia lis comments on
our remarks
"wo do not know that Il viii be ncoos.
,ary, or desirable to lay claim to property
once belonging TO the genuine Church
In order 10 successfully prosecute claim
To tho spiritual identity and title to bo
called the Church Of Jesus Christ, but II
II should No occur We shall certainly
make 1t let the issue be rs 1t may"
Ia this Misrepresentation OF the
"Josephlte" aim and purposeY II 40,
as In the former instance. II Ia the
Hsrdld that Is guilty OF making II, not
tho DRsERrT NEWS, for In both In.
stances VIZ have merely quoted lis own
words.
The ground Of any claim that the
"Josephito" body might assert a.
to succession, either 10 the title
OF tho original Church or to
property that belonged 10 II, We
showed TO be absurd In view
OF the fact that the "Josephiles"
call their body the "Reorgaulzed"
Church, and claim that the original
Church died or was disorganiEed, In
face Of the fact that II has continued
untll this day, the same body, chang.
Ing Ia location but not ils name or liz
organization.
The facts are plain and the argu.
ment 10 very simple. The Church Of
Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints, ~
organized April 0, 1880. was founded
upon the revelations given to Joseph
Smith the Prophet. On that very day
he was named by revelation as a seer,
a translator, "a prophet, an apostle Of
Jesus Christ, AMI the Church was
commanded 10 give heed unto All biz
words sud commandment" These
were delivered 10 the Church from
time 10 time iill his martyrdom. some
mrmhef- Of thr Church would not
receive the later revelations and seced.
el from the Church or were cut oil.
The body u the Church remained true
Through all tho vloissitudcs II ON.
countered, aud Is now IN Utah, having
received all the sword. anu command.
monts" given Of God to the Seer and
Prcpaet Joseph Smith.