The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-06

AS heretofore intfnated in an article
in The Herald of May Is, mo well DIS
posed citizen of Utah could welcome
the thought of criticising an ordinance
or rule of the Mormon church unless
there were some important prlnclpie
at stake which seemed to be imrerlllea
I,y the action of the church" 1t may
be said in favor of the rule laid down
i'm the manifesto that 1T aims at unity
and decorIn; it looks to discipline anu
harmony; it discourages uhseelilly a,il-
billions FOR state officers; ii PROVIDES
that the wisdom of the ablest counsel-
Tors shall be invoked before any chuich
official shall assume additional respon-
sibilities to the state; 1t checks the
tendencies OF political conventions TO
nominate high church officials IN ordef
thereby to reap for their party
benefit whose origin is really in the
church because of influence acquired
in spiritual affairs
These are noble and worthy ends ana
they merit our fullest appreciation; and
we may well look upon the venerable
president of the church and those as
ISOLATED with him as contemplating only
these excellent objects in proclaiTning
the rule. They are the friends of the
people Of the state, as also the guar
dians of the church. and then need be
imputed to them no thought even the
remotest. Of infringing on the sphere
and functions of the state
STATE ABSORBED INTO THE
CHURCH.
With all these concessions of honor
and integrity as due the church
authorities. and with the fullest re-
cognition of the benefits that the rule
seems likely to achieve. there would be
no excuse whatever for criticism I'M
less it We're clearly shown that the
rule in its operation conflicts with
other obligations of equal sacredness
and Importance. In order therefore
to make it evident that no trivial OBJ
lection is entertained. it is herewith
alleged that the rule of the manifesto
is far more than a simple church rule;
1t is rule that has wrapped up with
in It both church and state: the rule
absorbs the state into the church; it
puts it within the power OF a few men
TO control both church and state; and
in this view it is apparent that the
rule conflicts with the spirit of the
declaration of independence and the
genus GU American institutions. If it
can be shown with any degree of
piausibiIty that in coming years, as
younger and more ambitious men
might oe elevated to supreme author
ity in the Mormon church. the rule
could be thus perverted to the subver-
SION of the state, there seems to he
no good reason why it should not re-
ceiVe some additional construction and
explanation to the end that harmful
and disquteting possibilities might be
eliminated
THE RULE ITSELF.
The rule itself is as follows: Eve
UNANIMOUSLY agree to and promulgate
as rule that should always be OBJ
in 1,a
leading official thereof. that before ae-
ceptlng any position, political or
otherwise, which would interfere with
the proper and complete DISCHARGE of
MS ecclesiastical duties, and before ac
ceptfhg a nomination. or entering into
engagements to perform new duties.
SAID official should apply to the
proper authorities and learn from them
Wnether he can, consistently with the
obhgatfons already entered into with
the church upon assuming his Office
take upon himself the added dufies
and labors and responsibilities of the
new position
NEEDS INTERPRETATION.
That the rule needs Interpretation
ana construction is evident; for sew
eral phrases seem to be set upon
sliding scale so that they may mean
one thing or another. For instance:
served in the church, and by every
leading official thereof" Thus the
rule includes every member of the
church, both male and female. and
also by way of special mention every
leading official'> Again. the words
which would Interfere There is
world of uncertainty here. A thousand
things might be construed to inter
fere: and then thousand Others
might be made to vanish 1t would all
depend on circumstances. possibly on
the whims of some great politicians
who ruled some political party Again.
apply to the proper authorities This
could be shifted in innumerahle wavs
30 Tar as the state is concerned 10
inquire the rule means that "everv
member Of the church and nartic
ulaTly every leading official" shall he
guided by counsel" Of the church in
relation tn service in the state. No
one can ever accent nomination.
without first seeking counsel
Now. so far from this rule beine
Simply church affair as is freduent
" atlrmed. it only needs that +be
wnole population of Utah should he
included within the church. as a large
majority already is. to make the state
a mere incident Of church ssco1,nSal ;,
FOR the state. in one very important
sense, is made I'D of the laws and
their administration Including the Of
fceTs in al departments All these
would be determined by counsel as
provided in the foregoing rule And
even if there were only a portion of the
ropld alton Of Utah that were guided
by counsel in matters of state. in
that same proportion the church alb
serbs the state as above described.
COME. AND HE coMETH."
And how easy it would be under
such a rule TO determine the status of
parties and the personnel OF each
party in office. It would be easy. like
the centurion. to say to this man
come" and he cometh; and to the
other, go" and he goeth Under
such a rule there would always be a
temptation to the managers of parties
TO come to the church management
and intercede for the support of a
majority vote of the membership; for
nominations and preventing others,
the result could be determined with
out directly controlling the casting of
a single vote. Doubtless the heads of
the church have already been ap-
preached with many applications for
such purposes. and the record of their
refUsals would fully attest their sin
certify in not wishing to control the
state; yet there are numerous com
plants as to past interventions in the
affairs of the state probably not al
together without sufficient cause and
1t seems inexpedent to frame a rule
which not Orflv. SIPpaStS bl1t ic i'm ifceaz