The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-22
Thatcher Reviews the Case.

Elder Lorenzo Snow. President of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and
Members of the Quorum:
Dear Brethren-By way of preface to
request l am about to make OF you,
my brethren, | humbly ask your atten-
ton while / review, briefly, the reasons
which led me 10 make II.
My name was regularly presented 10
the people and L was regularly sustained
in my position in the church until the
9th day of April, 1885, On that day, at
presented to me for my signature. / was
then confined to my room with what l
considered at the time a fatal illness. L
was given about an hour and thirty
minutes within which to consider a mat
ter Of vital Importance, not only 10 my
SELF but, in my opinion, to the people. L
could not see my way clear to sign 1t
without StuItificauOn, ana so informed
you by letter. In about two hours from
that time my name was unceremoniously
dropped from the list of apostles present
ed to the conference for confirmation. No
reason for your action was given, and
my letter of explanation was, for rea-
sons best known to yourselves, sup
pressed.
day or so before the funeral of our la
mented brother, Abraham H. Cannon, l
called upon President Woodruff and told
him l desired to be relieved of all re-
sponsibility for a while in order to re-
gain my health and strength. He ac-
guessed. Subsequently / was informed
by Brother C. w. Penrose that the
brethren were willing for me to lay aside
all care and TO go away if l desired and
that nothing further would be done con-
corning my standing until l should be
fully restored to health, if IL took six
months, a year or even two years. And
these representations of Brother Penrose
have since been confirmed by several
members of our quorum.
| then went to Logan canyon, where
remained about six weeks. While there
rumors began to circulate that my case
would be taken up notWithst landing the
promises which had been given me. These
but they reached my son, Moses
Thatcher, jr., who at once went to the
city, where he called at President Wood
rufus office in company with his brother,
Preston, and Bishop w. b. Preston.
While waiting for an opportunity TO see
President Woodruff, Brother Brigham
the object of his visit. Then Brother
Young went into the presidents office.
After a while President Snow, Apostles
Richards, Young and Smith, Bishop
Preston and others came out from Presi-
dent WoodruffS office, and assured my
son that they had delivered his message
TO President Woodruff, and that he and
all the brethren present had unanimously
done in my matter until l felt mentally
and physically able to meet with the
brethren. President Snow bade my son
to convey to me that message, which he
did by returning home and driving to my
camp, miles up Logan canyon. When
President Woodruff at that meeting was
reminded of his former promise to me,
he said that he had not seen me, and
that l had not called on him for many
months. Bishop Preston reminded him
OF my visit a day or so before Brother
Abraham II. CannonS funeral, and OF
our conversation at the time. whereupon
he recalled the circumstance and then
said that he remembered distinctly what
had transpired on that occasion.
Had II hpan for the and
reassuranceS given me, l would have at
tended the conference before which, in
my absence, L was publicly accused
Upon my return to Logan from the
canyon, l. was dumbfounded on reading
and hearing reports of the trea tment l
had received at conference. Feeling,
however, that there might be some rea-
son unknown to me for your apparent
change of mind, for making my case
public, and for your statements conc ern-
ing me, l went to Salt Lake on purpose
TO ascertain the truth, if possible. On
my way 10 the Office of President Wood
RIFF. Wednesday. October A. 1 met
Brother Franklin D. Richards. I told
MIN that / expected 10 meet with my
quorum a their regular meeting on the
following day. He replied that they
would be delighted TO have me. 1 asked
II there could be any objection TO it. He
assured me that there would not be, and
that he could vote for itw 18th both hands.
Accordingly l went to the temple next
day at the regular hour. and was in
formed IlaI NIl6 presidency OF the clufCn
mad given orders not 10 admit me into
the temple. ] was surprised and g-ieVed;
but one thought consoled me, and that
was that during the last six months of
the construction of the temple, now
closed against me. l had 90 g. 30
wards its completion, and if had it to
90 over again, / wodlu give 'es--- mo- q.
Nc reason was given for refusing me
admittance; no explanation was offered,
no even by the one who had assured
me OF a welcome with both hands.
went home distressed. and with such
a food of sorrow in my heart. compared
with which the pain and suffering OF i've
years were ike Il drop to the ocean. 1
asked God for light and ~iSdom; !
searched the innermost depths of my
sGll; / reviewed my whole lie and my
record in the church to fiEd some excuse
fcr the action taken. but in vain AS it
seemed, was cut off communication with
yo.- IN every other way. ] wrote 10 the
president of the quorum asking what my
ccthren had against me, pleading hum
bly, and respectfully fer the charges, spe-
cifically stated, that l might have a
chance to prove my innocence or plead
guilty.
Before I heard from you I had gone to
Lo6an with the intention of visiting my
brother, who resides IN Idaho. While in
Logan word reached me that Brother
Franklin d. Richards had called al my
home in Salt Lake City to see me. He
left word that my quorum desired me 10
meet with them, and thought such meet
ing might be arranged in the temple an
mex, if l would name the day when I
could be present ] Immediately sent
word to him that [ did not desire to set
the time. but would leave the time and
place of meeting with the quorum, desir-
Ing TO conform TO their convenience.
Not hearing anything further about the
matter. l returned TO Salt Lake, where
/ waited several days and wrote you
again. meantime receiving the following
answer to my request for specific
charges:
salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City. Utah.
Oct %, 1896:
Elder Moses Thatcher. City:
Dear Brother-Your communication of
the 10th ult. was received by me on the
lYth ana It's contents carefully noted.
Since the writing of your letter the
full stenographic report of the remarks
conference has been published in the
DeSeret News, in which their feelings
concerning you are quite fully expressed:
and YOU not having read these published
remarks prior to the writing of your. COM
munication, l take IL for granted that it
viii not be necessary for me TO explain
or answer further. With kindest re-
LORENZO SNOW.
This communication changed the face
OF the whole matter, because in 1t l am
cited to the public press to read the ac-
meetings before the Saints in general
conference assembled, and before the
world. | am told to go to a newspaper
and there read what my brethren have
SAID about me and against me, and TO
these public utteranceS published TO all
mankind, | am to make my answer.
But, owing to the word sent me by
Brother F. ID. Richards | still thought
you might possibly have other commune
cations to make, outside of the public