The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-14
TO the Editor Of the Herald:

festo,' at the April conference of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
SAINTS is less intense than it was a few
weeks since. and for that reason the
present seems an opportune time in
which to dispassionately discuss the
subject. In order to do so fairly and
intelligeptly, it viii be necessary to
trench upon matters and principles
winch 81 flrst thought, may not ap-
pear to be germane to the subject.
THE TWO PRINCIPAL OBSTACLES
which have most persistently opposed
the growth Of liberty are % the lust
OF power and wealth ON the part of
strong. aggressive and heartless men;
ana ~ the benurnbing influence of
Gogmatc religion and superstition.
Nhen those two obstacles have been
merged INTO one, or whenever ambitious
and unscrupulpus men have invoked
the aid of religious superstition to en-
slave the people. their degradation has
peen complete. The satisfaction the
people found in the observance of su-
persflTious rites caused them to be
obvious to their condition of ahiect
slavery The history of the dark
ages. with the internal fortunes of the
1nqulslt1cn. furnishes the most irdubit-
able proof of the innate wicledness and
Wretchedness which accompany
UNION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
The chief objections to a, theo-politico
form of government are found in that.
% 1t Is necessarily composed of men
ana women holding widely divergent
views of religion. and who natlIra llv
oaJect to dictation; and C2) the domi-
nant church enioinS and enfoq,ces inn
lincll opeolence to its mandates. thus
rRCTT10fTrON he
gqVen right of free thought and its I'M
Ietle1'ed expression. which forms the
IounoatSon and is the very life of lib-
eTty and progression.
THE LEGITIMATE MISSION
OF religion is best defined by, and in
.eIpreteo IN, the life and teachings of
me peerless founder of Christianity.
hens1ous zealots are prone to sinner
cede the spiritual and purely ethical
With the material and POLITICAL or
ratlie1', 10 invest the church with no1i+-
lcal powers and the chief s11jr.i+1,a
guide with the lives and liberties Of
the citizens- Many of Jesus anostlae
ana nearly all Of the Jewish believers
III lile oiVlnfty Of the mission off +be
gentle Nazarene held that II 1,1.v - -
one OF physical salbiugafion snd he Se
klngdon1 a temporal government of tho
Jews; 1t was that belief which caused
me apostle Peter to arm himself VIII
d sword and to use * ON +ha b;oL
priest. and which caused the SIM N
40 10 aver that his kingdom was no+
OF TINS world. Chat eminent a11tbo,.
I,tW wallace, in his fascinating pen
NlNlo'y DEPICTS how, during the
rsN years OF the Christian era tba ~
ilat prevailed among the follow. ~ D =.
Jesus that his reign was To hsa +or,,
ra1 eGvernment) The er,ri,,a I;fo =.
Nne Sunless One" and the -.
%ples and doctrines taue-b+ - - H.
nm. prove beyond a o,es+io.,
aiat ms mission was to unlif4 49,
weak ana err1ng by virtue of his tescbo
NE anc IN the example of his r,,,..o
ana IN ms terrible sufferings and
1911 On the cross, to furnish an unex-
ampled lesson in patience and an..A
passlonaqe charity. When. afterwards
VAe church Of Rome arose 1,ryor' 49, he,
runs OF primitive Christianity tbe
Jewlsh lnte1prefa ton on Chrisf,s 1i,,-r
voHl was adopted. and continued as !.
temporal power through the slow snd
orear! march of centuries of inyjescrib-
anie tyranny and wretchedness TIC
nres which were kindled aroun, che
form Of. the immortal Bruno and HIM
dreds Of other
BRAVE AND NOBLE MEN AMI
WOMEN,
still CLEAN through the mists of the
intervening years, and have burned
deep into the memories and hearts ~
me nberty-loving men and women of
this age. -
NO wonder, then, that the people of
today dread a return to that
UNHOLY MIXTURE
known as a theo-politico form of gov
eminent True. men and women OF
every religious faith and poiiticaa be-
lief VIII oppose to the bitter end every
effort or semblance of effort to
return to a union of church and state.
or TO Hasten upon the political liberties
OF the people. the slightest domination
OF church or churchmen. 1t was the
dread of church dictation that caused
the organization Of the Native Ameri.
can party of 1874, and of the Know
Eothing party & few years later. 1t is
the same dread which is creating and
strengthening the American Protective
Association, and that wil><inevitably
FesuE in an -anti-church and state
party in Utah unless the present
UNREST AND SUSPICION
are dissipated by future unmistaka.bly
evidences of sincerity on the part o.
the Mormon leaders. in past and pres
ent professions of non-interference in
The political affairs of the people and
of the state,
The history and the religion of the
Mormon people are peculiar, and the
history of Utah in her colonization anS
growth forms a page of the world s
archives that is unique in its isolation
The remarkable evidences that JOSEPH
Smith was a prophet, brought to Utah
d band of heroic men and women. Thai
nucleus has each year been augmented
by intelligent, honest and courageou.
converts from ali parts of the earth
Their faith earnestly shared by th'
writer hereof in the inspiration O.
the Prophet Joseph Smith was, and is
supreme With that faith as a bul.
wark against the united opposition Of
the world the Mormon people strug
Eled on. During many of the earlier
years of their presence in Utah, Their,
were very few non-Mormons among
them. AS a natural consequence anC
under the circumstances entirely de
feasible. the Mormons chose their OWL
civic officers from among their leaders
Thus the elective officers of the embrv,
state dispensed religious and civil Law
almost in the same breath Thus i
came about that union Of church anc
state undeniably existed in Utah. A
recital of the unhappy conflict tina
grew out of the rapid increase of tbs
non-Mormon element and the unyield
ing spirit of the Mormon people, /.
not necessary. In order 10 escape from
the foo-often bigoted and tyrannica
E=iie of imported officials and TO enjo,
- greater degree of liberty, statehoo,
vas ardently desired by the entiri
Mormon people. In order TO secur