Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-08
CHURCH DISCIPLINE.
Continued from Page one.


Continued from Page one.
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mistakes, or be guilty OF doing positive
iriuslice to individuals. Though th'
Presidenoy OF the Church should VIC
late every priu ple OF the Gospel, ant
outrage every sense OF Justice am
humanity, 1t would etill remain trui
that God revealed Himself TO joseph
smith, gave him power to bring iorti
the Book OF MormOr, and through the
ministry OF angels did restore the holy
Priesthood and gave him commana'
ment to organize the Church OF Christ
on earth. The action Of the tlrsi
Presidency, or OF the Twelve, however
unjust, cannot Il ct these truths; and
/ must give the Saints, both the old
ana the young, more credit for clear
medicines than your views would ac'
cord to them, when you say
that the denial OF tho right OF
dissent, md OF tie freedom OF
speech (eveD II IL were true, which /
do not allow, ia destroying the lahh
OF the people In the great work oil
Cod, | must think that the faith Of
the people is better founded than that
view would represent 1t TO be. II In
the future the ;ime should ever cume
that the high offices OF the Church
should fall into the hands OF corrupt
and designing men, | can not believe
that the Saints would iOrsake the
truths OF which tho Spirit OF God has
borne record to them, and conclude
that they IRE myths, because OF the
actions Of men; on the contrary,
should look to see the Hnints, true to
their sublime ieith, arlse under the
power OF the living God aud by the
means appointed In tine Church, reject
such men, and make way for tue np.
pointment OF others who would not
abuse the power OF the Priesthood.
III.
THE ABILITY OF THE PEOPLE TO
GOVERN THE CHURCH.
After paying me what you mean to
be, a personal compliment, you say L
fought to be- the foremost champion OF
the people in their ability to govern
their Church, instead of permitting
Its affairs to be entirely dominated, as
at present, by few" | merely refer
to this In passing, In order to say, frat;
that you seem TO take no account OF
the tact that the Church Is the Church
OF Jesus Christ, as well ne the Church
of the Latter.day Saints. And that
tile Lord Jesus has retained some
rights In the matter Of its government,
as well as having conferred some
rights in the Church government upon
the Saints, anu Of which more will be
said under the next heading; second,
to say that 30 far as am able to judge,
the people now have their full
share OF power In the t1liirs
OF the Church. The officers
OF the Church arc presented to them
in their Stakes four times u year, anu
In tle General Conferences twice q
year, anu II the conduct OF any one,
or ali Of them, is insufferable, they can
be rejected, or II any one OF them Ia
guilty of gross sin, no matter how high
IN authority he may be, there exist
tribunals before which he may be ac-
cused, anu II guilty, condemned, anu
II unrepentnnt, he can be cast out. AS
long as these conditions exist, | can.
not see that the people stand In eed
of any champion 40 against the Church
authorities.
~.
CHURCH GovERNNENT-THE noe.
POWERS OF THE FIRST PREsI.
DENCY.
Your communication emphaszes
the doctrine OF common consent to The
exclusion, as i think, OF other consld.
eratione, chit fly tho right OF the voice
OF the Lord to place in the gov
eminent OF tue Church. l would not
Tor the world be understood as saying
anything In Displacement OF the
great doctrine OF common consent. 1t
appeals too strongly to my disposition
Tor me TO do that. 1t is q principle
that challenges at once my admiration
and approval. Whom | READ the fact
that previous to the organization Of the
Church the Lord instructed the
Prophet Joseph, before attempting such
an organization, to call together his
brethren, and ascertain II they were
willing that he should proceed to
organize the Church, ana II they
would sustain Joseph Smith as the
first ami Oliver COwdeTy M the second
Elder, tbat IL, presiding Elders in the
Church, L greatly marvelod Mt the
condensation OF G0u. The Lord had
calleu Joseph Smith anu Oliver
Cowdsry ana had given them the holy
Apostieship before THE, He gives His
authority, which Is His Priesthood, to
whom He viii; but when they are TO
exercise that authority over others, II
can only be uOno by tho consent OF
those to be governed, ami hence the
law Of the Church subsequently, for.
mulated: mo person il to be ordained
TO any office In this Church, where
there lie regularly organized branch
OF the same, without the vote of that
Church," Thus from the beginning
the government of the Church has
been established on the consent Of the
governed, and / especially call your
attention TO the fact that no step OF i'm
portance In respect to the affairs Of the
Church has ever been taken, but what
the matter has been submitted for the
approval OF the people. The action OF
President Woodruff In the diseor.
tiuuance OF plural marriages. aud the
adoption OF this late rule In respect TO
politics, are recent illustrations and
proofs OF my statement. o. course, iu
the routine OF administration Of affairs
in the Church 1t is not practi.
cal or necessary to submit
every movement made to the reople.
But the rightiulneHs and grandeur Of
the principle OF common consent con.