The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1897-12-18
THE GOSPEL CONCERNING
CHURCH AND STATE.
aRNrrErs DBcErvED THEMSELVES.


understood these pledges against .
union of church and state TO mean
that the saints had abandoned their
efforts to establish the perfect
Kingdom of God, and that Jehovah
would sit mute in heaven while
demigogs we're harsngueing and
misleading his people, and that
never again would God, through
his priesthood, impart temporal
v;sdom to the saints, and that
heuceforth We were to be no longer
a united people.
If any thus understood the de-
clsration of the church, then let
them know that that understand
inc was not warranted by any
words of the authorities, or of the
church. If any were deceived by
What actually was said, then they
deceived themselves. by being world
II wise, and spiritually foolish, and
none in the church are to blame.
/ am much grieEed that many Of
the brethren, some in high places,
have been led almost to apostasy,
because they have judged these de-
clarations By the standard OF the
world instead of inspecting them
with spiritual eyes. Even it the
authorities had told outright false
hoods in the matter, it would not
have justified any true saint in ac-
cusing them of s'dishonor," ''stul-
tifcation," deception" and
atr;ckeryn as many have done. The
prayerful in heart will always re-
member the words of Brother
Cannon already quoted:
Gwen If there is apparent cause
for saving severe things and CEN
surfing them, no wise man or woman
viii Weld to that spirit for fear OF
grieTing the spirit of the Lord: i,
Even falsehood may be sanctlhed
when the ends are the accomplish
ment of Gods purposes. This has
been so in all dispensations. We
All understand now that the Princi-
ME of plural marriage was re-
yealed as early as 1881, and few
we're permitted to enter into that
celestial bond soon after, that many
we're commanded to practice it
from and after 1912, and yet all
elders were justified in denying it
until 1851 when the revelation was
made public. i,
Brother John Taylor Wasdirected
to take plural wives as early as
1871. life John Taylor, 99) and
vet he was justified in denying and
denounc,ng the practice of polyg-
amy as he did at Bologne-surmer,
France. (See Public Discussion,
page 81 So it is also right, though
false, for the conference of Europ-
can churches to deny and denounce
poIygsmy in 1916. Is Nil. Star,
%.
ssThe Almighty has revealed
many things on many occasions
which were for his servants and
not for the world. Jesus enjoined
his disciples on several occasions
to keep to themselves principles
that he made known unto them,
and his injunction cast not your
pearls before swine lest they tram
Die them under their feet and turn
and rend YOU has become as fami-
liar as common proverb."
Hence the elders were
s.yustife5 in denying those i'm
putations (about polygamy) and at
the same time avoiding the axowal
of such doctrines as were not yet
intended for the world. This course
they have taken when necessary by |
commandment, is all the ground
their accusers have for charging
them with falsehood. "-Des. Nelcs,
Nay 20, '66.
The Prophet Joseph, too, seems
to have endorsed this when he IN
structed the brethren in England to
sfRemain silent concerning the |
gathering, the vision and Book of
Doctrine and Covenants until such |
time a. the work was fully estab-
lished, etc.-l6 Nil. Star, IL.
Judged By the standards of the
world, this silence was q species of
deception, but in the sight of the
Lord, Joseph was justified or he
would not have done this. That
he thoroughly knew the Lords
viii in these matters is further
in his life. In Nauvoo
when many of the brethren. orr