The San Francisco call., 1903-12-15
AN APOSTOLIC MISTAKE.

TT HE great misfortune in the operation OF any
form of religion is secretiveness. All adherents to
a religious idea which attracts numbers assume
OF moral obligation, take on vows sub
scribe creed When this is done publicly and
the of the obligation known of all the
is disturbed But when the obligation is secret,
when is assumed behind veil and in place that
unobgated permitted enter, becomes the
of enchanting the mind and enslaving the reason
Secret religious ceremonies promotve of superst-
ton and imply control of that projects beyond the
essential purposes religion dictate civil action and
duty. The claims citizens for its purposes
alone refuses recognize reject any form OF the
religious idea be it Christian pagan Under these
circumstances if civil state exist in which form of
religion is in the majority and that form entrenches
ecclesiastical power behind ceremonies. and by
obligations that make those who take them sub
ject themselves ecclesiastical dictation of their civil
actions members of the political state, union of
church and is created and the is virtually de-
throned and displaced by a theocracy Human liberty
is not safe in the keeping of political theocracy.
Apostle Woodruff of the Mormon church in discussing
the Smoo the tabernacle at Salt Lake last Sun
day said: American citizenship from God, and
let man beware OF how he attempts to undo what God
has done 1t is remarkable that any person be
bigoted that because another person does not
believe the he does he would deny him the right
of his American citizenship" There bigoted
that There who propose to take away ct-
Nor is American citizenship of celestial origin
tion for it that the nations that live under other
forms of government victims of the Divine neglect
Citizenship is neither privilege pleasure 1t is
responsibility, and he who holds American citizenship
responsible for its for the purposes of the alone
and not for the purposes of any church.
The oaths and obligations of the Mormon church are
secret They are not known. The ghostly compact of
the Twelve Apostles is not public 1t is But
reasoning backward from what happens publicly
ieved by many that in that system of obligations
where there evaporated by oath the principle OF Amer
can citizenship and condensation the the
hierarchy When the members of church known to
hold publicly certain political convictions and vote
against them members of the is evidence that
they have surrendered to the church their right of pr
vae judgment That is the situation that is believed TO
in Utah If it exist it is the end of civil govern
ment 1t is the subverson of the by the church.
Apostle Woodruff says American citizenship comes
from God While that declaration may be open to more
than one Interpretation its meaning intended by him is
obvious According the Institutes and practice of
Mormon church is the representative its people of
God earth Citizenship, not inhering in birth nat
uralzaon not being civil condition. originating in the
laws of the and for the purposes of the state be-
comes according the apostle concern solely of the
This is the necessary conclusion of his premise
The state imposes obligations and penalties upon the
sponsibty of citizenship 1t forbds treason but that
which the state defines may be held to
be loyalty to the church, the representative and of
God, of whom the apostles the vicegerents
The theory of citizenship held by the apostle and
ced by the church is of interest because of the quite
uncertain state Of the fundamental law The consttu-
ton forbds that Congress any law respecting the
establishment of any religion and provides that no ree-
shall be required qualification for any Office
or under the United States When church subor-
dnaes citizenship and dictates its exercise has estab
shed religious test for office and using the state as
an agent is doing what the state do as principal
Woodrus appearance in the discussion supplies ma
terial for those who watch with care the political
equality of the believers in all forms Of religion.