The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-21
JUST VOTED FOR SMOOT IN THE SENATE
WITHOUT ANY NOMINATING SPEECHES

q nature on any man. and to show my
view. is shared by, some OF the highest
officials of the church of which your
candidate is a prominent and conspicuous
member. l ask the indulgence of the SEN
ate while read a short extract from an
official utterance on that question
read from the published polucal mani
festo. issued April IS. 1895, addressed TO
the officers and members of the Church
CT Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in
general conference assembled, following
and Just subsequent to the political aSi-
taxion caused by the candidacy OF the
Hon. Moses Thatcher for the United
States senate. Concerning whether he
was authorized in accepting the ne. oonga ga
,ions CT such "a high political office. the
fist presidency of me church, consisting
q Wilford Woodruff. George @. Cannon
and Joseph F. Smith, promulgated the
following:
we have maintained in the case of men
who h0id high positions IN the ehurch,
whose duties are Wei! defneo. ana whose
ecclesiastical iabors are understood TO be
continuous and necessary. It would be an
imprOpe thing to accept political office,
or enter into any vocation that would
distrsct or remove them from the relig-
ious duties resting upon them, without
first consulting and obtaining the ap-
| prevail OF their associates ana those VINO
preside over them. II faS been under
stood from the very beginning or the
church that no officer whose duties are
of the character referred to has the rlShS
To apoaer4 in CIV rtrstlit roIiticaI or
otherwise ttat will divide his time and
remove his attention from the calling al
practice with officers OF the church 70
cOnsult-Or. TO use our language TO
; 'counsef-with their brethren concern
! Jag all questions of this kind. They have
n.ss felt that they were sacrificing their
| manhood in doing 80, nor that tncy were
] admitting to improper dictatlon, nor
that in soliciting and acting upon the adj
yicc of those over them they were in any
! manner doing away with their individual
/ rights ana agency, nor that TO any I'M
proper degree were their rights and dG-
4 ties as American citizens being abridged
4 or iateTfered with. They realize that IN
( accepting ecclesiastical office they as
sumo certain obligations; that among
these was the obligation 10 magnify the
office which they held, to attend to its
I duties IN preference to every ether labor,
: and TO devote themselves exclusively -
! il with all the zeal industry and strength
I they possessed, unless released in part OF
! for time by those who preside over
/ them. Our view, and il has been the view
/ of ali our predecessors. is that no oftice'
/ of our church. especially those in high
I standing, should take a course to Vloi2ts
/ this long-established practice
IN view of an the occurrences to which
! reference has been made. and to the d.
| versity of views that have arisen among
! the people in consequence. we fell il Il
be our duty to clearly define our posi-
| ton. so that there may be no cause here
/ after for dispute or controversy upon tins
Rule to Be Observed.
First. we unanimously agree 10 ant
! prOmulgate Is "a rule that should always
| be observed in the church, and by every
| leading official thereof that before ac
| cepting any position political or other
| wise which would interfere with tn
proper and complete discharge of his &c
/ clessastical duties. and before accepting ;
| nomination or entering into engagement
| to perform these duties. said officia
shoTsd apply TO the proper authorities
| and learn from them whether he can con
| sistentIy, with the obligations already en-
tered into with the church. upon asSum
ing his office. TAKE upon himself m
| tiles Of the new position To Tnaintail
| proper discipline and order in the church
! We deem il absolutely necessary; and il
| asserting this rule. we do not conside
that we are infringing in the least de
gree upon the individual rights OF III
OF his state with doubt and uncertainty