Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-01-14

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NO HIERARCHY,
a great deal hrs been heard lately of
the Mormon" hierarchy, and sos ty-
rannlcl rule. This Is not new. =, wos
the complaint OF the late Governor I'll
II Murray, over twenty years ago, In
an interview with a representative of
the New York Herald that the Nor
mons were forming q hierarchy within
republic II was a false accusation
then, and It is false now. Periodically
this cry Is raised and &c IS boy many re-
garded as ominous as the hooling OF
owls
And yet the Church has no hlerar'
chy Il has no clerical caste, no class
OF priests no prclates It does not need
any. The questions upon which that
class Of men in an ages have spent
their thoughts and energies, to the ey-
cluslon Of useful labor have no impor-
lance to "Mormons" Whether Eve was
formed out Of the left side Of Adam or
not; whether the world was created In
the spring or the autumn; whether
twenty angels can dance upon tho point
OF a needle; whether trinity can be ma
dramatically demonstrated to be identi.
cal with unity ana whether a son. caa
be ms old az his father are all profound
queries which only prlestcaste can
deal with II takes long training In
haIr-spllttlng to discuss them at all
But when they are discarded for ques-
tons Of practical bearing upon the ev-
oryday life Of the individual and the
welfare Of the community, the caste is
out OF employment, 1t Is as needless as
an arlstocracy, In q republic.
The Church Of Jesus Christ OF Latter
day Saints Is governed somewhat after
the pattern Of the United States. Both
governments were inspired from the
same divine source, and there is some
resemblance. Both are different from
the despotlc rule manifested in secular
circles as Imperialism, and In ecclesias-
teal associations as hierarchy. The
despotc conception Is that government
is a power TO which man Is subject,
nolens volens But this idea does not
obtain IN this country. Here govern
ment is understood to derive It's Just
powers from the consent Of the gov
erned. officials are, therefore, the SER
wants of the public, executing their
mandates. They are entirely different
from emperors, kings, governors.
princes and rulers Of despotlc countries.
They are, as is well understood, nothing
but citizens temporarily entrusted with
a commission to act for fellow citizens.
We have no emperors, no monarchs.
The situation In the Church is some-
what similar. There are no hierarchs.
no prelates. There are officers. select
ed, as we believe, under the direction
OF the Holy Spirit, but acting with the
consent OF the people. They have their
various functions to perform for the
Church, not as rulers but as servants.
For, IN the kingdom OF God the rule Is.
that he who would be the greatest must
be the servant OF all. Nearly all the
male members OF the Church hold the
Holy Priesthood In It's two-fold division
-one administering I'm the secular af-
fairs Of the Church and one IN its splr-
itual affairs. But when all hold
the Priesthood, there can be no class
distinction. II is as Illogical 10 speak
about hierarchyor prelacy I'm the
Church. as It would be to speak Of an
oligarchy, or Imperialism in the United
States. Very few Church officers are
even supposed to devote all of their
time to the service Of the people. They
are engaged as all other citizens, in
their daily occupations, and cannot be-
come hlerarchs, on that ground among
others, II Is impossible to think OF the
Prophet Elijah fed by ravens at the
little bro9klet that furnished him with
clear water as a horarch, or pre-
late. Nor can We think Of the Gailean
fishermen, though they were Apostles,
holding all the keys Of author
ity in ecclesiastical affairs, as hior-
archs. They We're humble SER
wants Of God. Paul was an Apostle, but
also a tentmaker ana no prelate.
Neither are Mormon" Church officials
hierarchs They may be Apostles, pres
idents Bishops, etc, but thoy are also
farmers, manufacturers, merchants,
bankers, etc, and are, consequently,
far removed from the class that IS
known as prelates,
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