Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-15
THE RIGHT OF EXCIsIoN.

curse which Baaam was hired by the
King OF Moab 60 pronounce against Is
rael was dwelt upon, and the deduction
was drawn from the story az It Is re-
lated In the Old Testament, that False
religions have always said, Come curse
me Jacob and defy me Israel or In
other words, come curse the truth
The preacher by this means led up to
the point that he had IN VIEW which he
presented IA these words:
eve have IN our midst a system OF
as bold effrontery. With their prin-
ceps prlnciporum living In open den
ance OF Gods law and mans, he eX-
communicates one OF his followers. lie
says. Curse all these people outside
Of the Mormon faith y
II is easy for any resident Of this city
to understand TO what and to whom
the speaker alluded. He has been here
long enough to know that his assertions
are false IN essence and IN intent, In
the first place, the President Of the
church, whom he indicates as the
"princeps prlncporum," does not ex-
ercise the power Of accommodation
upon anybody. That power is vested
In Church tribunals and cannot be ex-
ercised until the accused Church menu
Der has been tried and given an oppor-
tunity for defense In the next place,
the authority to exoommunicate does
not imply a desire or attempt to curse
anybody or anything. on the con-
trary il excites sorrow and pity for
the offender, who thereby is deprived Of
the privileges that belong to Church
membership and fellowship with the
Saints.
We would like TO ask the preacher,
when he ever heard from Mormon"
lips, and especially from any leading
authority OF the Church, the words,
Course all these people outside OF the
Mormon falth2" We challenge him to
produce such an expression from that
source, or any sentiment therefrom
breathing such a spirit one OF the
articles Of the Latter-day Saints faith,
believed in by every officer and mem
Der OF the Church. is. 1--WE claim the
privilege OF worshlpping Almighty God
according 70 the dictates OF our con-
science, and allow all men the same
privilege let them worship how where
or what they may"
We denounce the utterance OF that
preacher from the pulpit as wlokedly,
Intentionally and UNANIMOUSLY false. II
Is just such perverslons as that which
stir up prejudice and anger and hat
red against the Latter-day Saints,
often leading 20 violence and
sometimes to murder. Untruths
OF a similar character have been
uttered by other professed ministers
Of Jesus Christ, against which we have
10 protest. They place this Church on
the defensive continually The preach
ers Of the systems Of men, all Of which
| can be traced TO their earthly and hui
man origin, seem unable 10 connne their
! ministry 10 the dissemination OF the
notions and vagarles that make up thelr
| iangling creeds, but must break out In.
to attacks upon the "Mormons" and
Misrepresentation Of our faith. Wher
we reply to their defamatory asser.
lions. they accuse us Of assailng them
when they know that "Mormonlsm'
does not seek their injury nor ever &c
/ cast the first stone
Now as TO the right OF religious or.
/ ganIsations to withdraw fellowship
from or oxoommunlcate their members
Does the preacher guilty Of the false,
hood We have quoted az coming from
his mouth wish II to be understood
that the right TO expell member
does not inhere In an ecclesiastical
body? Does It not belong to every SO,
! clety, association, club, and legislative
or other body under the sun? Can prop
er order or discipline be maintained
without the exercise OF such power? Il
IL not simple proposition, generally
understood, that member OF any or,
ganizatIon who vii not be governed by
its rules and regulations, may be ant
ought to be deprived Of its privileges
Any church that does not hold such au
thorlty is poor feeble. powerlosl
thing, not worthy Of human or divn,
respect
IN the Church OF Jesus Christ OF Lat
ter-day Saints there are ecclesiastical
courts appointed to deal with trans
gressors. They are governed by rules
that insure 10 all accused persons full
protection in Church rights, including
the right OF appeal Final judgment Il
not pronounced untif every proper
method has been used 10 reform tn,
sinner and lead him TO repentance
when Il Is found that he Is lrreclalm
able, the extreme penalty Is excom
munlcatlon. That Is all. II ans
Course" follows he brings It upon him
self. No anathema Is pronounced upor
! him by word or deed. III he Is thence
forth regarded as a "heathen man, tina
IL IN accordance with the command o
Christ. and will be his own fault and th'
consequences viii be the natural result
Of his own folly.
The next time the preacher to whom
we have paid this brief attention feel.
an itching desire to break out agalns
the "Momons' he had better try e
Keep within The bounds OF truth ana o
common sense, whether he Is guided
by Scripture and ordinary honesty OF
word and OF purpose or not, This motto,
| ~ La nffnrH L. n.Irnn nlranlu hnna ~.