The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-06-12

poral and spiritual. 1t is then alleged
/ that this self-perpetuating body Of fifteen
men of whom Mr.. Smoot is one, uniting
/ IN themselves authority in both church
and state so exercise this authority as to
| encourage belief in pOlygsmy as a di-
vine institution and by both precept and
example encourage among their followers
t the practice of pOlysamy and poly gamOus
COhabitatiOn.
/ That the first presidency and twelve
/ apostles of the Mormon church are a self
I peTpetuating body of fifteen men. seems to
/ be well established by the testimony of
/ the one most competent to speak upon
/ that subject, the president of the Church
/ Of LatteT-day Saints. Mr.. Joseph F.
[ Smith who teStifieS as will be seen on
/ copy of the proceedings in the investi-
/ cation. that vacancies occurring in the
number of the twelve apostles are filed
/ by the apostles themselves with the con-
sent and approval Of the first presidency.
The testimony of Mr. Smith is as fol-
/ lows:
Senator McComas-And the twelve
apostles We're then first named2
Mr.. Smith-Yes. sir.
Senator McCOmas-When vacancies oc-
CURED thereafter. by what body were the
vacancies in the twelve apostles flled2
Mr.. Smith-PerhapS I may say in this
way: Chosen by the body. the twelve
themselves. by and with the consent and
approval of the first presidency.
Senator HOaT-Was there a revelation
| in regard to each Of them2
Mr. Smith-NO. sir. not in regard to
each of them Do you mean in the begin
ming?
Senator Hoar-I understand you to say
/ lected by revelation?
/ Mr. Smith-Yes sir; that is right
Senator HOaT-Is there any revelation
| in regard to the subsequent ones?
Mr. Smith-No. sir: it has been the
choice of the body.
/ Senator McComas-Then the apostles
| are perpetuated in succession by their own
act and the approval Of the first presi-
denCy2
| Mr., Smith-That is right
To the same effect is the testimony of
Francis NJ Lyman.
( It further appears ttat any ore of the
twelve apostles NAV be removed by his
4 fellow apostles without consulting the
members of the church in general. It is
also in proof that the first presidency and
/ twelve apostles govern the church by
means of So-caIIcd revelations from God
which revelations are given TO the mem
/ beTShlp of the church as emanatIng from
dlVIHe authority 1t Is also shown that
/ these members Of the Mormon church who
/ refuse to obey the revelations so cOmmu-
uicateG by the priesthood thereby become
| out of harmony with the church and are
/ thus practically excluded from the bless
ship in the church.
/ It is also well established by the testi-
money that the members of the
things by the first presidency and
/ twelve apostles That this authority
! is extended 10 the membership through
l q L
flcials- consisting of presidents of seven
/ ties, presiding bishops. elders. presidents
| of stakes. bishops and other officials
( That one of the chief requirements nv
1 the leaders of the church is that members
/ shall take counsel of their religious su-
I perlOrs in all things whatsoever. whether
1 civil or religious. temporal or spiritual
/ That the failure to receive and obey
counsel in any Of these matters subjects
the one who refuses to the discipline of
| the church That this discipline is ad-
I N q raH 10 inst 1r7fsea h.
subordinate officials subject to the right
TO appeal to the higher officials Of the
church and ultimately to the first presi-
, dent and twelve apostles These rules,
enforced. as they are, by the discipline Of
the Mormon church constitute the first
I president and twelve apostles a HE
rarChy, body of men at the head of a
( religious organization governing their
followers with absolute and unques toned
authority in all things relating to tenn
poral and political, as well as to spirit
ual affairs.
The testimony taken before the COM
mittee shows beyond a reasonable doubt
that this authority Of the first pTesi-
denCy and twelve apostles is so exercised
over the members Of the Mormon church
I to InCUlCate 2. belief in the divine orr
gin of pOlygamy and its rightfuIness al
a practice. and also to encourage the
membership Of that church in the prac-
tiCe Of pOlygamy and pOlygamOUS COhab-
itatiOn. While this is denied on the part
of the officials of the church. the truth
fulueSS of the claim of the prOteStantS in
this regard is shown by great number
of facts and circumstances. no one of
which is perhaps conclusive in itself. but
when taken together form d volume of
testimony so COgent and convincing as
to leave no reasonable doubt in the mind
that the truth is so stated by the pro-
teStants 1t IS proved without denial that
the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, one
of the leading authorities of the Mormon
church. and still circulated by that
church as a book equal in authority to
the Bible and the Book of Mormon, con-
tains the revelation regarding pOlygamy,
of which the following is part:
81. And again. as pertaining to the
law Of the priesthood: If any man es-
pOuSe virgin and desires to espOuse an
other and the first give her consent. and
if he esDOuse the second and they are
virgins and have vowed to no other man,
then he is justified-he cannot commit
adultery. for they are given unto him; for
he can not commit adultery with that
that belOngeth to him and to no one else.
50. And if he have 10 virgins given unto
him by this law he can not commit adul-
terry. for they belong to him and they are
given unto him: therefore he is justified
''63. But if one or either of the 10 vir-
gins after she is eSpOuSed. shall be with
another man she has committed adultery
and shall be destroyed, for they are
given unto him to multiply and replenish
the earth. according to my command
ment and to fulfill the promise which
was given by my Father before the fOun-
dalton of the world; and for their eXal-
tatiOn in the eternal worlds, that they
may bear the souls of men; for herein is
the work of my Father continued, that
he may be glorified-
"64 And again, verify. verify, I say
unto YOU. if any man hath a wife who
holds the keys of this power and he
teaches unto her the law of my priest
hood, as pertaining these things. then
shall she believe and administer unto
him or she shall be destroyed, said the
Lord your God. for l will destroy her.
for / will magnify my name upon all
those who receive and abide in my law.
50 Therefore, it shall be lawful in me-
if she receives not this law for him to
receive all things whatsoever I, the Lord
his God will give unto him, because she
did not minister unto him according to
my word; and she then becomes the
transgressor; and he is exempt from the
law of Sarah who ministered unto ! bra
ham according to the law, when I com
manded Abraham to take Hager to
wife"
It is also shown that numerous other
publications of the Mormon church are
still circulated among the members of
that church with the knowledge and by
the authority of the church officials
which contain arguments in favor of pO-