The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-09
SMITH AND LUND KNIFE SMITH.

The proceedings OF the April confer
ence of the Mormon church, which be-
gan here on April 6, 1906, have been
issued I'm pamphlet form 1t is an in
teresting report. in which the sarcasm,
Irony, and maledictions are none the
less profound or pointed In that they
are not given personal application 10
the uttercrs OF the bald hypocrlscs of
the different speakers at tho confer
ence. rs they might well have been.
the fit is so perfect.
Here is President Joseph f. Smith.
for instance, starting the conference
i'm an address which seems TO open the
tithing account TO the inspection of any
contributor. but which in fact warns
all good Saints that they VIII be guilty
OF unchriStianlike conduct if they de-
mand to see the books. and anyway
they couldn't find out anything under
standabe about the accounts If they
grubbed among them for years. Be
sides, before the conference adjourned,
there was q whitewash report on the
church accounts which declared every
thing TO be right. and which was
accepted" (Which I'm parliamentary
law is equivalent TO adopted unani-
mously Consequently, any one. who
should now seek to look into the mat
ter further would be no better than an
apostate,
A subtitle to this address by Presi-
dent Smith IS. "Wickedness Will not be
tolerated" What Is wiCkedness2 A
general definition upon which all the
olocians and religious teachers would
undoubtedly agree Is. that wickedness
is transgresslon of the law of God. But
when any one not only transgresses
Gods laws, but insolently proClaims
that his daily life is conducted I'm de-
fiance OF the law OF God and of man,
and that he intends to continue so to
live surely such a man may fairly be
called the chief Of sinners. wicked be-
yond belief, and more evil In his course
and his habit OF mind than any of the
sons of men or OF God who have ever
polluted the earth with their foulness.
Yet this Is the man who says brazenly.
with words of appalling hypocrisy.
"Wickedness Will not be tolerated."
And an earnest, but blinded and de-
ceived people. sit under his words and
do not see the shocking blasphemy ana
brutal inapproprlateness of his utter
Ing any such sentiment, In any form of
words.
Again, President Anthon Lunds re-
marks are introduced under the sub
title. Pursuit of worldly affairs
quenches love of Gospel" A palpable
hit at President Joseph F. Smith.
whose only pursuits are worldly whose
mind Is wholly worldly. whose address
at the same session was altogether
worldly, with not a spark of spiritual
ity In II. and whose chief effort since
his coming as a poor man to the head
of the church has been devoted to
heaping up riches for himself OF
course. President Lunds points on this
score were logical, severe. and I'm strict
accord with every theological ideal and
tradition. Equally of course. the spirit
uaI barrenness of President Smith is
accounted for fully by President
Lund's discreet laying down of the law
of spiritual barTenness ensuing upon
ones giving himself over to the pursuit
of worldly affairs. President Smith
swears that he has received no revela-
tions President Lund proclaimed the
gospel law OF why the spiritual font
is dried up within him
Truly. 1t was d refreshing conference,
The way the brethren slashed them
selves and each other, with the knives
they had out whetted for others, was a
caution