The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-12

prophets. believe II was the plural O. So
Senator Knox You took this vow In what
year,
Mr.. Thomas In 1896
Senator Knox. How long did you remain IN
| tho church after thut7
Mr Thomas. 1 remained In the church up
Senator Knox. That was eleven years and
| you vowed TO ovenge tho blood OF the martyrs
Mr. Thomas. Yes, air
Senator Knox. And your right
| do 20. Is TINT oorroct7
Mr. Thomas- That is the way I under
| Senator. Knox. What did you ever do in
! tho line OF kocping that vow7 Did you
ayenge the blood OF the martyrs upon this
Mr. Thomas. No. sir have enlisted twice
to Try 10 defend tho Nation.
| Tho authorities OF the church to get busy in
| That direction OF ovenging the blood OF tho
maTtyrs upon thiS Nation.
Mr Thomas. No
Mr., Worthington. Do you know of any
| member Of tho church who did do nnythlns in
,nc way OF using his right arm 10 avcngc the
| blood of the prophets on this Notion7
MI Thomas. No, sir q; n. ~
The witness Holmgren. on this subject
| testified that he passed through the en-
| dowment house In 1889 His further cx-
animation on this subject Is as follows
Mr Carlisle Do you remember the ccrsmo-
MICS that took place AT that time?
MT Homgrcn. Part OF IT,
Mr. Carlisle Are you willing, to state tho
y 'a u'at WIS taken or notf III You are not
Mr., Holmgrcn. What understood and
| Cured
Mr. Holmgren. In the endowment house7
MT Holmgren. There were q number OF
oaths md performances that were inssnih-
can't would say, until NC TO the unoine-
| Ing room. and In that onointins room there
was some language used that am sorry
Mr. Carlisle Can you state what It wss7
Nj, mT, Holmsren In amounting my srms. the
arms might be strong to nvengc the blood OF
Joseph and Hyrum Smith" a; I6 ID
The witness. Lawrence. VINO was 20
| years old at the time he testified, stated
| that he was a member OF the Mormon
church until 1869, and that he had taken
or administered the alleged obligation In
question number of times. The follow
ing are the substantial parts OF his testi-
Sir, Carlisle Mr.. Lawrence would you OBJ
lect to stating whether there ls any oath.
commonly called here the oath OF vengeance.
taken In tho endowment house. and what II
Mr Lawrence. Yes; there Is
MT Carlisle Can you stnte II in terms or
In substance?
Mr.. Lawrence You covenant md agree be-
you VIII ayenge the blood of the probpS,s. the
prophet Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith Parlcy
Pratt, David Patton'-their names are
Mr Carlisle. Was that the case when you
Mr. Lawrence. Yes cir. 1 do not know
whether they were all mentioned when l was
there or not but they have been mentioned
when | have been there.
Mr. Carlisle. You have passed through tho
endowment a number OF tmes7
Mr. Lawrence. Yes; 1 have been there n
number OF times
Mr. Carlisle. You mean these names have
been mentioned somc OF the times when you
passed through That is what you mean?
Mr. Lawrence. Yes. sir.
Mr. Carlisle You do not know whether they
mentioned
Mr. Lawrence. No. sir.
Senator Dillingham;. Do / understand the
witness hns given tho whole OF the oolign-
Mr. Carlisle. I will ask him. Do you re-
about vengeance upon the people or ven
gcance upon the nation. or what was said OF
that sort. II YOU remember
Mr. Lawrence. / say It has been stated. 1
can not state 1t only as I understand IT Tho
was In regard to that vengeance but tho feel
Ing has alwaye been against the nation and
the state no Tor allowing that deed to be pe9pe-
toned. 1t is q little ambiguous In regord to
that
Mr. worthnston. You cay you ombgu-
Gus or II was ambiguous?
Mr Lawrence. II was little ambiguous
position is II should be executed on the per
petrators of the decd.
Mr. Carlisle. Mr. Lawrence. I viii get YOU
to state, II you can, whether thie covenant,
or oath, or whatever II may be called. is al
ways administered by tho same person and
tered different times by different persons.
and whether 1t Is in writing or merely oral
Mr. Lawrence 1t Is administered orally by
different persons at different times.
Mr.. Carlisle. II may be. then. that there
is a direront form OF the oath?
Mr. Lawrence. 1t may be administered a lit
tie different. OF course the substance is about
administer II a little different from others
l have no doubt that II Is. from what 1 have
heard.
Senator Knox Was this vengeance TO be
executed by the person taking the oath. or
10 nvcnge the blood of the prophcts7
Mr.. Lawrence. As say. IT was little nm
take an oath to avensc the blood OF the
prophets and teach the principle TO your chill
dren and childrcn's children
Senator Knox l think you do not under
stand me. You etnted moment ago that
there was some amblgulty In the oath as TO
Senator Knox. Now. am asking YOU who
or were they to imploro by prayer TINT God
MT Lawrence woll. that not inserted
in II for the Lord to do 1t. They simply took
II is almost Impossible for them to wreok ven
gcance, because those men that committed the
deed have probably r. gone ,o ysop' ago ago bas.d On
the exact language used by Professor Wolfe
yesterday He said that he heard the
oath taken very recently, and that they
vowed or promised that they would pray
TO Almighty God to ayengc tho blood OF
the prophets l think II is quite material,
and / want TO know what your recollection is
Mr.. Lawrence. That was not inserted in my
day-that is, In regard 10 asking God 10
wTeak this vengeance a. los los)
Mr. Worthlngton. Tell about how many
times you were present when this oath was
administered
Mr. Lawrence / could not say. II would
20 into the hundreds probably
Mr. worthington. Several hundred times?
Mr. Lawrence. Yes; dozens l would
cay from one TO three years. probably.
Mr worthinston. And on each occasion to
q great many people. 1 suppose7
Mr. Lawrence. Yes. sir,
Mr. Worthngton on all occasions when
you heard IL administered 10 others when
IL was administered to you. did you ever hcnr
any reference the nation OF the United
states as the object OF rengeance7
Mr. Lawrence. During my administration
the word nation" not used.
Mr Worthington Do you mean you admin
istercd the oathp
Mr.. Iawrcnce-No. sir; yes, sir I
offlciated there with the rest of them.
Mr Worthington- Then you both adminis-
tered the covenant. and you heard others ad-
aIrIot %