The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-03
AS TO SUSTAINING"

The question is being raised and
much discussed by the Mormon people
at this time. what the real meaning Is
OF the ceremony Of "sustaining as
managed at the general conferences Of
the church. A conversation held re-
Gently between two Mormons. both In
good standing and position In the
church. will illustrate the point One
was inclined TO object to the idea that
the sustaining reached to acquiescence
in and approval of Smiths polygamous
course
The other thought that 1t must In
clude that for IT was to him impossible
to conceive that n man could be sus-
tanned as the vicegerent of God upon
earth, the foremost of Gods holy and
chosen people. who had been set apart
for Righteousness to lead the Saints. the
prophet, seer. and reyelator to the Lat
ter-day Saints in all the world, and yet
be living a life Of which the Saints
could not approve; of conduct in which
they cannot and do not sustain him.
If his acts and life are corrupt. his
prophetic gift and leadership cannot be
! pure; for it is idle to look for purity
from corruption, for good fruit from a
bad tree; "ye cannot gather grapes
| from thistles,"
The other thought there was much
| force to this, but still maintained that
| the central point is, Do the Saints sus-
| tain President Smith In his personal
| and private capacity, or only officially?
Important deductions follow from the
answer. II they sustain his acts and
conduct. then they approve Of polyga-
my in spite of all the assurances that
i polygamy has been given up. Again
| as polygamy Is under the ban of both
| church and human law. how can 1t be
right for a holy man to practice iti
And IL prophet breaks and def1es the
law of God. how shall he find divine IA
for. and receive revelations? The fact
| that President Smith testified under
oath in Washington that he does moi
receive revelations may be an evidence
| that he has lost divine favor by reason
Of his breach of Gods laws. If so. II
/
do not sustain him in his private ca.
| pacity. Otherwise. they also would bt
partakers in his transgression, and tn,
divine leadership upon which from tn,
first they have steadfastly leaned. mus
fall them.
But" rejoined the other. "we sus
tain him-the man-Joseph F. Smith
with all his bodily endowments. weak
nesses, and environment-as prophet
seer, and revelator. We cannot sepa
rate him from himself. He IS what h,
is, with all his acts and requirements
no has been advanced. as himself
through all the grades OF church rank
to the highest. And he is and always
has been sustained just as he was a
the time OF every sustaining. He hal
grown to his present status by our ap
proyal and consent. and We have full
knowledge of him, know ell about him
1t Is not possible to separate his pri
vate acts from his official. for sustain
ing purposes. We approve him as he is
and must do so, or else we don't ap
prove him at all.
Then" was the retort. I'VE are al
Just as much responsible for his po
lygamy and his defiance OF the law o
God as he is, and 1t Is time we went ou
OF business as the church especially ia
yored of God, as the leading lights il
patriotism, the church founded upo
the rock of living and continuous reve
latlon. For. IL what you say Is true
we approve, formally and aft1rmatlvely
polygamous living: we deny the appll
cation to us of the laws of God and tn
laws of man; we shudder always a
Governmental interference; and we re
ceive no revelations. we are not In tn
!. Kings highway OF holiness, our claim