The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-11
THE DEVILS ADVOCATE.


citation Of the April conference Declara
tion, opened wide and deep gulf be,
tween the law-dofying polygamous see
lion OF the Mormon church and the
masses of its members. There can be
no dispute about the authority Of Elder
Roberts TO speak for the present domi-
nant polygamous cult in the church.
because President Joseph i. Smith pre-
sided over the meeting, led IN the
applause, and nodded his approval from
time to time of the uttcrauces OF
( Elder Roberts. The congregation was
! also with Roberts in his sentiments, as
! was manifest by the sigus OF approval
! given him rs he spoutcd his depravity.
Further, his attitude was merely a
continuation OF that aakeu by Presi-
dent Joseph T. Smith in his testimony
before the Senate Committee in Wash
ington. where he stated that he had not
kept the pledges made by his church to
the Government, did not intend to
keep them, was living a life in de.
fance OF the laws of God and man,
and intended to continue living that
sort of a life Elder Brigham a. Rob
eerts, in his address, continued in the
same strain. and announced the same
corrupt status and determination for
himself
When any set of persons, represent
ing any organization. or inner cult of
an organization, throws off the authority
of God, then all authority is gone; for
it is idle to speak OF any authority,
spiritual or moral, in an organization
claiming authority from God, when it
throws off God s law. \ man who,
claiming authority from God, distinctly
and openly repudiates the law of God,
is manifestlv a fraud and impostor,
it is impossible to give any credence or
to accord sincerity TO the declarations
of such person; having rejected the
law OF God he has neither spiritual nor
moral foundation to sustain him, and
he is utterly lost. To claim n moral
obligation to reject God s law is as
though one should say he has civic
duty 10 destroy the State. Those
who follow him are simply drifting
on sea, without compass, without
moral standard, without spiritual au-
thority; the face of God is hidden
from them, and il is impossible 10 con-
slider them in any sense orFunder any
circumstances as other than wicked and
immoral men; il is unthinkable that
they should be men Of God, men of
or men of spiritual life. In
deed. President Joseph F. Smith, in his
testimony Ill Washington, admitted as
much where he said that the power
Of revelation had departed from him. I
II would be singular. indeed, if il had |
not, even according TO the claims of his |
own church, and according to The origi. |
nal and vital principles of the Nor. /
mon faith According to all these, !
Joseph f. Smith is a withered limb, an
lpostate, an outcast, and undeserving
IF the least consideration from any
.atter-day Saint
But not content with rejecting the
aw Of God and making himself a
piritual and moral outcast Roberts also
makes himself an outlaw in the civil
State, and his fellows with him He
ELECTS the law of man as well as the
aw of God. Elder Roberts is. there.
ore. an enemy to civil government, an
outlaw and foe 10 the human race,
In anarchist, a would be destroyer of
he organized civil State, traitor TO
his country. and. in addition. he is
moral outcast, unworthy of any stand.
ng in civilized society.
All this status Elder Roberts has
ixed upon himself, and has determined
or himself. with the approval of Joseph
;. Smith and the other poIygamist
authorities of the church, by their own
approval and choice. they choosing the
anne status Of obloquy for themselves.
They are all outcasts from the face
general traitors to the civil State.
and rebels against all forms
+ authority.
The well disposed and loyal members
# the Mormon church accept in good
aith that vital tenet of their standard
evelation which says that no man
Who keeps the laws of God needs
o break the laws of the land; but
lere is d polygamous cult,
ificially in charge Of their church.
which dc6es alike The laws of
rod and man, The average we'll
isposed Mormon accepts both the
avs of God and the laws of
he State and Of his country: he, there
ore, has 10 part nor lot with those
vho reject the laws of God, defy the
avs Of their State and their Nation,
nd reject the moral standards of mod
I'll civilization. The gulf fixed be
ween the well-disposed, law-abiding
Mormon who reveres the law of God,
lonors the law of his State and of his
ountry, and who desires to stand in
ccord with modern civilization, and the
aw-defying polygamist cult, is wide