The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-25

said, in a sermon delivered on Septem-
Der 20, 1857, in Salt Lake City:
think. however. that such men as
would not submit 10 his authority and
rule ought 10 be damned. whether they
| like II or not
That would seem 10 be sufficiently
plain, as indicating the attitude of the
Mormon church in this matter of Gre
| ligious tolerance which the speaker Of
| last Sunday so much desires. JOHN
! Taylor was succeeded by Wilford
Woodruff. as head Of the church. Ven
Grated though he was for many excel
lent qualities, the ascendant Mormon
idea was large in his mind; and this is
the expression of Mr.. Woodruff in
sermon which he delivered on April o,
1857:
II the prophet OF God should tell me
that a certain principle or theory which
] might have learned was not true. do
not care what my Ideas might have been,
1 should consider 1t my duty, at tho sus-.
gestton of my file leader, 70 abandon mat
principle or theory, SupposingE ne were IRE
to say the principles by which YOU are
governed are not right, that they were
Incorrect. what would be my duty? L
| answer that II would be my duty 70 lay
those principles aside and 10 take UP
those that might be laid down by the
servants OF God.
Here was not only intolerance of re-
ligion, other than that taught by tho
Mormon church, but intolerance of the
! established principles of government,
otherwise than those which the prophet
would see fit TO lay down for all man
ner OF people. President Lorenzo Snow
was the successor of Wilford Woodruff,
and he expressed himself thus, in
sermon which he preached on October
II, 1857:
duty, to serve our presidency with all our
heart. with all our might. with all our
feelings. with all our property and ener, 5
giles. and with all things that the Lord
has put into our hands.
Always the toleration Of nothing
which did not emanate from the priest
hood of the Mormon church. Never
consideration for any truth which
might come from the outside, no matter
how thoroughly demonstrated, If the
prophet said so-and-so was not right,
then it was not to be right. And this
idea has been carried down to the pres
ent day, and is now nurtured faithfully
by the present head of the church, JOS
eph T. Smith, as indicated in a sermon
which he preached at Provo III April,
1896:
The fact of the matter is, when a man
saws YOU can direct me spiritually but
not temporarily he lies In the presence
OF God-that is. II he has got Intelligence
enough 10 know what he Is talking about
So it may be seen very readily that
there is not even tolerance of opinion
in material matters, let alone religious
belief, if that opinion or belief have
not the prophetic sanction. For the
mere utterance of criticism of the pres
ent prophet, on account of acts which
he himself has confessed to be con-
trary to the laws of God and man,
members Of the Mormon church have
been communicated from that body.
That is the kind of ''relgious toler
ancen that characterizes the Mormon
church, as expressed in the actions of
its leadership.
There is scarcely week in the life
Of the Deseret News when ii has not
ranted against the ministry of Chris
tlan denominations - except where
some of them have been careful to eX-
press no opposition to the criminal
course of the leaders of the Mormon
church In no way, which can be pos
sibly demonstrated, has there ever been
any tolerance of other forms Of religion
by the priesthood of the church, and it
is quite evident that the appeal of Mr..
John Henry Smith at the peace meet
ing was inspired by the desire that the
hierarchs be "'et alone" in their law
breaking,