The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-14
"BY THEIR FRUITS

One who did not know of the daily
lives of certain Of. the leaders Of the
Mormon church and their favorites, up
on reading the recent pronouncemeut Of
the first presidency of that organiza-
tion, would probably be led to believe
that there were no more righteous
men living on the face of the earth
than these,
Looking back at the record. how
ever. one would soon become undeceived
as to the real character of these in
dividuals, Taking the testimony of
Joseph +. Smith for it. there is enough
damnation in that exposition alone TO
condemn the hierarchs for life-before
a people who were not the complete
slaves of their ecclesiastical law break
ing masters.
When he was in Washington-forced
TO go before the Senate Committee on
Privileges and Elections for the pur-
pose Of defending in his place the man
whom he had designated 10 be Sena.
tor of the United States-the pretended
prophet of the Mormon church con-
fessed to enough law breaking in his
own personal life to go around for an
entire community. Yet at the same
time he asserted TO the committee that
he was sustained by his people as
man of God; as Tevealer of the things
of heaven; as a foreteller of events re-
spectiDg the welfare or the ill-hap of
mankind.
To sum up the entire list of sins in
which it was his habit to indulge, the
reader who is familiar with the testi-
mony will remember that Joseph i,
Smith presented himself to the world in
this guise: He testified that he was
recognized as the sole representative on
earth Of the Almighty in heaven; but
that he held no communication with
the Creator He told that he was in
the habit of collecting ten per cent Of
the earnings of the people, in the name
of the Lord for religious purposes; but
that he had put most of the money into
commercial institutions, which were
named, and of which he confessed he
was either an officer, director or
leading stockholder, He admitted that
the church had promulgated mani
festo against the practice of polygamy
and unlawful cohabitation; but that he
had not seen fit to obey the same, nor
to have it printed among the doctrines
or commandments of the church He
said that there were statutes existing
in this State which forbade these prac-
tees; but he had preferred to take his
chances against the laws by living in
defiance of them. He admitted that
some eases Of new plural marriage had
been reported; but he had taken no
measures to ascertain the facts
nor TO punish the wrong-doers.
He declared that he was amenable to
the courts OF the State of Utah for his
unlawful method Of living; but that
it was not his intention to discontinue
his lawless practices. He confessed
that the leaders of the church, himself
among them, had petitloned the Nation
for amnesty, promising future good be-
havior as a condition to forgiveness
for past offenses; but that he person.
ally had disregarded that pledge.
Let the honest citizen compare this
series of confessions with the late pro-
fession of immaculate righteousness,
which the saints in conference were
wheedled into certifying, and see how
much consistency exists in them. The
bogus prophet went to a great deal Of
pains to have some one write the latest
manifesto of the hierarchs, when the
best evidence Of honest desire to do
right would have been for him to cause
to be published in the Doctrine and
Covenants the manifesto of Wilford
Woodruff, which inhibits polygamy, and
which he promised the whole country
should be thus promulgated among his
people. But be it known that the
Woodruff manifesto declares against q
practice which is most dear to the
prophetic heart; and in order that the
chief polygamous CRATER in the world
may not make himself appear in u too
ridiculous light, Joseph F. Smith will
suppress the Woodruff document to the
end of his days, preferring to allow the
original law to stand as justification
for his own sinful life