The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-23


Although the rule presented for their
consideration might appeal TO them as
being unjust, unwise or unvirtuous. who
are they that they should question the
word Of the Lord7 Doubt assails the
mind. They have not given the mat
ter proper thought, perhaps, and the
men whom they have sustained to pre-
side over them have had this rule un-
der consideration for long time;
therefore, they are better able to say
what is best for the welfare of the
| people of Zion. Fear and trembling,
lest they offend the Lord, enters the
mind of assembled Israel; it is better
| to sustain the brethren, even in 81
doubtful measure, than TO be found in
rebellion against the authorized ser
wants of the Almighty, If the thing
is wrong, then it is between the au-
thorities and their God, and not upon
the heads of the saints.
Now, under these circumstances, can
any reasonable man bring his mind to
think that out of that probable ten
thousand people, five thousand and one
would vote to defeat the wishes Of the
! prophet? Suppose some ultra rebellious
soul should voice his disapproval, his
protest would amount to nanpht: for
| the reason that the moment he should
utter his objection, and on account Of
it, the other nine hundred and ninety
nine would range themselves the more
sohdly around the prophets standard,
The protestant would thereafter be de-
spised by the people as an apostatc
and a traitor, Without any desire TO
be unfair, The Tribune will say that
by the people Of the Mormon church,
the will of the president Of that or
gapization can never be set aside: and.
in view of the circumstances presented
which we sincerely believe are truth
fully set forth--the question of Fcom-
mon consent by the body is left for
the readers personal consideration and
conclusion.
The Melcbisedek priesthood, within
which are the high priests, rules the
church, supposedly by common con
sent Next to the entire body of the
organization come the quorums of ell
ders, These contain many thousands
Of members-they are the most pop
ulous of all the Melchisedek quorums.
According to the rules of government
within the church, it requires unani
nous action by all Of these many thou
sands to equal the power of the quo
runs of seventy. which contain a far
smaller membership and are one step
farther removed away from the body
of the people, and higher up. The con
dltiou Of reverence for the high au-
thorities of the church, such as char
actcrizes the body of the organization,
is present among the elders ouorums,
rendering a majority vote of their ag-
gregate body equally impossible, as
against the desires of the presidency.
Then come the quorums of seventy,
the unanimous vote of which is equal
to that of the first quorum Of seventy
which, as the name implies, is COM
posed of seventy men when full.
Then comes the council Of the first
presidents Of seventy. 1t requires the
unanimous vote Of this council, aud
that Of the FIRST quorum-seventy-sev-
en- in all, when complete-to equal that
Of the twelve apostles.
Afterwards comes the council Of the
twelve apostles, consisting of twelve
men. 1t is necessary to secure unani-
nous action on the part Of these twelve
men 10 equal the power of the first
presidency. consisting of three men,
in order TO show the utter impossi-
bility of securing action against these
three men il is only necessary TO point
out the condition in the conference, so
far as the mass is concerned; and then
to recognize the fact that il requires
the unanimous action Of any two of
the next lowest quorums TO defeat the
one above. SO that the twelve apos-
ties only equal the three of the first
presidency, and IN order to overcome
the will Of the latter it is requisite
that the apostles and the council of
seventies vote together, without one
dissenting voice Chat may seem strange
in view of the general recognition of
ma aioIity rule, but each quorum must
be unanimous IN order TO be equal in
effectiveness to the other, before the
dictum of the three can be ignored
And so il goes on down until the mass
is reached. And all along the line the
utter impossibiity of rejection appears,
showing in greater degree as the body
of the church, where the Common con-
sent must fiud its expression, is ap.
preached
As to the first presidency; The presi
dent of the church selects his own coun-
sellers. They are creatures of mis- own
making. If one of these happens to
be out of harmony with the president,
the latter has right TO remove him
and to select one who will be in ac~
cord Therefora when tho ,naf}or ie