The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-15
A FUTILE CHURCH EVASION.

Its futile attempt to overthrow the Salt
Lake ministers, and to upset some argu.
ments presented by The Tribune, and at
the same time to repudinte a few of
the best authorities Of it's own church
And in the midst Of its wanderings il
pretends to 500 that The Tribune has
committed all sorts Of t'moral per-
! jury and that this paper continued
to reiterate the falsehood' which it is
impossible for the church organ to ac-
| knowledge is the absolute truth.
Well, let us see. In On effort to make
the showing that some Of tho Christian
churches had departed from certain
doctrines promulgated by ancient lead
ers, the News quoted distinguished
speakers for these organizations. At
the same time it asked if these Chris
tian denominations would deem 1t to be
fair II they were to be judged by the
utterances of these men. The Tribune
indicated the many points Of unfairness
which extruded from the News articles;
but the church organ persistently re-
fuses to negotiate with reference to any
Of these.
For the purpose of refreshing the
News in the matter, let us again say
that Calvin, Taylor, Spurgeon, Gardiner,
Newman and others occupied before the
world totally different position from
that assumed by the Mormon apostles,
whom the Christian ministers quoted.
10 ba Il
rectly from On High to speak in the
name Of the Lord. Not one Of them
ever claimed TO have received, either dl-
rectly from an angel or vicariously by
those holding authority thus conferred,
the right to designate to the world just
what was the authoritative will and
doctrine of the Almighty. None claimed
to know directly from God that what
he said was tho Divine Will. They were
men, and were regarded by their
churches and the remainder Of humanity
as expressing the opinions which they
had a right to promulgatc. They did
not pretend to be prophets or revelators
in any sense of the word, or even in
spired men.
But see the pretension Of the Nor
mon authorities whose doctrinal utter
ances (and others Of decidedly un-
doctrinal nature) the ministers Of this
city referred to: According to the be-
lief of the Mormon church. the Mormon
people look upon "the first presidency
and council Of the apostles as Gods
servants, as prophets, seers, and reve
lators, and their authority as supreme
in the church, When these men
speak, therefore, it is as if the Al.
mighty himself outpours TO the people
the words which are to guide them in
life to eternal salvation. ''Their au-
thority is supreme in the church. " Tho
Tribune contends that there is vast
difference between questioning the au-
thority Of man and repudiating the word
OF the Lord And the News must &C
knowledge the existence Of that differ
ence, or relinquish 'its claim that the
presiding high priests in the first presi-
dency and the apostles quorum are
prophets, seers, and revelators. The
church organ cannot discard the utter
ances of its prophets, if at the same
time it adheres to its pretended beliefs.
The men whom the News would repud
ate were apostles whose utterances
should stand forever, if the organ s an
nounced beliefs are held in the SINGER
ity of its heart. Either that, or the
whole fabric of Mormonism must fall
There arc no two ways of looking at
that.
AS tending to establish the conten
tion of the ministers that the recent
manifesto of the church was rank
hypocrisy, The Tribune will present
few quotations, all of them being from
the utterances Of apostles, or from those
of men authorized by them to speak.
These individuals are characterized by
the church as "prophets, seers, and reve
lators, and the Deseret News nor the
Mormon church must expect TO be per
mtted to repudiate them without |
knocking out the foundations of their |
Following are few interesting samples |
OF these inspired words:
Every spirit that confesses that Joseph |
Smith is q prophet that he lived and !
died a prophet. and thar the Book OF |
Is true. is OF God, and every |
spirit that does not is OF anti Christ
Brigham Young.
Joseph Smith is new witness for Cod |
a. prophet divinely authorized to teach |
the gospel and re-establsh the church !
Of Jesus Christ on earth.-Br!gham II,
Roberts.
What will be the consequence if they
do not embrace the Book of Mormon as
a divine revelation? They VIII be de-
stroyed from the land and sent down 10
hell, Hike all other generations VINO have
rejected n divine messagc,--Orson Pratt.
II plural marriage be unlawful. then
Is the whole plan of salvation through
the house OF Israel Il failure. and the
entire fabric OF Christianity without
ndation-Compendium oil Doctrines.
For In case Of doubt what the law Of
God is final appeal is made To the liv-
Ing oracles. who Interpret through the
authority of the priesthood and the in
splration OF the Holy Ghost.-Monual for
1902,