The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-21
ENFORCING SUBsERvIENcE.

The hicrarchical tools have succeeded
in driving from Utah one Of the con-
verts, who, having become a member
of tho church in England, came to Salt
Lake about eighteen months ago. This
particular convert is man Of consids
erablo intelligence, and is given to
thorough investigation Of questions pre-
sented to him for his consideration.
Tho result has been that during his stay
here he found many things which to his
mind did not bear the stamp of reason
and that these inconsistencies wero
principally attached to the acts and
teachings of the high and low officials
of the Mormon church
This man, however, would have been
satisfied to remain here to make his
home; but because the ecclesiasts were
unable to hold his independent spirit
under their tyrannical heels, they i'm
mediately set about their old method
Of social ostracism and business boy
cott And not being satisfied with these
prosecutions, they have gone so far as
to write villainous letters to his kim
dred in the old country, charging him
with the most reprchensible offenses,
of which he showed himself to be en-
tirely innocent.
Expressing himself in the most in
telligently respectful way, the young
e3-convert announced his intention the
other day to return to his native land
for the sole purpose of setting himself
right with his kinsmen, who have been
SO grossly misinformcd as to his per-
sonal conduct while he has been in this
city, With him he is carrying the
proof of his own cleanliness, together
with. evidence of the duplicity and ut
ter depravity Of the lot who have been
bounding him because he refused to be
subservient to their unrighteous desires,
One of the matters to which he made
reference was the testimony Of Joseph
F. Smith at Washington. He stated
that just before coming here he had
read tho garbled, cut, and misrepre-
sented portions of the prophets testi-
mony which had appeared in the Des-
eret News. These had been ostenta-
tiously presented to him by the elders
who were on missions in his particular
locality, with the boast that the seer
and revelator had spoken like a man
Of God before the Senate committee,
in defense Of the principles of the gos-
pei. He accepted these presentations
Of the church organ and the church
emissaries in good faith So, when he
started for this country he felt that
he was surely coming to the land of
Zion, and that here he would find the
people of God in very deed.
For some time he was loath to ac-
cept any statement which he heard in
disparagement Of the brethren; but
his inquiring mind could not long re.
sist the temptation to sec for himself
if there were any truth underlying any
Of the charges which were continually
made against the officials of the Nor
mon church. Having read some of the
prophets testimony In the Deseret
News, he concluded that the first thing
for him to do was to road all Of it, as
officially published. This he did-and
then began his undeceiving. He was
dumfounded at the vast difference
which existed between the real article
and that which the organ of the church
had presented for his reading in the
old country. Very naturally, he began
to ask questions; and these were at
first addressed to members and officers
Of the ward. So unreasonable and so
spitefully arrogant were the replies
which he received that he determined
to inquire elsewhere. He did so; and
after learning the truth concerning the
matters about which he had been de-
celved, he began to ask why the very
evident hypocrisy, evasion and absolute
folsehood should be permitted to exist
among the people of the Lord
And here is where his troubles
really began. He was at once marked
as a backslider," and all the petty
powers of fanaticism were exerted to
make life to him an irksome burden.
He was treated to black looks by his
brethren; he was officially snubbed by
the edict-repeating block teachers; he
was made to feel unwelcome IN the
homes of former friends: he was avoid
ed by former associates within the
church; his occupation was attacked by
the brethren, who prophesy that apos-
tasy brings disaster from the Lord
But, even at that, he was willing to
remain here and earn an honest living,
believing that he could make his home
among people outside Of the church,
II those within were not willing to as
sociato with him on account of his in
dependent views and attitude in reli.
gious matters.
But citizana will nndarstnnd that