The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-06

]
bers of the household gather morning
and evening, for prayer and praise to
God, offered In the name of Jesus Christ
and often accompanied by the reading
or scripture and the singing of spiritu-
nj songs. Here are taught and gently
enforced. the moral precepts and religi-
Gus truths, which, taken altogether,
make up that righteousness which ex.
alteth a nation, and ward off that sin
which is a reproach to any people. If
such conditions are not q sufficient am
swer to the charge that our homes are
un-Chrlstlan, subversive of moral iuflu-
encc, and destructive of the State 5
stability, then we turn TO the present
generations, "Mormon American citi-
zens, products of religion and our
homes, for our vindications.-Here are
our sons and daughters, submit them to
any test of comparison you will: regard
for truth, veneration for age. reverence
for God, love for man, loyalty to coun-
try respect for law, refinement Of man
ners, and, lastly, in this issue between
us and our accusers the crowning test
of all, purity of mind and chastity of
conduct. 1t is not inordinate self praise
To say Of the generations of our people
born and reared in "Mormon homes
that they will compare favora ably, in the
Christian virtues, and In all that makes
=
ty in this or any other country.
Charge of Commercialism.
The charge that the church is a com
merclal rather than religious institu
,tion; that its aims are temporal rather
than spiritual; that it dictates it mem
bers in their industrial activities and
relations, and aims at absolute DONNA
tion in temporal afTairs-all this we
cmphatically deny. That the church
claims the right to counsel and advise
her members in temporal as well as in
spiritual affairs is admitted. Leading
church officials, men of practical ex-
perience III pioneer life, have aided the
people in establishing settlements
throughout the intermountain west, and
have given them, gratuitously, the bene-
fit of their broader knowledge of things,
through counsel and direction, which
the people have followed to their ad-
vantage; and both The wisdom of the
leaders and the good sense of the peo.
pie are vindicated in the results
achieved. All this has been done with
out the exercise Of arbitrary power. it
has resulted from wise counsels, per-
suasively given, and willingly followed.
1t has also been the policy of the
church TO foster home industries. Where
there has been lack Of confidence in
some enterprises, and private capital
has been afraid to invest. the church
has furn shed funds that the practlca
bilitv Of the undertaking might be dem
onstratcd; and repeatedly the wisdom
of this policy has been manifest. There
by the resources of various localities
have been developed, community indus
tries diversified, and the people, espe-.
cially the poor, given increased oPpor-
tunity of employment and better
chance TO become sclf-sustaining,
No Arbitrary Power.
We deny the existence of arbitrary
power in the church; and this because
its government is moral government
purely, and it's forces are applied
through kindness. reason, and persua-
sion. Government by consent of the
governed is the rule of the church.
Following is summary Of the word
of the Lord, setting forth the princl-
plies on which the church government
is to be administered;
The rights of the priesthood are in
separately connected with the powers
of heaven, and the powers of heaven
cannot he controlled nor handled only
upon the principles Of righteousness.
That they may be conferred upon men,
is true: but when they undertake 10
cover their sins, or crafty their pride.
their vain ambition or exercise con
troll, or dominion, or compulsion, upon
the souls of the children of men, in any
degree of unrighteousness, the Spirit
of the Lord is grieved; and when 1T Is
withdrawn amen to the priesthood. or
the authority of that man. No power
or influence can or ought to he main
tanned by virtue of the priesthood. only
by persuasion, by long suffering, by
gentleness and meellness, and by love
unfeigned, by kindness. and pure
knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge
the soul without hypocrisy and without
guile.
Nominations to church Office may be
made by relevation; and the right of
nomination is usually exercised by
those holding high authority, but 1t is
a law that no person is to he ordained
to any Office in the church, where there
is a regularly organized branch of the
same. without the vote of its members
This law is operative as to all officers
of the church, from the president down
to the deacon. The ecclesiastical gov
ernment itself exists by the will Of
the people; elections are frequent, and
the members are Mt liberty TO vote ms
they choose. True, the elective princl-
pie here operates by popular accept
ance, but it is none the less real.
Where the foregoing facts exist as TO
any system, il is not and cannot be ar
bitrary.
The church officers, in the exercise of
their functions, are answerable 10 the
church, No officer, however exalted
his position, is exempt from this law.
All decisions, rulings and conduct Of
officials are subject to investigation,
revision and final rejection
by the general assembly of the priest
hood of the church. its final court of
appeal. Even fhc president, Its high
est officer, is subject to these laws, and
special provision is made for his trial.
and. if necessary, his deposition. Where
these facts exist IN any administration
of government, IL cannot be Justly
classed as n tyranny, nor considered
menace 10 free institutions.
Tho Tithing System.
The tithing system of the church, so
often denounced as oppressive, and as
imposing an arbitrary ecclesiastical
tax, is in reality system of free-wiIl
offerings True the members. by the
law of the church, are under moral
obligation TO pay onc-tenth Of their
annually. But from the very
nature of the PRINCIPLES on which