The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-02
TRUE POSITION FOR MINISTERS.

! The Mormon church organ is eN-
| tremely fond OF comparing things that
are unlike, and prouounciug them the
same. Thus, II compares tho activity In
politics Of the Mormon occlcsiasts with
political activities Of ministers in other
| parts of the country AT various times in
the history of the Republic, But the
comparison does not fit, for two large
reasons.
First, the Mormon ecclesiasts have
here a mass of people under their con.
troll, who consider them as prophets
seers, and revelators, sustain them semi
annually as such, and these leaders
! claim and are quite generally accorded
among their people, the right TO direct
them IN temporal affairs, including their
politics and civil activities. But the
ministers OF other sects and localities
make no such pretensions. and arc con-
sidered in no such light. Accordingly,
the status of these ministers with their
flocks has no relation to the status of
the Mormon priests with their adher-
ents, and the analogy is, therefore,
wholly false.
Second. the voice of the ministers of
other sects has always been for tho Re
public, and for freedom, while the voice
of the Mormon high priesthood has uni.
formly been against the Republic, and
for "kingdom of God' TO be ruled
by themselves in these valleys of the
mountains. In close connection with
this contrast between the Mormon
priesthood and the ministers of other
sects is the fact that the ministers gen.
orally have been the stiff advocates OF
Law and morality, while the Mormon
priesthood has been the pronounced foe
to the laws, aud the determined advc.
cate and upholder of the immortality of
polygamy.
These two opposing positions Of the
two classes of ministers make any such
comparison, as is sought TO be made by
the church organ, absolutely impossible.
Pursuing the subject in its applica.
tion to the position OF the NJ E. clergy
in opposing the reelection OF the Hon
J. G.. Cannon to the House of Repre-
seDtatives, that clergy expressly and
explicitly disclaims for itself any and
all jurisdiction over the members of the
NJ. Z. church, which is precisely the
reverse Of the claim of the Methodist
clergy. Thus, Bishop Earl Cranstou
(we quote from the Pacific Christian
Advocate for October IS, l90S,) puts the
case thus:
Not even the General Conference would
veture to dictate 10 any Methodist voter
how he must vote, Our people would !
be unfit for citizenship 4; they were |
not jealous OF their political Independence !
But they were Americans before they |
We're We're Methodists, most OF them. and they
government And they know that an,
rule or order. even Of the national Con- |
grcss, which puts IL within the power OF !
any one man. or any committee ap-
hearing through their chosen representa-
tives on the floor OF Congress. concern |
ing any proper subject OF legislation. Is
anu-republcan and anti-Amerlcan.
Finally, thcY know enough OF their |
government TO know that Il iS tho func- |
tion OF the Supreme Court 10 pass upon |
concerning which good lawyers differ,
and do not believe they win assent by |
their votes to the proposition that n leg
islatlvc committee. appointed by a party
representative, with political expcdlency !
ever holding rein upon his conscience
and Judgment. Is a safe substitute for
the Supreme Court.
Contrast this earnest and complete
disclaimer with President Joseph f.
Smith s 1.-The fact of the matter is,
when man says You can direct me
spiritually, hut not temporarily. he lies
IN the presence of God-that is, if he
has got Intelligence enough to know
what he is talking about" But above
all, contrast President Smiths pre-.
sumptuous and usurping claim with the
declaration of the Son of Man, "My
Kingdom is not OF this world,' and get
the right view Of the false position Of
,he Mormon priesthood on this question.
That position is absolutely indefensible
and wrong, and the position as stated
IN Holy Writ and defined for his church
oy Bishop Cranston is the only true and
lefensible position for any church to