The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-17
New Tack Is Taken by. Mormon
Missionaries in the
East.
HIGH ECCLESIASTS. ARE
BEHIND THE MOVEMENT
Ben E. Rich of Eastern States
Mission Gets Into Masonic
Fraternity.

e" Ben z. Rich, president OF the East
ern States mission of the Mormon
church, is a member of the Masonic
fraternity. He holds his membership
i'll Chattanooga lodge No. 199, +. and
A. NJ. A threeply polygamist, man
who has taken the endowments, who
has subscribed TO the oath Of vengeance
which he must take IN taking the en-
dowments. an oath which makes him
a traitor to his country and TO his flag,
has gotten into the oldest of The secret
organizations in existence" This was
the information impaired The Trib'
une on Saturday by a gentleman who
has only Just returned from q trip east,
prominent Mason, and who was
astounded and surprised TO meet Ben
Rich in Masonic lodge.
Met Rich in Open Lodge.
Continuing, he said: 81 thought at
first, when l discovered Ben Rich in
the lodge room in New York City, that
my eyes deceived me, but second look
sufficed, and then when L called him
by name and asked him how things
were in Utah and he blushed and STAN
mered so L was again OF the opinion
that / was mistaken, but he soon re-
covered himself and we talked about
Utah and the intermountain country.
''In the talk had with Mr.. Rich /
learned that he had been admitted to
membership in the Masonic fraternity
in Chattanooga several years ago and
that he still retained his membership
there, his lodge being Chattanooga No.
1879 l likewise learned, but not from
him, that he mad taken the Scottish
Rite degrees and the Commandeyy. But
he has never visited a lodge in Utah,
and has carefully kept all knowledge
that he was 4 Mason from Masons in
Utah.
Other Missionaries Joining.
''I also learned that other mission
aries of the Mormon church had sue
ceeded in being admitted, not only TO
the Masonic fraternity, but into vari-
ous other secret organizations IN the
east. and I likewise was Informed that
this was part ana parcel of scheme
which the high ecclesiasts had ordered
the missionaries to follow, in order to
use the orders, if possible. to offset the
feeling against the rulers of the church,
In other words, TO get acquainted with
the best element in the community
whore they were at work.
This edict or command of the high
ecclesiastical body of the church |
learned while in the east had ITS origin
with the apostolic senator from Utah.
He pointed out. ! am told. what he had
been able to do since he entered the
senate: how he was enabled as senator
TO get in with many of the prominent
mon of the country on account of his
senatorship. and he contended that thou
sands of people from whom the mis-
sionaries were now barred could be
reached through tho various secret or
ganizatlons,
Contradicts All Mormon Teachings.
solute contradiction of what the church
leaders preach. From every tabernacle
and meeting house OF the Mormons the
ecclesiasts have always proclaimed
against members of the church uniting
with any secret organization, baslng
their proclamation upon the Doctrine
and Covenants, 2Sth verse of section
IS, which reads: And again | say un
to YOU that the enemy in the secret
chambers seeks your lives This is in
the revelation given. through Joseph
the Seer at Fayettc. n, y, January 2,
1881
cit is simply repetition of every
promise and pledge made by the &c
clcsiasts. They have no intention of
keeping any promise made outside of
the church. The Doctrine and Coven-
ants, the Jaw book of the church, so
declares, Allegiance first, last and all
the time to the church as against all
else. This is shown in the traitorous
oath taken IN the endowment cerc-
and to which all who take en-
dowments must subscribe. This oath
reads thus;
The Treasonable Oath.
You and each of you covenant and
agree that you VIII pray Almighty God
TO avenge the blood OF the prophets upon
this nation; and that you will teach The
same TO your children unto the third
and fourth generation.
"'Now no man who takes this oath
can properly be q Mason, Odd Fellow
or member Of any other secret organi2a-
ton. for every one of these organiZa
tions teaches patriotism and love of
above all else. Ben Rich, ac.
cording TO the oalhs he has taken in
The endowment ceremonies, cannot bel
a consistent member Of any secret or
panization.
- Every secret organization that |
know anything about, and | belong 10 !
several of them, teaches IN addition 10 |
love of country the absolute sacrcdncsS !
Of the home. This means one wife and |
one familV Ben T.. Rich IS n pUlyga !
mist Three wives is what be IS dc |
,Iarcd TO have. Being a polygamist |
no has no right TO recognition as 4 Ma
son, us an Odd Fellow, rs an Elk. ms a
Knight Of Pythias, as Il Woodman or
rs a member OF any similar organiza
ion.
II have talked with a number of
uombers of the organizations TO which
belong and there is 4 unanlmity of
sentiments against this Mormon ecclcs-
asst. ] am confident that charges viii
,e preferred against him and l nm con-
ident those charges viii be sustained.
No polyeamist can ever he admitted to
III.