The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-10
THE TImHE HOLD-UP.

| A correspondent, in 4 letter which we
printed in last Monday mornings issue
Of The Tribune, objected because We
have said that the Mormon hiefarch:
consider II to be one of their duties
TO rob the Mormon people. But we have
he proof for it, as we shall endeavoI
briefly to show.
There are numerous passages in the
Doctrine and Covenants which make the
Lord a party to the robbery of the Nor
mon people-proVided we can bring our
selves TO belief that the Lord had any,
thing at all 10 do with it. But prob,
ably the strongest weapon used by the
ecclesiastical grafters upon superstitious
people is found on page 30l of the pres
ent edition of the Mormon law book
There had been q persistent effort on
the part Of Joseph Smith and others of
the earlier Mormon leaders to induce
their followers TO turn over all their
property to the keeping Of the monarchs
who assumed their monarchical sway in
the name of the Lord. The doctrine
of complete conservation - of material
effects was pushed with determined
vigor at Kirkland, Ohio II is n fact
that men are so constituted that if
their pockets be too heavily taxed they
eventually make objection, even though
they he firm in their religious convic:
tions along general lines. 1t appears
that the doctrine Of complete "conse
Grafton proved 10 be too strong foI
all but very few of the most fanatical
Of Mormons at the time it was promul
gated. There was a lack of obedience
that proved to be extremely distressfuI
to the manipulators Of the proposed
graft; and it became necessary for them
to play upon the strings Of faith and
confidence in God, TO make appeal
| through that faith 10 the love that man
| bears for near. and dear ones. and tc
that certain selfishness of self-preserva
tion that more prominently characterizes
those of extreme susceptibility TO relig.
ious thought and tradition. We there.
fore reproduce paragraphs 3. 4 and !
on page 30l of the Doctrine and Cove
nants for the purpose Of showing the
lengths to which thIeving "prophets -
Will go for The purpose OF takin" away
from their stupid adherents he money
goods and chattels that they have ac.
cumulated or may accumulate through
their hard labor;
| II is contrary 10 the will and command
ment OF God, that those who receive not
| their Inheritance by consecratlon agree
! ably to his law which he has given thai
| he may 1.-THE his people, to prepare them
| against the day of vengeance and burn
| ing. should have their names enrolled
with the people OF God:
Neither is their gcneology kept. or 10
| DC had where If may he found on any
OF the records or history of the church;
| Their names shall not be found neither
| tho names OF the fathers, nor the names
OF the children written in the book OF
the law OF God, saith the Lord OF hosts
The man who plays his victims by
means of the "lock trick" or AT the
card table, or through forgery, or by
misrepresentation, or on account of any
or all manner of plain and unadulter
ated swindling, is an honest man com
pared with such as would utter the fore
going for the purpose of taking money
away from credulous people He com
mits his robberes upon his own respon
sibility and does not perpctratc them in
the name Of the Lord; and. besides, he
realizes that he is running chances OF
being punished by the law, while the