The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-08
THE INSIDE or ENOCH

I ises of forgiveness for any sin were
held out TO those who "put the world
behind them Church divorces, bap~
tIsIns and ecclesiastical blessings were
withheld from all who denied Enoch.
Some fraud was practiced and a great
| deal of force and coercion were used to
obtain candidates. Those who refused
the priesthood invitation to go to Enoch
were prosecuted out of house and home.
But IN the end the order declined Those
In 1T began to think of things they had
not thought of before they Joined. Thou.
sands of members became lukewarm the
moment they began to realize that they
were paupers pure and simple. When
the order had obtained about all the
membership possible the Mormon church
and Brother Brigham both lost interest
In 1T. And as to the property of the
order-well, yenr or two after the or
der became dormant. Brother Brigham
died. leaving an estate worth several
millions and also leaving the whole
state Of Utah for his victims to make
living in.
Now this is the truth about the Unit
ed Order of Enoch. No greater fraud
was ever perpetrated upon confding
following. 1t is almost unbelievable
that such coarse and manifest fraud
could accomplish anything, but one must
remember that Brigham Young was at
that time king, eZar, almost despot
absolute, and that his invitation to join
was equivalent to command.
My father was an unwilling member
of the order and the inside facts of the
fraud / get from his lips.
II 1t were not for the suffering, crime
and pathos involved in the movement,
it would be fit subject for slap stick
comedy. AS it was q few joined through
faith. but the many because they were
compelled to go to Enoch. To join OF
to stay out meant the same with those
who were in reach Of Brigham 8 instru-
ments of persecution. a number of men
In southern Utah who refused to 90 to
Enoch were driven from the country
and their property was confscated.
In San Pete county one of the chief
agents and spies for the "holy ORDER
was a local bishop. This bishop was
also rough and ready poet. He de-
voted the best part of his genius to the
composition of hymns singing the
praises of the order. The first verse of
one such hymn, which was actually sung
at Enoch revivals and In the initiation
ceremony was as follows:
Purge your soul OF earth. my brother,
| With the world be done;
| Come TO Enoch, brother,
Come ye every one.
Cast away your sin and properte-e-e,
Be humble and repentnn,
And the face of Enoch sce-e-e.
Another almost as good, said TO have
been written by Brother Penrose:
Come yc rich, and come ye poor,
Throw away your trash and enter at
| the door
Consecrate to Enoch all your toll hath
And enter into glory with Adam and the
| Son.
| Chorus:
Shout out the glory of the order.
! Sing loud the joys yc find;
| Bring a brother with you,
| Leave not soul behind.
These hymns were two of the goads
used to drive people to Enoch and when
and sung by nightingales of the Heber
J. Grant type, they proved very effec-
tive.
This same bishop had revelation ap-
pointing a day for the grand transla-
tion at which the Hconsecrated, -
" sanctifed'' and those who had ''put
the world behind them were TO be eX~
allied to heaven in the flesh and with
ont death in chariots of fire la Enoch
of old. Prior to the date set for the
grand ascension most vigorous cam
pai0n for recruits was prosecuted. On
the appointed day the bishop, clad in an
Enoch shirt. led crew Of the "sapcti-
fed,' all clad in Enoch shirts, to the
top Of Hill to meet the chariot They
had lust about reached their destination
on the hill when the worst hail storm
that ever visited Utah broke forth
There was n hurried descension instead
of a grand ascension and faith in the
bishop and bogus revelator was sorely
shaken The bishop attributed the
"wrath of the Lord - to the presence of
several brothers who had attempted to
hold out'' on Enoch and who were,
consequently, not wholly "purged Of the
earth. -
Another story about this same bishop
is substantially as follows:
In the bailiwick of this good bishop
lived poor. half-witted fellow who
wanted to Join Enoch, This poor fel~
low had no property. He made a mean
living doing chores and small work for
the people thereabouts and all the sur
| plus cash he ever possessed had long
ago found its way into the Golfers of
the church, The bishop had uniformly
postponed the admission of this poor fell
low into the fold of Enoch on the ground
that the candidate, having no property
to part with could not "purge himself
of the earth, - This purging of the
earth was an essential step in the pro-
ceedings.
Imagine the good bishops surprise
when the fool put IN an appearance one
! day leading a six hundred dollar span
of mules and ioyfully announced that he
was at last prepared to go to Enoch.
The bishop scratched his head and
rubbed his chin, but he asked no ques-
tions Enoch enrolled another member
and another Enoch shirt was in evi-
dence.
Very truly yours,
son OF A MEMBER.
Provo, Utah, August 30, 1910.