Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-03

Reorganized Church has strenuously OPP
posed the doctrine Of celestial marriage
(Which is the celestial sanction for polyg-
amy in the Utah church, and declares
that polygamy was never a tenet or prac-
tlce Of the church under the original JOS
eph smith. and that the doctrine was in
troduced into the Utah church by Brig
ham Young. The Reocganized Church has
contended this issue in the courts Of the
land and has been successful in their con-
tention. Hence it is very obnoxious to
the members Of the Recognized Church
Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to
be called "Mormons," or in any way
conrounded with the Mormons of Utah.
For fifty years the present president of
tho Reorganized Churcn, 5usepn Smith,
formerly of Lamont, la, now Of fnde-
pondence. Mo, has written and spoken
against the doctrine of polygamy, and he
feels that his long service should ,ntitle
him to some consideration by the reading
public, and that they should no longer
confuse him and his blowers With the
confessed law breakers of the Utah church.
Whatever may be said OF his father, 1t
cannot be said of Joseph Smith, of indie
pendence. Mo, that he is anything but
a consistent Christian. lie has led a
straightforward, consistent life. being
dominated by a simple philosophy of com
pensation, that a man will be rewarded
for the good he has done, and that "A
Christian must always have his life and
acton controlled by the prin-
ciple Of the Christian religion, that in "all
things whatsoever ye would that man
should do unto you do ye even so TO them"
And at the close of a long life of public
service he can feel that he has won the
respect and confidence Of the communi-
ties In which he has lived, for lac is known
as an upright, CONSCIENTIOUS Christian.
FIfty Years at Service.
The long years of service he has given
to the Reorganized Church are not for
gotten by his followers, for they are pre-
pairing at the coming annual conference,
which convenes in Independence in April,
to celebrate on the opening day of the
conference, the fiftieth anniversary of the
day on which he assumed the presidency
Of the church and the editorship OF the
afficial paper Of the church, the Saints
Herald, now published at Lamont, Iowa,
tlrty years $50, on the 9th Of April, as
a young man, he came TO the annual con
ference of the church, which waE then
being held in Amboy, H., and accepted
The presidency Of the church as the sue
cessor OF his father, and on the 9Th Of
April, this year, the church in annual con-
]fercnce viii hold what they term TO be
fitting exercises in celebration Of that
event. Their annual conferences always
begin the 9th OF April, and that day at
tie coming session viii be given over 10
exercises specially arranged in
Grafton Of the long service rendered to the
church by their venerable president.
Only enc or two of the men who were
associated with President Smith in the
conference at Amboy In 1860 are living to-
day, and at least one of them will be one
OF the speakers at the special exercises 3,
which VIII be held in the afternoon and
evening 1t is termed, THE Jubilee An
nlversary Program, Amboy, H., April
g, 1860, Independence, Missouri, April 6.
l9le.' The conference win convene at 10
O'Clock a M, but the opening session will
be given to- organization and reading OF
the report OF the committee on creden-
tials. The afternoon and evening will be
devoted to the special exercises which have
been arranged by a committee appointed
some months ago, The committee consists
OF Church Secretary H.. s. Salyards. OF
Lamont, Iowa; Church Historian Heman
c. smith Of Lamont; Presiding Bishop
Il. l.. Kelley, OF Indep -ndence. Mo: State
President @. r.. Harrington, independence
No; Bishop Il. G. Evans. Toronto. Can
ada; Apostle John W.. Rushton, Leeds.