The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1912-01-18

ming Of the church until today, the
he ministry have been devoting their
energies to the work of the Lord, ask
ing in return only that they be given
a decent, respectable living. This was
to be an example to the membership,
that temporal equality is feasible
that what is received over and above
ones living is due the community,
that our individual increase in wealth
should be only pro rata share of the
community increase. It was further
to demonstrate that between the
ministry and the laity there should
be, equality, that what was good for
one was good for the other. But what
about our friends in Utah? AS we
have previously said, the hierarchi-
cal form of government has been 20
risidly observed, effectively as we'll
as sllbjectively, that a sharp line is
drawn between the membership and
the "hierarchy." The leaders of the
church stand in positions so high that
the people know nothing of them.
They make their boast that their
president is harder to see than the
president of the United States Not
only that, but their men, as soon as
put into positions of power, becomes
men of affairs,-princes in an indus
trial as we'll as ecclesiastical sense.
Adam God.
Again, our friends in the West, I'M
der the leadership of Brigham Young,
at one time publicly announced their
clief in plurality Of Gods. They
declared that there was not one God,
but many, and that the God we had
to do with was Adam, that Adam came
TO earth that he might be the head
Of a great posterty. This is cOn-
trary to the teachings of the church
;nder Joseph Smith the prophet, for
Lord over all. Since 1880 the church
has held out to the world that there
were certain fundamental principles
| on which salvation is determined &C
cording to the gospel of Christ These
| principles are found enumerated In
Hebrews. You will remember them.
We hold that all the saving ordin--
ances are based on these principles.
! Our friends in Utah have added the
word FIRST calling them the first
! principles, teaching that there are
Z, other principles essential to celestial
exaltation. and these principles they
have introduced into their endowment
| ceremonies, carried on in secret in
their temples, wherein they are cloth
4 ed in temple garments never after
wards to be laid off : In the course
appears celestial sealing for eternity.
so prominent in their marriage cere-
monies.
] once had the privilege OF attend
ing a funeral in Salt Lake City The
services were over the remains OF a
woman who had been a member OF
our church. After leaving us she had
become a polygamous wife, having
! taken all the temple ordinances John
Henry Smith (now deceased) later a
counsellor to Joseph F. Smith, was
one of the speakers, and he taught
polygamy that day by pleading with
! the young people present to follow
the example of that woman In taking
all the temple ordinances. That is
one of the ways in which polygamy is
today taught.
Now if there Is no difference be-
tween us and the Utah people, why
have we been foolish enough to main
tain missionary force there ever
since 1860? Why would we do this?
We have sent missionaries there at
the risk of their lives if we are one
with them.
do not believe the people of the
United States realize the enormity of
this question of polygamy. I do not
blame the people for rising in their
wrath for the work the Mormons are
carving on and the doctrines they
are presenting to the world are
enough to arouse Indignation. If the
people of the United States appreci-
ated the true situation, they would
arise in their might and tell the
politicians at Washington that they
were through with them until they
severed their unholy alliances with
the Mormon hierarchy. believe that
| polygamy is more widespread today
| in Utah than it ever was in the days
Of Brigham Young. believe there
are more young men today taking
plural wives than ever in the history
of the church. But, of course, the
Utah people say different, and the
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