The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-10-06
SHAKING OFF THE DUST.

SHAKING OFF THE DUST.
"hen the apostles were sent out on
their mission, they were instructed by
the Master to go into every city and
every household. and where city
would not receive them, they were to
shake off the dust Of their feet against
that city. and the promise was made
that cit shall be more tolerabe for the
land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day
lof Judgment, than for that city. "
This appears to he the basic idea OF
The Remuneration of the Mexicans made
by President Smith in opening the pres
ent conference. The Saints went TO
Mexico on "a mission,'' sent by their
leaders Tor the purposes o. that mis-.
sion. They are now withdrawn, it be-
ing stated that their mission there is,
at least for the timo being, at an end.
The purpose of this mission is not
stated, but evidently il was not for
the purpose of converting the Mexican
people to the Lattcr.day gospel, for
there is no account Of any special ef-
| forts made in that direction. nor does
1T appear that any Mexicans in the
jneighborhood Of the Mormon colonies
III Mexico have been softened in dis.
position toward those colonies On the
contrary, their hearts have been hard
ened. and they have been guilty of the
most atrocious depredations against the
Mormon settlers.
And now the counsel is, FCome ye
out from among them,' and doubtless
the injunction is TO shake the dust of
the missionaries feet against that re-
gion so that their fate may be worse
at the day of judgment than was the
fate of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The mission upon which the disciples
were sent is plainly made known in the
Gospel of Matthew, They were to
preach the coming of the Kingdom OF
God, and to warn sinners to flee from
the wrath to come. There is no evi-
dence that the Mormon missionaries
IN Mexico have to any appreciable de-
gree performed this missionary service
But they were there on a mission,
'h"t hiSsIun is HOW enuens Nndt was
that mission7
The common understanding here is
that this mission was for the purpose
of perpetuating polygamy, when polyg-
amy was to be extirpated as it was
admitted that it might be, in the
United States. But in Mexico there
was supposed to be no especial senti- |
ment against polygamy, and the Saints
were expected to be allowed. and in
fact were allowed. to pursue their
living practically as they
chose. But this immunity makes their !
standing as American citizens, whose |
rights in their persons and property |
have been outraged, all the more sure.
and that they have suffered outrages |
and wrongs for which reparation full |
and complete must be exacted, is clear.
No one can read the story Of their
wrongs without deeply sympathizing
with them, and hoping that our Govern
ment will see that such Justice as is
possible will be cxacted in their behalf.
Is the mission therefore A failure
III is cefDalnly 1allure so Iar as
the gospel to the MeIicans
is concerned. 1t has not been under
stood, however, that 1t was failure so
far SIS perpetuating polygamy was con-
cerned. Quite the contrary. But is
the withdrawal OF those missions, COM
monty understood to be missions for
the perpetustion of polygamy, to nc
also as failure in the way
Of keeping alive the polygamous cult
and the polygamous practice? If so,
then those missions were doublv fail
ures. But IF they were failures, are
these failures supposed to mean in any
way the failure of inspiration, reveIa-
tion, or the authority OF revelation,
seership. and prophecy. under the sway
of which those missions were estab-
Iished' All appear TO have gone down
in tumble so far as this Mexican
business is concerned, and ordinarily
failure like this would react against
hose who had inaugurated the mis-
sions. and induced the Saints to up.
1ertake them. But in accordance with
the old rule that Gin Utah it is diff
ferent.' perhaps everything will 90 on
about as before. with nobody held r,-
spoDsibe for these failures.