The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-04-30

or spiritual increase upon earth may
not be legally questioned; provided, how
ever. that each and every act or prac-
tice so established or adopted for law
or custom shall relate to solemnites,
sacraments, ceremonies, endowments.
fittings. marriages, fellowship. or relig-
ious duties of man to his Maker; mas
much as the doctrines, principles, prac-
| tees, performances support virtue
and increase morality, and are not in
| consistent with or repugnant to the
constitution of the United States or of
this State. .and are founded on the
! revelations OF the Lord"
Commenting on this Act. ELI II. Muir
ray, ex-governor of Utah territory said:
i"Here is an act of the legislature giving
corporate powers to hold real and per-
sonal property free from taxation not
for purposes of worship only but for
general business, and under this they
hold stores. farms. railroad stocks,
banks. telegraphs. cattle sheep. etc,
such as are now held by the church.
This act, adroitly drawn in several par
ticulars, was intended to be a wall of
defense about an established religion
so that 1t may not be legally question
ed, and to confer power upon courts,
even to pains and penalties In all mat
ters relative to fellowship according to
church covenants" Both by its term
inology and its effect, IL recognized the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints as the established church OF
Utah.
The temporal powers thus covertly i'm
piled conform strictly to the claims of
the Mormon church repeatedly made
again and again within that church IT.
self.
| at Is a fundamental doctrine of the
Mormon church that the president of
the organization has the authority and
| right to control the business and poll
tics of the people," (Homiletic Re-
view, March 1903)
when God sets up q system OF rev.
| elation, as he has done In these latter
days, he sets up a system of govern
ment, and when l speak of govern
ment l mean what say. l mean
government that shall rule both temporal
and spiritual affairs" (Millenial Star.
Vol IL, page 2314.)
This priesthood holds the right
to appoint kings. priests governors
and judges" (Parley Pratt) That
will be, when established. a nation of
itself, the Kingdom of God. And de-
|
er of Farley Pratt). says: 1.-THE King
dom of God Is an order of government
established by divine authority. 1t is
the ony legal government that can ex-
list in any part of the universe. All
other governments are Illegal and un-
authorized. God having made all beings
and worlds has the supreme right to
govern them by his own laws. and by
officers of his own appointment. Any
people attempting to govern themselves
by laws of their own making, and by
officers of their own appointment, are
in direct rebellion against the King
dom of God"
According to Mormon theology God
until his coming, Is to rule the king
dom through revelation to his prophet.
The prophet is therefore a monarch alb
solute and accountable to God alone.
Brigham Young summed up the entire
doctrine when he said
THE first principles of our cause and
work is to understand that there is
prophet In the Church He is at the
head of the Church. Who called Joseph
Smith to be prophet? God, and not
the people. Had the people appointed
"A prophet, he would have been account
able to the people But. inasmuch as
able to God only. We, the Twelve
Apostles are accountable to the proph-
ct and not to the Church for the cours-
es we pursue, and we have learned to
go and do as the prophet tells us" And
the same high Mormon authority is
quoted saying that kings We're to
be pages. thrones footstools, and none
shall prove so powerful or high but he
would grovel before the First President
of the Church of Latter Day Saints"
What do these things mean? They
mean that there is within these United
States an imperium in impero-a pow
er which has for many years been
rapidly extending its sphere of influ-
ence geographically, financially and,
most important of all. politically. Look
for moment at the numerical growth
of the Mormon church. Eighty years
ago when the Mormons began their
treasons and conspiracies against the
government of these United States they
bore to the entire population the ratio
of one to every i.250.00O. At the pres
ent time the measure of Mormon
strength is. roundly. one in every 1875 of
Gentle population. The political influ-
ence OF the Mormon church was mani
tested in the vote the seating of
Utah, when Senators Flint and Perk
ms of California. Fulton and Mulkey of
Oregon. Ankeny and Piles of Washing
ton. Hepburn of Idaho, Clark of Mon
tana. Warren and Clark of Wyoming,
Nixon of Nevada, and Sutherland of
Utah voted to seat the Mormon Apostle
as a senator of these United States.
These states. beginning at the western
end OF Kansas and Nebraska, and the
two Dakotas. make with Utah In the
! center, a solid block of territory which
is empire in itself. and all falling
within the radius of the Mormon shad-
ow. 1t is common gossip at the nation
al capital that the Mormons now con-
| troll sixteen seats in the u. s. senate
chamber, and that through its financial
relations with the big trusts and caps
tains of industry and finance, 1t can
prevent any constitutional amendment
giving the federal courts power to pun