The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1916-09-30
Conference of the Devil and His Imps on
the Destruction of Zion City
By Elder Michael J. Mintern
By Elder Michael J. Mint

"My reason for calling you together
at this time is the fact that we are face
to face with a very serious problem in
connection with the carrying out of the
determination which I have had for
years, as you we'll know, to destroy Zion
City, which is such a serious menace to
my Kingdom on the Earth.
''In the conference which we had at
the time when we first heard that the
place was to become something more
than mere talk, l warned you that you
must see to it that no stone was left I'M
turned in your efforts to blot it from off
the face of the Earth.
81 called upon you to consider the. I'M
ceasing efforts that | have put forth all
down through the ages to establish my
position as God of this World, and my
success in all the cities that then stood,
and what a source of hatred it was to me
to think that a city might be built in
which Jehovah should be praised and
served.
"You will also recall that at that time
l laid before you plans which it seemed
to us all could not fail to make it hiss
and a by-word. Your instructions to
work along certain lines you obeyed
faithfully, although it is true that you
raised the question whether it would be
possible to get human beings low down
enough to turn around and do our bid
ding after going in there with the pro-
fessed intention of giving every dollar
and every drop of their blood to make it
a true Zion City, Chow hate that very
name and would like to blot it out).
81 brought to your remembrance the
case of Judas and how he had served us
and further told you that it did not
matter in your choosing agents for this
particular work if they put every other
sin out of their lives, as long as you saw
to it that they still held on to the love for
money; because with little judicious
work on your part in this particular di-
rection you would have them, like Judas
was, ready to sell Jesus the Christ for
thirty pieces of silver Your work in
that direction was repaid even beyond
my most sanguine hopes for even |
did not suppose that men could be found
low down enough to do what some of
those fellows have done, and for this |
commend you.
while I am on this subject, I will
mention the instructions I gave you to
use the desire for power, to work the
same result on others, where you thought
that this might work better than the love
of money. On this point, also, one of
you raised question, but [ reminded
you of how this had been my own down.
fall, so that | know from experience just
what that thing can do for the one who
gives way to it. You are surely satisfied
with the results achieved along this par
ticular line. How we danced for glee to
see man who was once an Overseer well
coming in those fellows from Chicago
with their pool-room and all the rest of
the stuff with which we supplied them
from He'll! How we did rejoice to see
the way in which our tools were work.
ing day and night to accomplish our
ends! and it seemed as though the day
was in sight when it should be a wide
open town, and should reign as King
in it. We surely did have a great time
there after those fellows stole the cleo
tions you will all agree to that.
'The one trouble through the whole
fight has been that fellow they call
Voliva. used to laugh when he would
bring his fist down and say The Zion
Flag shall float over every foot of Zion
City Site, by the help of Cod 1t seemed
like hot air then, and so many times we
thought we had him down and out, and
our tools there used to wink at one an
other and say, Yes, we have got him
this time, and we got all ready to have 9
great Notification meeting when the jok
was completed.
''You can never forget what blow il
was to us when he got the Stores, how
mad we all were He certainly put one
over on us that time. Then, when hi
bought the estate, we thought we haC
him for sure. 1t seemed to us as though
he must fall down on the payments, anC
these tools of ours almost held theil
breath waiting for him to do so; but HI
has not done it so far, and I may as vel
All L.