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VOL. XL NO. 4.'.
OMAHA, SUNDAY !M;XIX(i, APRIL L IDll.
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Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints and Its History
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NDEPRNDENCE. Mo.. March 27. (Special
Correspondence. ) President Joseph
Smith, the venerable head of the He
organized Church of Jesua Christ of
Latter Day Saints, a resident of this
place, Is making his preparations to ro
In a few days to Laiuoni, la., to be in
" attendance at the annual general conference of his
hurch, which convenes there on April 6, and at which
uc'lesatee will be present from many parts of the
.Vorld. The fact that the noted churchman is going
to conference has not In past years been of much
onoern to his people, for they have taken. It as a
'n.atter of course that he would be there and take his
place as the presiding officer of the convocation, but
for the last year he has been in very poor health, and
(cnecially the last month, and much concern Iuib been
'felt about him, and much speculation Indulged in by
Ills people whether or not he would be able to attend
the conference. He has become much enfeebled, his
eyesight almost entirely falling him; but Ills presence
at the general conference means so much that he will
make a great efTort to attend, that his wonderful
' experience and keen Intellect may assist the delegates
to solve some of the perplexing problems which are
ronfiuntlng the church today, many of which are in
connection with the "gathering" of the Saints to
Independence, Mo., and the "regions 'round about."
I , " Mixture of Communism anil Imliviilii'iltKiii.
The Saints hold peculiar views on social questions
and their books teach a sort of communism, but a
communism so strangely mixed with Individualism
that the scheme Is unique. The "gathering" Is pre
liminary to putting Into effect thtlr peculiar beliefs
s to the social relations of the Individuals of the
ommunlty. Happenings within the church the last
inr ludicate that the. time draws near when the
.embers of the cltirch will be colled upon to show
their attitude on the social question, and throughout
the church one can hear the members diaovpp'ns
"consecration" and kindred questions. I?y consecra
tion Is meant the giving of all their property over to
the church and each member receiving In return
norrethlng In the way of a "stewardship," which he
shall manage for the benefit of the church, the Ir.ter-f-ts
of each individual being thus conserved by serving
the church.
The general conference, held each year, bosinnin
on April 6. Is the legislative body of the church and
Is composed of delegates appointed by t'.ie various
districts and branches of the church throughout the
world, and ex-olrlclo members composed of the general
authorities of the church and the missionaries Bent out
by the conference each year.
Government a Mixture of Forms.
This reference to the conference as the legislative
body of the church quite naturally brings up the
question of theorm of government, and in examining
It we find queer mixture of theocratic, aristrocratle,
representative and democratic forms of government.
Hellef in revelation Trom Cod Is a fundamental doc
trine of the church. At the head of the church stands
the prophet, seer and revelator. through whom Cod
speaks to the church In giving the laws to govern It.
This Introduces the theocratic form of government.
The present prophet to the church Is President Joseph
Smith, now in his 7th year. Associated with him In
the presidency of the church are his son. Frederick
M. Smlto, his first counsellor, and Elbert A. Smith,.
hl nephew and second counsellor. These three con
stitute what is known as the Flnt Presidency. Where
is the second presidency If this Is the first? It Is
found In what is termed the Quorum of Twelve
Apostles, twelve men selected by revelation and ap
proved by the church. This quorum makespractleally
all the missionary appointments, subject to the ap
proval of the conference.
What might be termed the third presidency la
found In the Quorums of Seventy, of which there are
at present three In the church. As the name Indicates,
these quwums are composed of seventy members
each, all active missionaries. These three quorums
(or seven when the church Is more fully organized or
has need for so many), together with the Twelve
Apostles and the KirBt Presidency, constitute what are
termed In the constitutional law of the church the
three councils of co-ordinate Jurisdiction In determin
ing what shall be church law. The decisions of any
two of the councils, when unanimous, determine what
shall be the law. This Introduces the aristocratic
form of government.
Ilevelat Joint TiiHAeil On Hy Conference.
Hut all revelations, all matters of church govern
ment, laws, etc., are presented to the general confer
ence, which Is a delegate body, and there finally passed
upon before becoming bjnding upon the church. Thus
the representative form of government conies In.
While the local branches, in a very democratic v. ay.
determine their business matters .lii open business
meetings, at which any member of the branch (as the
local congregations are (ailed) ci'ii vote. The branches
tend delegates to the district confer nee (each dis
trict being formed by pesociatliii; two or more bia'uliro
in contiguous territory), the" (lis iit onferenrc in
turn Bending delegates to the Reinrid a- ini-1 rtii Ter
ence. The executive arm of tie chur.'i 's r-r.-.a':! " ' nn
t lie hieiarehical order, the high-Ft Imdy brin.' t.:e
First Presidency, luiviiv; oversight of te work of
the church In nil tin v.orld am! in n 't '';:nrMirn!i.
Next to the Presidency, nr. 1 vo: kins uni'pr Its direc
tions, are the Twelve Apostles, who !-avr o er !?'n
of the missionary work, tneh npo-tb beins; 1 m-) mvr
a "mission" rn It? vrciiic'cnt. Fnder tin d!roft'o;i of
the apostles the other mls.iio.nnrli's v.vr't tlv Seventy
in particular, who s!n-d next
tliorlty. Over the work of the dNrh ts aril 'ira-nchra
island In order the hinh priests, elder.-:. t?;K-ieM ivil
deacons, while tire temporal or financial natters ot
t lie church are looked after by an or.ler of Iri -hops,
the chief of whom, the general b!s':o'i of the rhureh.
Is llishop K. I-. Kelley, with headqnsi rf -i 3 in Inde'-e id
ence, Mo. lie has two counsellors, one of wh.-n:; is
Ceorgo II. Ilillhird of Independence and the other, is
E. A. lilnkoslt-e of UaVen, Mich.
Annual iitllierlii)r nt l.ji'nonl.
While thus there is observed the 1 i'r-.n cM-al or'.er
of authority and resttonr Ihillty, the . 'story of (hi
church has shown that there is seld'vi r.-iy entrench
ment upon the rights ()f the people, for irr all the
conferences of the ch'.ir.h. bulh loist nr.d general
nothing piovokes more sudden or heated debate than
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o
oznzsz sazroF jos&fh smitf
ii'.iy measures which threattn in any way to curtail
the rights of ttie members or their liberties.
The annual gutheriiiK of this enurch. which this
year will be held in Lainoiii. Is., the legal head-
;unrterrf, cntiot but be of interest to the public at
hirge. because of the many arti le.- v! i -h have been
appealing of recent n:otst!.s in the n a-a?.!ne literature
of the country and the exposures wliicil have been
I.iade of the unholy alliance which se-ms to ex rt
between the t'tah church a'i;l the politi' i.ins at Wii-
i:iton and other ph i is In the eotni'iy. It has become
generally known r ow ilia', ll.e l'tn!i church, uinler its
present leaders, is reactionary, and that pol".T'imy is
still ranil.ant there, while the covenant? wh;(h ih; t
church made with the Kovernnent of the I'niied
states in order to secure s'.i.tehoo I for I'tali have
been broken. The duplicltv oT the Momon leaders,
1
their lntrlRue ami unholy pra"t!c-s. hae Jt'stly
brought odium upon 1'ie n ime which tl.ey b-.-ar.
From this opprobrium the Heivrraiid t hurch of
Jesus Christ of I.attc 1): y Saints is too often made to
Bufler by an undiscriminating public. Tiie leaders of
the Itcorsarli-ed di'ivli l,.:ve always-: be' 11 chr.rs cter
J;:ed by loyally to the state, while the members are
everywhere rf "0211 d as good citizens, made so by
.reason of the tea'hines of their church. No organiza
tion in the I'nited Sta.cs has done more to conniat the
progress of polygamy as promulgated by the Utah
church than has the llcorganled church. For more
than half a century it has kept missionaries in Ftah
and contiguous territory fighting the ei!sof polygamy
end calling upon the I't.ih church to rejic-nt And yet,
after tevenlv years of ombat, with tiie corrupt
Mormon church of I'tali too often in the minds of
tjie public, the Reorganized church is confounded with
the I'tah church. The Reorganized Church of .Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints Is cliimed to b.; the 0119
in true succession to that founded in lv'li) by .Toserih
Smith in New Yc-k. 'le the I'tali ehui' h is held
to be a corrupt off-shoot, having been led Into error
by lirigham Young, who introduced polygpmy (nd
other sinful doc trines.
nmoirc.
church is a Smith, cousins, but entirely different men
In character and work. The president of the Utah
church is Joseph Fielding Smith, an alleged livvply
polygamist, who is said to openly defy the law by
persistently living In polygamy, as he slated on the
witness stand in Washington during the Smoot in
vestigation. The president of the Reorganized church
is Joseph Smith of Independence, Mo., son of tin
oiii;!n-:l founder or the church. This Joseph Mnith has
always been characterized as a law-abiding citizen, in
precept as well as example, while by teaching and
piaeriee he is a strict monogamist, and has been a li'e
long opponent to the I'tah church and polygamy. A
masa.ine recently made the blunder of including this
Public ticl (be Smiths Miel.
tine reason that confusion exists today In the
Blinds of the public ij that the president of ii
X.00
man's picture in a galaxyof leading Mormons vho
were said to be enslaving the men and women ol
t'tuli In polygamy, a blunder which has aroused the
members of the Reorganized church all over the land.
Among the delegates which will be In attendance
at the coming general conference at Lamonl will be
Apostle (loiner T. Crifliths, recently returned from
Jerusalem; Apostle John W. Hushton, lately over from
England; Elder Charles II. Lake, for many years mis
sionary to the Soutli Sea Islands and at present in
charge of that mission, and also editor of a paper
published there in the native language; Elder Walter
J. Haworth of Australia, editor of a local church
paper published in that, country. Another delegate
will be Elder Daniel MacCJreor, a resident of Canada,
and editor of the official organ of the Sunday school
association of the church, of which Elder MacGregor
is the general superintendent.
Whatever one may think of the teachings-of"th"e
Latter Day Saints, he cannot but admire their zeal.
Their missionaries and others In positions of responsi
bility, are not salaried men, but get "alloVances''
BiitHe-lent to cover very ordinary living expenses. In
many instances these allowances afford a very meagre
living, a' condition which can be borne; uncomplain
ingly onlv bv enthusiastic propagandists wl'llng to
saciifice for the ir beliefs.
mm
Largest Congregation at Independence.
The largest following of Jot.ejdi Smith or th Re
organized church is in Independence, .Mo., and vicinity.
There Is one congregation in Independence numbering
about a,.'.UD souls. The se worship at what is familiarly
known as the "Stone church" on West Elec tric street,
' while another congregation of about U0 worship in
a neat brick church building on the South Side, 'in
Kansas City the church has some eight or nine con
gregations, most of thei'i owning their own church
buildings. The largest congregation In Kat uas City
is located at Ninth and Lydia streets, where they hate
a building valued at about 2.,uoi), purchased aliout
four years ago from the Southern Methodis Episcopal
church. It U usually spoken of among tho Spirits as
the Central Kansas City church and houses h. uteadlly
growing congregation of zealous worshiper.
.CCejiitiuuecl ou i'aKe Two.),