The Church and The Man
Secret Societies
It is a well known truth that the counsel of the First Presidency of the Church, in all cases, has been and is against our brethren joining secret organizations for any purpose whatsoever, and that wherever any of them have already joined, they have been and are counseled to withdraw themselves from such organizations, as soon as circumstances permit and wisdom dictates. In taking this position, there has not been, neither is it intended that there shall be, any controversy with the societies, and with their aims and objects. The merits of the various orders are not considered at all; their aims may be ever so worthy and their objects ever so commendable. That matter does not enter into the discussion, so far as a member of our Church is concerned.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and is a power unto salvation, temporal and spiritual. A man who complies in every respect therewith has everything that any society can offer, with countless truths and consolations added: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The Church is divinely organized, and in that organization there is provision for the development and practice of every virtue known, every charity revealed. For this reason and for its promise of eternal life and glory, the gospel, and the Church divinely established for its promulgation, should be nearer and dearer to a follower of Christ than all other things. “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye can not serve God and Mammon.”
The members of our Church who have faith to heed the advice of the authorities thereof, will not ally themselves, under any pretense, with any organization not instituted by the Lord for the building up of Zion. Neither will they, for any consideration, allow themselves to imbibe the spirit of the world, or be tempted to lose their faith, which will be the result with those who divide their interests, devoting some to other organizations. This is the testimony of those who have joined and who have later withdrawn. Nothing can be permitted in the members that is calculated to bring division and weakness to the Church, yet those who have been led to join other institutions should not be dealt with harshly, but should be made to understand the position of the Church, and where it is so understood, they should shape their affairs for withdrawal, in humility and repentance, from that which threatens their standing.-Improvement Era, Vol. 6, p. 305, February, 1903.
Gossip
The “Mormon” creed: “Mind your own business,” is a good motto for young people to adopt who wish to succeed, and who wish to make the best use of their time and lives. And when I say young people, it includes as well aged and middle aged men and women.
Let it be remembered that nothing is quite so contemptible as idle gossip. Byron said a good thing when he put into the mouth of Don Juan these words:
“In fact there’s nothing makes me so much grieve
As that abominable tittle-tattle,
Which is the cud eschewed by human cattle.”
How idle to go about whispering mysterious words here and there-words often without foundation in fact, but uttered with injurious intent, and perhaps with the idea of creating for the whisperer some imaginary respect, because of his supposed possession of special knowledge. But such action seldom bodes good, or sets upon the round of human lips sentiments of appreciation for the excellent, the beautiful, and the true, in a brother, neighbor, or friend. Such gossip and meddling constantly hold to view the defects of its subjects, and the scandals that are born fly as upon the wings of eagles. To be thus engaged is a positive injury, also, to the person so employed, because, by constantly holding the defects of others in his own mind, he ruins his own ability to see and appreciate the virtues of his fellows, thus stifling his nobler self.
It is so very much better for a person to strive to develop himself by observing all the good points he can find in others, than to strangle the growth of his better self by cherishing a fault-finding, sullen, and intermeddling spirit. The scriptures support this thought. The great Psalmist says in substance in the fifteenth psalm: “He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor, shall abide in the tabernacle of the Lord, and never be moved.” To abide in the tabernacle of the Lord is to enjoy his Holy Spirit. Now, he that taketh up a reproach against his neighbor is in great danger of losing the Spirit of the Lord. “But my neighbor has done this, that or the other that is forbidden by the law of the Church, or good usage, why should I not set him right?” says one. Let that one ask himself: “Is it my business?” The answer will suggest itself: If it is not my business, let me be wise enough to mind my own business. For “he that refraineth his lips is wise, and he that uttereth a slander is a fool;” and, further, the Lord declares through the Psalmist: “Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off.”
Let it be the aim of the Saints to cultivate the spirit of generosity and good-will, such as was exemplified in the life of Christ, and proclaimed when the angels heralded abroad the message: “Peace on earth, to men good will,” and which has been reiterated in the modern restoration of the gospel. Watch constantly for that which is worthy and noble in your fellowman. It makes a person better to see and speak of good in his neighbor; while there is unbounded delight in observing the effect that a few words of appreciation and encouragement have upon men, women, and children with whom we associate. Let those try it who really wish to get the genuine sweets out of life.
The meddler, the gossip, the fault-finder, on the other hand, soon ruin their own capacity for observing the better side of human nature; and, not finding it in others, search in vain for its influence in their own souls.
There is a wonderful field in the organizations of the Church for the cultivation of all the virtues of the human heart. It is the business of every officer and member of the Church, and of her associations and organizations, to lead out in doing good; to stand first in serviceable practices in the gospel’s atmosphere of sunshine and peace; to lift up and not cast down; to encourage and not to repress; to dispense joy, and to drown sorrow; to refrain their lips from slander and backbiting, and, by sweet temper and kind words, to unfold the better side of human nature; to mind their own business, and not to unduly criticise, and not to find fault, nor to delight in tale-bearing, scandal, envy, and gossip.
This advice heeded, our social ethics would soon show wonderful improvement; happiness, beauty of disposition, love, and moral cleanliness, would increase among the Saints; the Spirit of God would delight to dwell in their midst, and the best qualities of the people would unfold and develop like the rose in the warm sunshine of June.-Improvement Era, Vol. 6, p. 388, March, 1903.
We Want to be Known As We Are
We want to be known as we are. We want to be seen in our true light. We want the world to become acquainted with us. We want them to learn our doctrine, to understand our faith, our purposes, and the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We would like them to know something about the origin of this work, but we desire that they shall see this work in the true spirit of it, and the only way this can be brought about is by the inquiring intelligent world coming in contact with us-those indeed who are disposed to love truth and righteousness, and whose eyes are not so blinded that they can not see the truth when it is presented before them.-Oct. C. R., 1908, p. 3.
Treatment of Those Will Not Obey the Law of the Church
It has occurred to me somewhat in this way: that the body of the Church is likened to the body of a man, and you know men do sometimes get their systems a little deranged-that is to say, sometimes they are flea-bitten. Fleas bite them and mosquitoes bite them and cause little swellings to rise on their face and hands. Sometimes they have boils upon them, and carbuncles, sebaceous tumors and other excrescences, that only need the application of the lance to get out the humor from them or to excise them from the body, or cut them off and let them go, so that the body may be cleansed from their poisonous effect. It is so with the Church. From time to time there are characters who become a law unto themselves and they follow the bent of their own “sweet will” until they get themselves into a condition mentally and spiritually that they become a menace to the body ecclesiastic. In other words, they become like a boil, tumor, or carbuncle on the body, you have to call in the surgeon to apply the knife to cut them out that the body may be cleansed from them; and this has been the case from the beginning.-Apr. C. R., 1905, p. 5.
Latter-Day Saints Must be Thinkers and Workers
To be Latter-day Saints men and women must be thinkers and workers; they must be men and women who weigh matters in their minds; men and women who consider carefully their course of life and the principles that they have espoused. Men cannot be faithful Latter-day Saints unless they study and understand, to some extent at least, the principles of the gospel that they have received. When you hear people, who profess to be Latter-day Saints, running off on tangents, on foolish notions and one-horse, cranky ideas, things that are obviously opposed to reason and to good sense, opposed to principles of righteousness and to the word of the Lord that has been revealed to men, you should know at once that they have not studied the principles of the gospel, and do not know very much about the gospel. When people understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, you will see them walking straightforward, according to the word of the Lord and the law of God, strictly in accordance with that which is consistent, just, righteous, and in every sense acceptable to the Lord who only accepts of that which is right and pleasing in his sight; for only that which is right is pleasing unto him.-Improvement Era, Vol. 14, 1910, p. 72.
The Identity of the Church Unchanged
We have a double guide and a double assurance in reaching our correct conclusions concerning the perfect identity of the Church now and the Church in the days of its first prophet. The spirit of loyalty and devotion, together with love for the work of building up Zion, characterize the Saints, while the devil rages now in the same manner that he did then. The spirit, on both sides of the controversy, is so identical that it is hard to imagine that any thoughtful Latter-day Saint can be deceived over the situation as it exists today.
By their fruits ye shall know them. The devil caused men to rage over the Nauvoo House, the building of the Nauvoo Temple, the Prophet’s Nauvoo brick store, and the material prosperity of the Saints in that beautiful city on the banks of the Mississippi; he causes men to rave over so-called “commercialism” today. Envy was rampant then. It is just as deadly now.-Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 40, p. 497, August 15, 1905.
No Classes or Nationalities in the Church
The brotherhood and common interests in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are among the great characteristics of our faith, and whatever, therefore, tends to establish class distinction either in society or nationalities should be discouraged in every way possible. God is no respecter of persons, neither does he glorify one class to the disadvantage of another.
A striking peculiarity of the Saints gathered from all parts of the earth is that they are almost universally of the blood of Ephraim. If they have received the Holy Ghost they are of one spirit, so that whatever creates a discord in the spirit and unity of the Saints is of evil origin. The Spirit of God never begets strife, nor does it set up and insist on distinctions among those who have been its recipients.
There has been in some people’s minds the thought that this or that nationality was entitled to certain recognition because of its large numbers or prominence in certain respects. The affairs of the Church are not carried on with respect to what is good or bad policy-there is no policy in the Church, but that of wisdom and truth, and everyone of its members should thoroughly understand that distinctions both in classes and nationalities are odious and out of harmony with the discipline and spirit of Church government. If a man of one or another nationality is honored by any important call, it is because of the spirit in the man, and not because of his nationality, and the Saints may be certain that when any man makes a demand for recognition it is an assumption on his part, and is not in harmony with the life and spirit of our Master.-Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 37, p. 658, November 1, 1902.
