A *Religious Trust by L. A. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jun 15, 1905

A Religious Trust

By L. A. S.

RELIGIOUS journals are showing increasing concern over the growing menace of Mormonism, which is now entrenched behind the bulwark of State government. The effect of the admission of Utah into the union of States, was, it seems, to provide for the establishment of a Mormon religious trust in that State, and all the evils of the trust principle as applied in the field of religion are now to be seen and felt, so it is said, in the western stronghold of the Mormon Church. On this subject the New York Observer recently spoke as follows:—

The bald fact is that Mormonism is coming to assert itself more and more (if it be possible to exceed the pretensions of the past) in the line of a great “trust.” It manifests all the intolerance of competition by other organizations, all the confident assertion of its own strength, all the selfishness of policy, and all the merciless resolution to rule or ruin, that are characteristic of the worst of the so-called “trusts” or “mergers.” Moreover, through its immense collection of tithes and its large investments in commercial and financial enterprises, it has come to dominate every line of business in Utah except mines and railroads, and even these latter it materially influences by means of its control over Mormon labor, and by its misuse of legislation and franchises. It is an old saying, which has many striking modern applications, that money is power; and when huge sums of money are heaped up in the hands of a Mormon merger, the influence for evil, in a community or State of such a financial colossus, is immeasurable.

A very striking and ominous illustration of the practical power which overgrown Mormonism possesses at the present day to stifle inquiry into its secret processes and devious ways has been afforded in connection with a recent meeting of twelve men in Salt Lake City. The meeting and the results are described in an editorial in the Salt Lake Tribune. The men had been invited separately, by one of the most prominent men in the community, and no one among them knew whom he was to meet. With one exception they were representative Gentiles. They were asked to consider this problem: What can the Gentiles of Utah do to protect themselves against the power of the hierarchy of the Mormon Church? And what shall the Gentiles of Utah do to advise the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections of the actual situation in Utah, so that the country may know their needs, and may protect them from the dangers which environ them?

Moreover, all the men present agreed, as a state of facts in Utah, that, as now utilized, statehood is but a protection to the Mormon hierarchy, in its establishment of a theocratic kingdom under the flag of the republic, that the hierarchy holds itself superior to constitution and to law, that it is spreading plural marriage practise throughout the ranks of the church, that through its agents it dominates the politics of the State, that it exerts a strong sway over many public officers, including the majority of members of the State legislature, and that it holds nearly every Gentile merchant and nearly every Gentile professional man at its vengeance, by its influences over the patronage which he must have in order to be successful.

After the men summoned to the meeting had agreed to the foregoing statement, the remarkable fact appeared that not one man present dared to stand out in public and become sponsor for it. Every man acknowledged that if the evil of Mormonism were not conquered now, it would grow too strong for resistance, yet dared not throw down the gauntlet to the Mormon hierarchy. Yet those men were not cowards, for they were men above the average in courage, loyalty, and ability. The professional men and merchants present knew that if any one of them—lawyer, doctor, teacher, or merchant—lifted up his voice against the evils of Mormonism, his patronage, social standing, and financial opportunities would be gone.

This incident shows that an actual reign of terror obtains in Utah. “Liberty” is there an idle sound, and “Americanism” an empty name.

All the evils of which the Observer speaks are the direct result of the union of religion with politics, yet just such a union is advocated by many who represent much larger religious bodies than the Mormon Church. Combines in religion to control legislation and stifle opposition to popular religious dogmas and institutions are advocated frequently by spokesmen of the popular churches, and of this the enactment and enforcement of Sunday laws is a conspicuous example. The evil which is flourishing on a comparatively small scale in Utah should warn the people of the disaster which would surely attend the union of religion with politics throughout the country in general. Then would “liberty” be “an idle sound,” and “Americanism” an empty name,” in all parts of the union. L. A. S.