| 215 It was moved that the original motion be amended by inserting a provision that the committee may report at this session, if practicable, which amendment was adopted and the motion as amended was adopted.
The committee on this case reported on the 12th. Their report and the action taken thereon was as follows:
We, your committee, would respectfully report, that we have carefully examined the papers relating to the case of Elder Jason W. Briggs, which include the several "reasons" offered at the semiannual conference for refusing to sustain said Jason W. Briggs, with his reply to these several "reasons," and also the report of the committee appointed to interview him in relation to said "reasons." And after due consideration of these papers, and also the several articles written by said Jason W. Briggs in The Messenger, and the correspondence between him and Elder Zenas H. Gurley, we have arrived at the following conclusions:
First. That reason number one is untenable, and not sufficient ground in the opinion of your committee for the action of the semiannual conference in this case, as the church has never spoken authoritatively upon that matter, and until they do so, it must remain an open question, allowing the right to affirm or deny.
Second. Concerning the second reason, in our opinion every man has a right to interpret his own language, and with reference to the prophecy of Ezekiel, Bro. Briggs emphatically denies the accusation, as follows: "Reason second is groundless in its statement that I have denied the 'Spirit's utterances,' etc., but in respect to the prophecy against Tyre (Ezekiel 26th chapter), it is an open question among historians and theologians whether it was fulfilled according to the record of the prophecy; it is a fit subject for examination. The design, however, of alluding to it in connection with the alleged prophecy of Mother Shipton, which has received so exact a fulfillment, was to show the wide channel of inspiration." And while we, your committee, do not approve of the manner in which Bro. Briggs associated that prophecy with that of Mother Shipton, yet we do not consider the ground for reason number two well taken.
Third. On reason third it was concluded that reason number three is sufficient to justify a demand for a complete and decided explanation from Bro. J. W. Briggs to the the church, but not sufficient to justify a public accusation, as made in the action of the semiannual conference.
Fourth. In reference to reason number four, the following preambles and resolution were passed:
Whereas, The church in 1852 decided that there is "no stake to which the Saints on this continent are commanded to gather at the present time," and
Whereas, The same has been reaffirmed by the church since; and it particularly declared in 1876 at the annual conference, that there is "now no place" to which we are commanded to gather, and
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