| 541 with the body; we believe that self-respect and respect for the church itself require that they should not be held to an unwilling affiliation with the church in any sense whatever. These men are not children, nor men of common ability only. Each is above the mediocre in talent and should know what they wished to say and do. Hence, on the self-chosen ground upon which they based their action of withdrawal, we are contented to let it rest. That they made a grave mistake we certainly believe; they claim to think that we (the church) are in error. Whatever the positions they have held in the church, and to which they were called by divine authority and grace, they have voluntarily resigned. The wisdom of their having been chosen for the work they have done should not be questioned. He who called them knew them and the work he designed them to do in the church. When they abandon that work by severing the connection uniting them with others called in a similar way, and under circumstances which indicate beyond doubt that God took cognizance both of the men, the work, and the circumstances, we can not follow them into the consequences of such abandonment, but must stay with the work itself-such are our convictions.
We trust that none of the eldership will permit themselves to be betrayed into any acrimonious denunciation of Elders Briggs and Gurley; or be guilty of circulating disparaging stories, or tales concerning them. It is beneath the dignity of men who may be devoid of claim to the Spirit of truth; and is totally unbecoming those claiming to be moved by the Christian grace, to revile and belittle former brethren who have gone out of our midst. We may be, and we are satisfied they have made a mistake and we may say so, but an acrimonious tirade in so saying is uncalled for.
In respect to the filling up of the quorums. We had no directions looking toward this, except as was made known in the choosing a number into the seventy. This was important and timely. A number of men of excellent spirit, who have been striving to approve themselves as workmen were chosen and ordained, and will doubtless magnify the calling. We were somewhat in hopes that the High Council might be more perfectly completed, but the absence of positive direction and the extreme difficulties attending calling the members of the high priesthood together, made it unwise as we regarded it. Had there been a command the ways would have been clear.
In regard to the gifts being had during the prayer-meetings. One of the gifts, the principal gift of the Spirit to the members, or officers of the church, and the one most needed by the delegates and other members of the last session of conference, were the gifts of wisdom, and of faith. No more trying season of the same duration of days has ever occurred to a body of elders. No crisis in which better judgment, nobler self-control, wiser thought and speech, more deliberate and cooler reason were demanded has been met and passed than the one impending at the session of which we write. We think decidedly that the verdict of succeeding events will show that the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and faith were with
(page 541) |
