196 brother shall be subsequently waited upon; said committee to report at the next General Conference of the church.
Charles Derry, J. M. Harvey, and Mark H. Forscutt were chosen as the first committee provided for in the above resolution, and the motion appointing them also instructed them to report this evening.
This committee subsequently reported as follows:
We, your committee, appointed to furnish the reasons why the majority refused to sustain the president of the Twelve, in to-day's session, after due deliberation, offer the following as expressing what we believe to have been those reasons:
First. The brother, whom the majority refused this day to sustain in his exalted calling, has denied the preëxistence of man; and, in doing this, has also denied the preëxistence of Christ, as a personal entity; and, thereby, not only denied the received faith of the Church of Christ, but also denied the testimony of the sacred books, which God has given for the instruction, and rule of faith, to govern his church.
Second. In publishing in The Messenger, concerning the prophecy of Ezekiel, 26th chapter, he has assailed the veracity of the Spirit's utterances, and referred to them as only equal, or inferior to, the prophecy of Mother Shipton.
Third. In his articles entitled, "The Past and the Present," he has assailed the prophecies and historical testimony of the Bible, with a ruthless hand, making, or seemingly seeking to make them, subjects of contempt and ridicule, instead of subjects of faith, and has thereby written rather as an enemy than as an advocate of the word of God.
Fourth. In his published articles on "The Gathering," he has denied the faith of the church, and the testimony of the word of God, respecting the building up and establishing the Zion of God on this continent.
Fifth. In his article on "Inspiration," he has denied, in effect, the reliability of the testimony of God's Spirit, and sought to make that testimony appear as of no greater value than the utterances through modern spiritualist mediums.
All of which is respectfully submitted by your committee.
[Signed] CHARLES DERRY.
J. M. HARVEY.
MARK H. FORSCUTT.
A motion was made by J. C. Crabb and T. W. Chatburn that the report be adopted and the committee discharged. Motion to amend was offered by striking out the word "adopted" and substituting the words, "referred to a committee." Discussion followed upon the amendment, in which a number took part. . . . Division being called, amendment was adopted by a vote of thirty-six against twenty-eight, for adoption. The original motion was then put upon its passage, and carried by a large majority.
Motion was then made and carried, that a committee of three be appointed to whom this report shall be referred, that this committee wait
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