| 418 and abroad, the Reorganized Church has been confounded with the Mormon or polygamic church in Utah, over which Brigham Young did, and John Taylor does now preside, and which has since August, 1852, and does still teach and practice the tenet of plural marriage, or polygamy, in contravention and in defiance of the wholesome laws of the United States; and it has not been until quite recently that the said Reorganized Church has been able to compel the recognition of the difference between it and the Mormons of Utah on this point, and that not until the matter at issue was brought into the courts, in the northern district of Ohio; and before Congress at its last session.
6. This confounding of the Reorganized Church and the Utah Mormons together as one; as being polygamic and disloyal to the United States, in that they both taught and practiced tenets subversive of good citizenship and contrary to the laws, has worked disadvantageously to the progress of the said Reorganized Church; and especially so since the circular letter of William M. Evarts, late Secretary of State, to the governments of foreign nations asking them to discriminate against the emigration of Mormons from those nations to the United States. The effect of this letter of Secretary Evarts referred to, was such that in Germany, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Italy, Norway, and the Society Islands, missionaries of the Reorganized Church were regarded with suspicion and were refused liberty to propagandize, as such liberty is given to the missionaries of other American churches; and consuls of the United States will not give the ordinary guarantees of protection to them as citizens of the United States while pursuing their missionary labors. The same disability and suspicion in a modified form attached to missionary labor in England and the Canadas and in New Mexico and the Southern States.
7. While we as a church do not expect the Government of the United States to enact laws to specially favor, or foster, the religious views of the Reorganized Church, or to instruct the offices of the Government at home or abroad, to give special protection to the missionaries of said church as religionists; we deem it right and a duty to ask that the Government shall secure to us as loyal citizens of the United States, all the privileges and immunities of such citizens at home, and protection abroad; and to ask that no enactment of Congress, nor instruction of the general officers of the Government shall discriminate against us to our injury as law abiding citizens.
8. In this case, we represent to you, that the effect of the letter of W. M. Evarts referred to has been to our injury in the manner specified; and we by our committee, ask of your honor such favorable consideration as shall free us from said disability and that you so instruct the consuls of the United States to the various governments named in this memorial, and others when necessity requires, that the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as the legal successor to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints organized April 6, 1830, are not polygamists, and not disloyal; and that said Reorganized Church should be exempted
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