January 9th lecture - Will be given by former Utah Attorney General Assistant Joann Secrist. Joann is a practicing attorney, educator and vibrant speaker, everyone should totally enjoy her lecture, she will be selling a pocket reference guide for five dollars of the Utah Constitution.

Info of interest to Ex/Postmo's:
President J. Reuben Clark made this observation: If civil government of any of our communities were to be suddenly wiped out, the Church organization could govern the community if it were given the necessary civil sanction. He stated that the teachers, who are to keep the Church in order, could act as a police force. Bishops would be authorized to hold courts; high councils and presidents of stakes would hold other courts, both appellate and original jurisdiction, with an appeal to the presidency of the Church from a decision. Then he says that the authority resides in the President of the Church to make all necessary rules and regulations for the government of the people. First Presidency Message The Priesthood of God By President N. Eldon Tanner First Counselor in The First Presidency
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=36d9d2b9ae76b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

Church and State in the Utah Territory 1850- 1855

Utah elections were viewed by the federal officeholders as little more than sustaining votes for church-selected candidates, since there was no political party system. The federal appointees viewed the Mormon Church as controlling every aspect of territorial life—from government to the economy to the school system. (UTAH - THE STRUGGLE FOR STATEHOOD Ken Verdoia and Richard Firmage pg 45)

House of Representatives, Utah Territorial Legislature, 1866- As with all previous sessions of the legislature, the first session after the end of the Civil War was entirely Mormon—an unsurprising profile, since the voting population of the territory remained over ninety- five percent Mormon. Two future presidents of the LDS church served in the House that year: John Taylor as speaker and a young Joseph F. Smith as representative from Salt Lake. This group, like several other legislative sessions, would reconvene as the shadow government of Deseret immediately after their adjournment as the territorial legislature. Recognizing Brigham Young as governor, the shadow government would repass all laws created in their legislative session as a means of sanctioning the legislative efforts and removing from them the taint of connection with the federally appointed governor, thus providing the authority to build the Kingdom of God on Earth under the guiding hand of Young. (UTAH - THE STRUGGLE FOR STATEHOOD, Ken Verdoia and Richard Firmage pg 88)

Deseret Currency offered by a financial arm of the Mormon Church was guaranteed by the signature of Brigham Young. (UTAH - THE STRUGGLE FOR STATEHOOD, Ken Verdoia and Richard Firmage pg 45)

“… that all nations will be overthrown; that these kingdoms and governments, and powers, and authorities that exist on the earth, will be broken and destroyed, and that God will introduce a government and rule and dominion of his own. These are some of our views… the Lord has commenced to establish upon the earth, and that it will not only govern all people in a religious capacity, but also in a political capacity. “Well,” say some, “is not that treason?” I do not know that it is; not treason against the Lord, and I do not know that is treason against the government of the United States, or any other government. I have yet to learn that I, or any other person, or nation have power or authority to control the Almighty in his acts.” (Elder John Taylor, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Jan. 18 1865- J of D 11:53)



Come and enjoy this educational lecture and socializing with like minded friends.



This event will be January 9th at 2 PM at the St. George Holiday Inn 850 So. Bluff Street St. George, Utah.

For further information contact Skeptic at soutpostmormons@hotmail.com

History Candy,

The Council of Fifty and Its King

1844 Joseph Smith announces his candidacy for the presidency of the United States and the Quorum of Twelve commission hundred of missionaries, Brigham Young instructs them to preach Smith's Views and to "seek diligently to get up electors who will go for him for the Presidency.


On 11 March 1844, Joseph Smith organized into a secret "special council" twelve of those who had received the second anointing as "kings and priests of most High God" plus 10 other Mormons. A recent history officially published by the LDS church describes t his as a meeting "to organize the political kingdom of God in preparation for the second coming of Christ. [Church History in the Fulness of Times] (Salt Lake City: Church Educational System, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1989), 270.


Its members gave two common designations to this theocratic council. Because of its revealed name in 1842, this council was often called the "Kingdom" or Council of the Kingdom.


Two days after appointment of officers, the Times and Seasons published and editorial which indicated the new scope of the theocracy. The editorial argued that people had put too much emphasis on the constitutional separation of church and state. The editorial's climax was certainly the statement that "the church must not triumph over the state, but actually swallow it up.


On 26 March 1844 the Council of Fifty sanctioned an extraordinary proposal by its standing chairman. Smith wanted Congress to authorize him to personally recruit "one hundred thousand armed volunteers in the United States and Territories".


On 11 April 1844 Joseph Smith becomes and is ordained Mormonism's theocratic King.


Fate for tells this ordination in 1 Nephi 10: 11-14, America shall be a land of Liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.(14) For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish...


24 June 1844 Joseph Smith surrenders to civil authorities to stand trial for riot and treason.


Source: Mormon Hierarchy Origins of Power D. Michael Quinn Chapter 4

Mormon Theocracy D.H. Wells

JD 7:292 October 16, 1859

Would not we, as a people, be willing to let the Lord dictate our affairs temporally and spiritually? This is a distinguishing feature, I say, between the Latter-day Saints and the rest of the world..