Under the Prophet in Utah; the National Menace of a Political PriestcraftCannon, Frank J.
History
Under the Prophet in Utah; the National Menace of a Political Priestcraft
Cannon, Frank J.
Latter Day Saint churches; Latter Day Saints; Utah -- Politics and government
Nor is the tithe any longer the only exaction demanded by the Prophet.
A score of "donations" have been added. There is the Stake Tabernacle
Donation, which is a fund collected from the Mormons of each "Stake"
(corresponding usually to a county) for the building of a house in which
to hold Stake Conferences. There is the Ward Meeting-House Donation,
which is a fund collected from the Mormons of every "ward" for the
erection of a local chapel. There is the Fast Day Donation, made up
of contributions gathered on the afternoon of the first Sunday of each
month, at what is called "a fast meeting," for the support of the local
poor; and this is supplemented by the Relief Society Donation, solicited
by the members of the Ladies Relief Society, in a house-to-house
canvass, from Mormons and Gentiles alike. A Light and Heat Donation is
collected by the deacons of the ward, under direction of the bishop, to
pay for the lighting and heating of the ward meeting house; a Missionary
Donation is collected at a "Missionary benefit entertainment," to help
defray the expenses of a member of a ward sent on a mission; and since a
missionary must necessarily be an elder, a Quorum Missionary Donation is
also taken from his fellow members of the quorum, to assist him. So
far as the Church is concerned, he travels "without purse or scrip," by
order of "revelation;" but this inhibition does not extend to the use of
his own money--if he has any left after paying the other exaction's--nor
does it prevent him either from receiving contributions from his
impoverished fellows or accepting charity from "the enemies of God's
people," whom he labors to redeem. And on these terms about ninety per
cent. of the adult male Mormons perform missionary services for the
Church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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