The Godbeite Movement - Essay Example

The Godbeite Movement Introduction Members of the Godbeite Church (which is also known as The Church of Zion), under the leadership of William S. Godbe became to be known as Godbeites in 1870. The aim of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, was to embrace all belief systems. In 1880's this church died out. Criticizm of Brigham Young for the economic demands and policies began in 1868. This was headed by Godbe and other Mormon merchants. They were then excocommunicated in 1869 from the church, as Godbe wanted to reform the LDS Church and believed that political reform could help stimulate religious reform. The Most Successful Recusant Sect The most victorious of the recusant sects was established by Joseph Smith, who was the prophet's son, and who, with his brothers Alexander H. and David Hyrum, remained a Nauvoo after the emigration. After a few years, Joseph was requested to become the head of the oddments of the Strangites and Cutlerites who had organized a new church. At first Joseph Smith turned down the request, but then in 1860, looking at the considerable increase in the number of members due to the breaking up of other parties, he accented the call as prophet and initiated to preach the faith of his father. He avowed it in its original purity and denied the claims of Brigham and the dogma of polygamy. This division spread rapidly throughout Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa, the apostates being termed Josephites by the followers of Brigham, but styling themselves to be the Reorganized Church of Latter-day Saints. It was checked in Uthah, by fear of harassment, and the movement was not marked until mid 1863. It was the same year when two Josephite missionaries, named E. C. Briggs and Alexander McCord, reached the Salt Lake City after crossing the plains. As the messengers of the gospel, and calling on Brigham, they told him the object of their delegation, and saught consent to preach in the tabernacle. They were definitely not permitted, nor were the allowed to use any other public building as well. As a result of this the missionaries visited from house to house, offered prayers for the inmates, and insisted them to join the true faith. They proved successful and then at first singly, then by dozens and scores, people converted. The Expulsion of Godbe and Harrison While the controversy between the prophet's sons and the prophet's nephew was at its height, an article appeared in the Utah Magazine, which administered by W. S. Godbe and E. L. T. Harrison themselves, that stated; "If we know the true feeling of our brethren, it is that they never intend Joseph Smith's nor any other man's son to preside over them simply because of their sonship. The principle of heirship has cursed the world for ages, and with our brethren we expect to fight it till, with every other relic of tyranny, it is trodden under foot." The magazine also elucidated the part of adjudication between the disputants, and otherwise gave throbbing offence to the church dignitaries. Another article that was published urged the development of the mineral resources of Utah, a measure which found no favor with Brigham, and stated 'for thus would the flood-gates be opened to the gentiles, while the saints might be tempted to worship at the shrine of Mammon, "I want to make a wall so thick and so high around the territory," he once exclaimed in the tabernacle, "that it would be impossible for the gentiles to get over or through it."' Eventually, the elders were beckoned before the school of prophets, the examining source for the offenders before being tried by the high council, and although the most somber accusation against them was the publication of the article on mineral developments, resultantly, both Godbe and Harrison were debarred from the church. However, none of them tried justify the charges brought against them. Their fortification was confined simply to the question of their purported apostasy, and to the authority of the priesthood. When their instance was brought to the high council, the recusants, instead of pleading their cause, merely read a series of resolutions touching events of church reform. Godbe denied Brigham's right to demand obedience, be it in secular or spiritual matters. On the other hand Harrison stated that if it was apostasy to differ meticulously from the priesthood, then he must be considered an absconder. They said, "We claim, the right of respectfully but freely discussing all measures upon which we are called to act. And if we are cut off from this church for asserting this right, while our standing is dear to us, we will suffer it to be taken from us sooner than resign the liberties of thought and speech to which the gospel entitles us; and against any such expulsion we present our solemn protest before God and angels." It remained only to pass sentence of excommunication, and in due form they were handed over for a thousand years to the buffetings of Satan. After a few days, it appeared in the leading magazines and journals, of an account of the trial, together with a protest and appeal to the brethren. On this the recusants remarked that;"It had been argued that we must passively and uninquiringly obey the priesthood, because otherwise we could not build up Zion. A nation built up on such a principle could be no Zion. The only glory or beauty there could be in a Zion must result from its being composed of people all of whom acted intelligently in all their operations." In December 1869, services were held for the first time by the reformers, in the chapel of the assembly-rooms, and in the evening at the Masonic hall. The choir, the first hymn in the Mormon hymn-book, composed by Parley P. Pratt was sung before a great audience. This was followed by speeches in which the gentiles, who formed one-third of the audience, were assured that the reformation would be continued with a purpose that would swerve not before Brigham and his apostles. The Impact of the Godbeite Movement The Godbeite Movement, was a matter of small instant to the church on the whole, producing little effect on the masses of the members. It did, but for a time excite considerable interest in business circles. The movement initially was the immediate occasion, rather than the real cause of Godbe and his followers leaving the church. No man can incessantly be sustained a member of any church if he prolongs in declining to submit to the final decisions of the church authorities. His arrival at that point of defiance is almost always the result of a growth of greater or less rapidity, and occupying more or less time in progress. Godbeism, at first professed to be an attempt to reorganize and purify the church, in part by the aid of spiritualism, but the reform pretensions were temporary and quickly fading away, so that for many years nobody has looked upon the movement as a religious one in any respect. In fact with the fleeting religious pretensions, the very name of the movement soon died out, and the prominent persons connected with it early manifested a skeptical spirit toward religion of every kind, and directed their energies more completely into channels of business and money-making. Godbe regards himself, in 1884, as being instrumental in establishing and conducting enterprises that have required an outlay of $1,000 a day for ten years, and have given employment to many hundreds of people. The endeavor for the commercial control of Utah began early in its history. There were a few men of business training among the Mormons during that time, and until the advent of the overland railroad made it certain that Salt Lake City would become a commercial centre, Brigham's strategy was to discourage commerce and commercial association. Nevertheless, gentile merchants, who were the main source of conducting business, as late as 1860 were subject to a running fire of scorn and censure directed against them from the tabernacle. It was a two-fold objection against them: first, the dislike to the presence of gentiles, in any capacity; and second, the fact that they engrossed the petite amount of floating capital that the brethren acquired. Those who traded with the gentiles were thought to be weak in their faith, but when goods could be purchased from gentile merchants to their own advantage, even the saints were at times tempted to trade with them. This was done frequently and that too, without criticism on the part of the church, which has often been alleged. The promoters mainly wanted to save the people from soaring prices. This was done by importing goods from first hands and in greater quantities. Branches were established at Ogden, Logan, and Soda Springs, and, the cooperative movement spread rapidly throughout the country. Since most of these ventures resulted in failure, many of the stores were compelled to close during the commercial panic of 1873. All in all, the first consequence of this movement on the trade of gentile merchants was disastrous, then the expeditious development of the mining resources of the country started, which incorporated several prominent merchants, inclusive of Godbe and the Walker Brothers as well. They also applied the remnants of their chattels. It was soon, however, that even the Mormons began to pay no heed to the warnings of their leaders against trading with gentiles or apostates. The times changed, and during the conference of 1870 the stores of the gentiles, and especially of the Walker Brothers, were so crowded with purchasers that it was almost impossible for them to serve their patrons. The reformers advocated against this and wrote against the president. They also established a newspaper named the Salt Lake Tribune, which was at first a weekly and later on a daily publication, in which the church dignitaries as well as their policy were severely criticized. All this was done by the reformers to support their cause against the gentiles or apostates. Conclusion Thus, to conclude, of all the apostasies, the Godbeite movement, with its attendant incidents, was the most formidable one, and wrought more harm in Zion than any other which had preceded it. This movement was appealing, both to the common sense and to the self-interest of the community. WORKS CITED 1. Grant H. Palmer. Trustworthy History [ Internet]. BYU, Brigham Young University. Aailable from: [Accessed 15 April 2008] 2. Hubert Howe Bancroft's History of Utah 1540-1886, [ Internet]. Available from: [Accessed 15 April 2008] 3. B. H. Roberts. Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, vol. 5. [ Internet ]. Available from: [ Accessed 15 April 2008 ] 4. Orson Ferguson Whitney - Utah - 1892, History of Utah. [ Book ] Read More