The Godbeite Movement: a Dissent Against Temporal Control
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Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1968 The Godbeite Movement: A Dissent Against Temporal Control Grant H. Palmer Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the History Commons, Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons, and the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Palmer, Grant H., "The Godbeite Movement: A Dissent Against Temporal Control" (1968). Theses and Dissertations. 5013. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5013 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. TE GODBEITE MOVEMENT A UTDISSENTS j t7nttant A airalpaapalislaipaliel sr TEMPORAL CONTROL A thethesiss j s preceatcetfrccnrpresar cricrl to the departntdepartmeiitdepayDepar tnttot otut historyr4istel y B r i h r rn Y r J n i ve r i t y in P trllairliairlia11 lilili 1 1 n olfolp0 citcliciti icvbcercv lynti jn L U leacleccterctecc rlrclr & ri uy crrtcartcurt H plrpvfr navmav 191968ak6k iii acknowledgementsacknowledge14entsACKNOWLEDGE MENTS the author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to those people who have assisted in the preparation of this thesis professors eugene E caticariCarncarnpbellpbell and gustive 0 larson have been helpful in offering encouragement and criticism and in various other walwaysys giving assistance to one other person who assisted in the preparation of thithlchithicchicchid work the author is especially grateful Lmyiyay wife kathy has criticized the pages as they have been written typed the several drafts and in other ways contributed to the completion of this thesis TABLE OF CONTENTS PACEPAGE acknowledgementsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS a 0 0 itillliit CHAPTER I1 introduction 1 statement of the problem 0 0 0 IV 0 0 0 1 0 6 6 IV 0 0 0 1 organization and limitation of the study 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 review of the literature e 0 & 3 source data 0 G 0 6 0 1 1 a a 9 0 6 0 4 II11 THE SETTING 5 7 iliIII111 THE backg1background1 011fd OF THE REFORIERSREFORMERS 18 IV grievances AND reformdeformsKEFORMREFORMS 32 economic grievance 0 0 0 0 32 temporal control 35 separation of church and state 39 miscellanamiscellanymiscellaneousous grievances 1 49 V ORIGIN AND OURSECOURSE OF THE MOVEMENT 53 vievlaVI exccmjnicationexcon111miunication 65 BATTLE OF IDEOLOGY vilVIIVIX IDLOWGY 0 72 VIII POLITICAL INFLUENCE 82 conclusions e 9 a 9 9 e 89 bibliography e e 0 9 91 A APPENDIX godbeiteGod beite manifesto 0 0 a 97 APPENDIX beB excerpts from pre fomwniexconrounicationcatcac 0 articles 106 APPENDIX C constitution of the church of zion 120 APPENDIX D revelations received iniii newmew york 125 APPENDIX SE pictures 126 CMPTCHAPTERER I1 introduction statement of the proproblemblembiemthe godbeitesGod beites were a group of morronnormonI1 I1 rxarxrchantsmerchants of salt lake city who opposed the mormon churchschurche claim to dictate in tevvoitemporalal affairs this dissent had been shoulderingsmouldersmoulderinging for sev- eral yeasyears prior to the coming of theth pacific railroad in 1869 but it was the churchy stepped up enforcement of earlier economic policies that caused these aienalennienmen to break with the mormon hierarchy the churchschurche answer to the problems posed by the railroad iasuaslasbuas an extension of its e onomicconconopticmonopticonoricmicoptic ideals its zoalgoaloaioal was to achieve economic self sufficiency through cooperation endand unity this policy in Godgodbeltegodboltegoclbeiccbeltebeicebeide thinking was not only unrealisticunree listic in meeting the railroadxailroad problem but alsoeisocurbed the freedom of chirchchurchchirchurch memberse abers the fodbitesodbratesoodFodr bites proposed to end this isoisolationlaLion policy and join che lisez faire national ececonomyanomyonomy to insure more freedom they oposedopposedproposed to end president brihambriohambrinham youngyoungs oilleone man rule in their orgen the ututahh agazgazineagazinegaagazneagaunezinene these icniacniaan pasintpusintpushedid for morere freedom in temporal affairs by adadvocotinc htingahting separation cfof the spiritual and temporal church ane- ststteatteite ay the purpose of this stustudyiy U toitoibo provide an insightinsighc ininioanio0 o the spirit lluc of the tinestimeslimesand bring into Lfocus llhche prob1cproblemsins faced by the cimonmainonmcinon people the Godgodbsitegodbeitebeitebellebeice movement throughthrougligiu ltitsids opposition helpsh3lps1121ps to clarify these I1 problems faced by the corronsmorronsva3rvaar ansvns in lostliiscoslillsaliiscills era JL j the offofficialacialicial church titletitietitlescities the church of jesus cftistchrist of latter day saints I1 2 organization and limitations of the stulstudyscudy the following cha- pters are an attempt to present the godbeiteGodbeite movement as it unfolded during these difficult times the leaders of the newnewvew movement were in- telltelligentigent men they lived moral lives and prior to their excoexconwunicationcmuntrmunt cation played important roles in the church and in community life this scoupgroup of mormon merchants found Brigbrighamhain youngs economic policies irritating and devoid of conicomicommonn sense seeking divine guidance on the course of action that shshoulduld be taken william S coabecodbe and elias L T harrlsonharrisonthe two principal godbeitesGod beites claimed to have received revelations confirming their convictions coabecodbe claimed that yilyllwithoutYithoothout this spiritual direction the movement would have laxerlexernaver colrecome to light brigham young was off course they were told adandbad the responsibility rested upon them to set it straight their crcrrsecresecarsese was plead weekly through their organ the utah Mmagazineaz ane in an atteaacteaattemptqt to lidebidedemolishor lishtishsish the worst part of brighansbrigmansbrighamsBrighanshams work that the better part might sr preserved lk12 their early articles emphasized economic reforms but after thirtheircheltdhir excorruunexcomnunicationexcommunicationcationcatlon ecclesiaecclestaecclestastiecclesiasticalsti calcaiand politpoliticalizal matccrsmatcersmatchers zreceived moremoze ttertiontattention the godbeltesgodbeitesGod beitesbeltesinfluence in changchargingoinoolnoging ciwrchciivrch pclicypelicypolicy was mintrinlmalmininialinial along with other groups they ekertexertexertededl a political ifluenceinfluence which helped to defeat antiantlmorttmortrmontrmormonn legislation in the iteinte 18601s186cps the codbeite11odbeiteCod beltebeite leaders in 1870 joined other factions in theche territory and crraniz2dcrganizsd the liberal party this party until 1901890 fought to seazseelseezseazzireseexareseelareexarezire neudeuhe Vmorion16 froninoniron church from governgovernrnsntalmantal affairs the gjodbetesgodbeitesGodbeites however belonged to this party but u edwsrdedwardhdward2edwqid v1vav tvllldtullidsetulituiitullidgeTull idsee the Ccoabecodbeodbeltete movement tullldctallidesels quarterlyOuart erizerly magazine I1 october 168018801380p 18 bereReteperehereafterefter ziteacited 1 s anethetne godlbeiegodbe I1 te movement 11 3 a short time the godbeiteGodbeite leaders refused to sznctzonspnctton the radical plans that their gentile colleagues suggested in solving the normonmormonmoramornon question their love for the mormon people would not allow theucheuthemthowchem to persecute the saints and resort to ridicule and the bad taste in literature that fre-11 re quently appeared in the gentile organ the seltseit lake tribune since leetheuheceeuee godbeitesGodbeites were netnotnecncc willing toitollodo this the new mademmavemmovemententenc collapsed at the end of 1870 the godbeitcgodbeiteGod beltebeitebeice rroveirentmoveirent had but a brifbrief moment in utah history it appeared vichwithwlch the coming of the railroad and lost its momenmomentumtuntum a year and a half later the intent of this study is to e anineamineexamine the parepaye thhtst the godbeitesGod beites pleyelpleyedpizyedirin 18597018697018591869 70 review of the literature while a fefew countsaccountsnccountsnc of thechehe gojbltpsgodbe ites have been written theretheyehereneceaeye isi notno connive lltoryijqtoryaltory of thethu rxvetientniuvernenl nonnoNCO serious stdystidysaidy has beebecevidenviclemvide to e adaninda tithechee codbeizoodCodgodbegoe belebelza excotupunication lritri il neither has thertherechere been c pynyin dcthdath study of halvhal thetyretyne Godgoobeitsgodbeitesbeitesbeltes were 6iscjisais sentinbentin acainagainstst only wwibelwigelicaelciencaen thisuhls ii r beenbejnbec2n discdiskdiscovedescovedi scovecoverercovereu can allalian uiierstnriin of the godbeitcgodbeiteGod beltebeitebeibe desire 1carcoror separascparititiseparaticiaticia hetwccnnetwccn tle110tietle spiritspiritualCalmaimal anclandladdiaru icinporl church and state babd realizedreallze6 T 5 ri sterlSteristerihoufestenhourphousehouFe in his jckyickyrockskocksrocky inanintnmcvntnin go saints tries to foist onto gobbgodbV e n liardiliarxiiiarzirouoriozi the origitoriginoriginatorslatorsgators of theth movement his own bittbitobifteintssbittetnessbitternessetnesseuness boardtoardboarotoaro mormonism edtsdwr1or W tllideellideTl lidee gives a moremorcobjective accounlaccoimlaccount of thetilc codbeit3godbelt3 hiscohistoryy in his works alchaichalthofalthohlahl1h there are inaccuracicinaccuraciccc his