[This material was taken directly from an old book printed
in 1920 by R.C. Evans. You should read the Preface which
presents his reasons making this material available to the public. Page numbers from the
original book are indicated in brackets.]
[page 145] This Order is a mysterious affair, under which
each member of the church is commanded to join, if he would secure salvation in the
celestial splendours of the Kingdom of God; he must deed over to the President of the
Order, who is the Presiding Bishop of the church, all his property of every kind and
character, with a "deed and covenant that cannot be broken." This property
whether it is real estate or money, bank notes, bonds, insurance, farm implements, or
jewelry, cows, hens, household goods or clothing, All must be deeded over, and then
the Bishop will give you a deed of what he considers shall be your inheritance. This
is said to be a little home, which of all your property you may have deeded to them, is
the only part you may claim if you should leave, or be expelled from the church.
In a word, as explained by the good Bishops, when you are
born into this world, you arrive with absolutely nothing in your possession, but life When
you are born again into the Kingdom of God (which is the Mormon Church) you must start
with absolutely nothing, but life. If you possess anything, it must be deeded over, that
all starting on the same plane, may become stewards unto God, He being the
proprietor of all, and it is clearly stated that if a member of the society dare to make
claim that they own anything, no matter if you have deeded over millions, you are at once
placed under the curse, which (according to the revelations through Joseph Smith,
which will be quoted in this article) may be inflicted by those appointed to do the cursing.
After deeding all your property over, and you
receive your inheritance, you go to work, but not for yourself, but the Order of Enoch,
and you must make an inventory every year or month as required, and after taking out your
living, the few or many dollars saved above bare living expenses, must be accounted for
and handed over to the authorities of the Order.
The greatest blessing and honour you receive for all this
deeding over to the Order, is that you receive a New Name, and an inheritance in
Zion.
The history of this mysterious Order is a long, sad one.
Many gave their all, got their new name, and finding out the wickedness of Mormonism,
denounced it and fled for their lives to escape the curse. According to leading men who
have left the church many failed to make their escape, and suffered the vengeance
of the Destroying Angels, called the Danites.
The Organization of The Order of Enoch.
[page 146] The Lord, through Joseph Smith, is supposed to
command Bishop Edward Partridge, in May 1831, to organizer this Order. The person joining
the Order is distinction distinctly informed as follows: "When he shall appoint a man
his portion give unto him a writing that shall secure unto him his portion, that he shall
hold it, even this right and this inheritance in the church until he transgresses
and is not accounted worthy to belong to the church. He shall not have power to claim that
portion which he has consecrated unto the Bishop–therefore, he shall not retain the
gift, but shall only have claim on that portion that is deeded unto him." Doc. and
Cov., 51, 1.
A more extended description of this Order is given
by revelation to Joseph Smith, from which we quote the following: "I give unto
you, to prepare and organize yourselves by a bond or everlasting covenant that cannot be
broken." The Order is called "Permanent and everlasting establishment and Order
unto My church–the salvation of man and the Glory of God–and if ye will
that I give unto you a place in the celestial world ye must prepare yourselves by
doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you." In this revelation
Joseph Smith receives two new names. He is called Enoch and then Gazelam.
Others also received their new name, Joseph secures other names later, to which reference
will be made. Doc. and Cov. 77, 1-2.
Perhaps I may right here show the secrecy of this Order in
granting new names to Smith and others and even to houses, factories and towns, and to
cover up and deceive those who are not numbered with the elect.
- Joseph Smith is called Baurak Ale, Enoch, Gazelam.
Doc. and Cov., pages 196, 270, 271, 274, 276, 282 and 283.
- Newel K. Whitney is called Ahashdah. Doc. and Cov.,
pages 196, 243, 275.
- Sidney Rigdon is called Baneemy. Doc. and Cov., page
283.
- Martin Harris is called Mahemson. Doc. and Cov.,
page 274.
- Oliver Cowdery is called Olihah. Doc. and Cov.,
pages 274-275.
- Sidney Rigdon received another pretty name,
Pelagorim. D. C. pages 196, 274.
- Joseph Smith received a fourth name-Seth. Page 244.
- John Johnson is called Sombre. D. C. pages 244, 274,
275.
- The City of New York is called "Cainhannoch," D.
C., page 279.
- Kirtland is called "Shinehah." D. C. page 276.
- For the word "Print" read Shinelah. D. C,.
page 277.
- For the word "Printing" read Shinelane. D. C.
page 278.
- For "Shule" read Ashery. D. C. page 270.
- The Kirtland Tannery was called "Tanhanes." D. C.
page 274.
- The Printing House was called "Lane-shine-house."
D. C. page 274.
- The store was called "Ozondah." D. C. page 274.
- Dollars were referred to as "Talents." D. C. page
278.
- Frederick G. Williams was called
"Shoderlaomach." D. C. page 235-274.
{page 147] We will leave these mysterious names of the
faithful while the reader ponders over the question, why all this secrecy in the
Mormon Order of Enoch. Perhaps the full reasons may not be known till that which is done
in secret will be revealed upon the housetop.
All Must Join the Order For Salvation-Those Who Fail
Will Be Cursed, And All Property Must Be Deeded To The Order Without Reserve.
"Organize yourselves by a bond or everlasting covenant
that cannot be broken. If ye will that I give you a place in the celestial kingdom."
D. C. 77, 1, 2.
"Inasmuch as they have more than is needful for their
necessities and their wants it shall be given unto my storehouse. Behold, this is what the
Lord requires of every man in his stewardship, and behold none are exempt from this law
who belong to the Church of the Living God." D. C. 70, 2,-3.
"Therefore, verily I say unto you, it is expedient
that my servants be bound together by a bond and a covenant that cannot be broken by
transgression except judgment shall immediately follow-that every man may improve
upon his talents, yea, even an hundredfold to become the common property of the whole
church." D. C. 81, 4.
"I give unto you counsel and a commandment concerning
all the properties which belong to the Order, which I commanded to be organized, for the
Salvation of men. Therefore, in as much as some of my servants have not kept the
commandment but have broken the covenant I have cursed them with a very sore and grievous
curse, for I the Lord have decreed in my heart that inasmuch as any man belonging to the
Order shall be, found a transgressor, or in other words, shall break the covenant with
which ye are bound he shall be cursed in this life, and shall be trodden down by
whom I will." D. C. 101, 1.
In this same revelation Joseph Smith and many other
leaders received their inheritances, and their new names figured largely, and as Smith had
several names, his inheritance was a splendid one." D. C. 101, 3-8.
"Behold all these properties are mine or else your
faith is vain, and ye are found hypocrites, and the covenants which ye have made
unto me are broken, and if the properties are Mine then ye are stewards, otherwise
ye are not stewards, and all moneys that you receive in your stewardship by
improving upon the properties which I have appointed unto you in houses or in lands or
in cattle or in all things, shall be cast into the treasury as fast as you receive
moneys by hundreds or by fifties or by twenties or by tens, for it shall not be called his
nor any part of it." D. C. 101, 10-l2
"If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all
my commandments and behold thou shalt consecrate all thy properties that thou hast with
a deed that cannot be broken, and it shall come to pass that the Bishop of my church
after that he has received the properties of my church that it cannot be taken from the
church, he shall appoint [page 148] every man a steward over his own property, or that
which he has received, inasmuch as is sufficient for himself and family."
The above revelation was given to Joseph Smith, Feb. 1831.
It is found in the Book of Commandments, chapter 44, page 75, and caused many to leave the
church, so in the Doc. and Cov. it is found as section 42, page 78, with some material
changes. In place of reading "All thy properties," it is made to read "of
thy properties." But this contradicts all the rest of the revelations, and when one
of the Elders preaching a sermon published in Zion's Ensign for July 5th, 1917,
quoting the original revelation, comments upon it as follows:
"It says here that they should consecrate all that
they have, not a portion, not come up and consecrate something that you cannot use
yourself, something that you can get along without, but God requires that you shall
give it all to him, and then you are to receive back from the Bishop that which is
necessary to support yourself and families, and then if he is able to make an increase,
take that and bring forth a residue that in turn is to be given into the storehouse."
Zion's Ensign, July 5, 1917.
The above is in keeping with what Joseph Smith wrote upon
the subject: "A man is bound by the law of the church to consecrate to the Bishop
before he can be considered a legal heir to the Kingdom of Zion, and this too
without constraint, and unless he does this he cannot be acknowledged before the Lord
on the church books." Reorganized Church Hist., Vol. 1, page 300.
The above is in keeping with all the revelations and
church resolutions on the subject, and we quote one more which was given in answer to
prayer: "Verily, thus saith the Lord, I require all their surplus property to
be put into the hands of the Bishop of Zion, for the building of mine house, and for the
laying the foundation of Zion, and for the priesthood, and for the debts of the
Presidency of my church." Doc. and Cov. 106, 1.
This last revelation was given some time before Smith was
killed, and the Order of Enoch received a rude shock at his death. While the Utah Mormon
Church went to Salt Lake and continued to take the money from the people, the
Reorganized Church was a little careful along money matters and for years young Joseph
Smith had little to say regarding the Order of Enoch, indeed the Lord seemed to be a
little doubtful of young Joseph and the money question, as would seem from the following
revelation which the Lord is said to have given through the young prophet.
"When I said unto mine Apostles, 'The Twelve will
take measures in connection with the Bishop, to execute the law of tithing and let them
before God see to it that the temporal means so obtained is truly used for the purpose of
the church, and not as a weapon of power in the bands of one man for the oppression of
others, or for the purpose of self-aggrandizement by anyone, be he whomsoever he may be, the
one whom I had, called to preside over the church had not yet approved himself unto the
scattered flock, and I gave this command unto the quorum [page 149] next in authority
in spiritual things that the scattered ones and those who had been made to suffer,
might have assurance that I would not suffer that he whom I had called should
betray the confidence of the faithful, nor squander the moneys of the treasury for the
purpose of self." D. C. 122, 5.
Two point are made apparent in this revelation. First,
that the contention made in this paper is true, in that the leaders of the church in the
past had robbed the people and taken the money for themselves, as all the history proves;
and second, that the Lord was not sure at the time but what young Joseph Smith, the
Prophet of the Reorganized Church, might follow in the wake of his father and the other
leaders of the people of the old church. Be that as it may, the facts are the Prophet of
the Reorganized Church had little to do with money matters for many years, and the Order
of Enoch was almost a forgotten method of robbery but in the weak and declining years of
Joseph Smith, when he became almost stone deaf and was totally blind, the Order of Enoch
was revived by revelation through him, but even then it was a poor, weak thing for years,
but after the young, strong son of Joseph Smith took his father's place, the Order of
Enoch sprang into prominence and at the last conference that I attended, April, 1918, I
attended nine meetings of the Order of Bishops and one of the General Conference, in which
all the priesthood discussed the Order of Enoch. The church is fast adopting all the
terrors of the old order and there has been sent out by the Presiding Bishop many letters
urging the people to comply with the law, and some are doing it. This is one last
straw that compelled me to resign from the church. I opposed the action in the council of
Bishops, and of course was reported to the young Prophet, I refused to make my inventory
and hand over my property, nor would I teach others that they must do so, and of course I
was not considered sound in the faith and was a poor Bishop.
In conclusion I submit part of a lengthy 'Questionnaire'
sent out to the membership of the church in all the world. Strange to say the Bishop did
not send them to Toronto, nor to me, but I soon received one and when written to, to
comply, I refused to do so.
You are requested to make a complete report of all
things concerning yourself and every member of your family, the physical defects of
yourself, wife, daughters and sons must be explained to the good Bishop. The name,
sex, age, number of the family, what kind of work they what wages they earn; you must
report what fuel, food, water, rent, fire-insurance and other kinds of insurance, taxes,
clothing and doctor bills you have to pay yearly; you must tell what property you have,
every lot and farm, whether it belongs to yourself or you got it in marriage from your
wife, you must give size of lot or farm, tell of all city or country property in your
possession, if country land, you must tell if it is timbered, fruit, grass, waste,
cultivation; if rented, how much rental you receive; if city property, you must give
location, size, value, and state, street improvements if any; you must give full account
of money in bank, or in your pocket, mortgages, loans, interest on loans, [page 150]
stocks and bonds; you must give a complete account of how many shovels, rakes, hoes, plows
and every other farm implement on the farm; you must tell how many hens, cows, horses,
hogs and every other animal on the place ; you are compelled to describe the size and
number of houses, and sheds, pig-stys and barns on each farm; you must tell about every
wheelbarrow, wagon, auto, describe their value; you are to describe your jewelry,
household goods, tell how many bedroom sets you have, chairs and tables and every other
article you own must be described and valued.
This large sheet, of which I have but given a part, is
sent to every member, and he with all these revelations about cursing and salvation
depending upon your faithfulness or otherwise, is stirring up the people to fever heat.
If you can find a more complete document to take away a
person’s liberty, independence, manhood, or womanhood; if you know of any church
demand made upon the privacy of husband, wife, son or daughter; if you have heard of any
ancient or modern method of taking away human liberty than the revelations of the Mormon
Church, concluding with this inventory issued by the Reorganized Church, I
have failed to hear of, or find it, and therefore this part, with every other part of
Mormonism I am compelled to denounce.
Chapter 10: Alleged Proofs
That The Book of Mormon Is of Divine Authenticity
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