History: Utah Elites Push Same Anti Liberty Agenda of Original Communists

An Enemy Hath Done This
The enemy within is always far more dangerous than an invading force. The Savior taught this principle when He said in Matthew 7:15,

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

We’ve documented before the movement to change the culture in Utah, with the goal to merge with the anti-liberty sentiments of the United States. Every time the enemies of liberty tried to attack from the outside, the people of Utah were even more determined to stand up for their rights. It was the attack from the inside that was most dangerous.

The Attack of the Godbeites
Since the United Sates had rejected the Constitution, the Mormons were forced to flee and start their own society where the principles of the Constitution could be applied to all. The Latter-day Saints were now looking for a place where they could be both politically, as well as economically, independent and self sufficient.

One influential Mormon, William Godbe, didn’t like these ideas and worked to get the people of Utah to adopt policies of dependency. His followers were called “Godbeites” and though most people today have never heard of him or his tactics and philosophies, his influence and ideology are felt to this day.

History books tell us the Godbe movement only lasted a couple of years and went away into the ashes of history. This claim, as we will show, is about as true as saying the Illuminati doesn’t exist or that communism is dead. Just because you change your name doesn’t mean you don’t exist.

Godbe was a follower of Robert Owen, one of the true founders of communism and the man credited with coining the term “socialism”. Owen later inspired Karl Marx & Fredrick Engels. Owen also believed, like communists in our day, that all of society’s ills are caused by religion. For Godbe, to claim to be a follower of Christianity and follow a man who stood against religion in general, at best put Godbe in a position of “serving two masters”. The Savior taught that one who serves two masters, becomes a hater of one of those “masters”. Godbe became a hater of the people he claimed to be a part of.

When William Godbe immigrated to Utah from England, he began trying to bring the ide-as and culture of the intellectuals and mystics of the east. Godbe opposed agrarianism as well as political and economic independence, which was at the core of Utah life. God-beism involved religious conspiracy, séances, and apparitions. His home was a regular gathering place for the city’s upper class to engage in the use of ouija boards. Godbe promoted illuminist ideas of the time under the name of “reason”, the “law of progress” and even the term we use today of “progressive”.

After visiting a theosophist fortune teller in New York, Godbe and an associate were told by an apparition that the scriptures could not be trusted. These spirits did not like Brigham Young and his “Zion”. This helped shape the actions of Godbe and his followers for years to come.

Godbeites Team up With US Army to Attack Utah
In 1869, the US Army was planning to invade Utah a second time. Vice president of the Unit-ed States, Schuyler Colfax, came to Utah and met extensively with William Godbe and others that he hoped to rally to the support of his cause to invade Utah once again.

Godbe and his associates then revealed their plans of a “secret” “revolution”, which they now resolved to push forward. They urged Colfax to ease off his push for invasion so they could work more “conservative, peaceful [and] necessarily slow” changes within the culture of the people. Godbe promised that it would be more effective if they were to bring this change about from within. An outward battle would unify the people of Utah against merging with the culture that had persecuted and made war against them for so long.

Thomas Brown Holmes Stenhouse, author, drunkard, and a wife beater, was another voice for internal attacks as an effective way for anti liberty advocates to have their way. Stenhouse added his influence for a division between the people and their religious leaders which he, with Godbe, would help bring about.

The Godbeites said their changes could only happen if the government let it alone except to protect the “New Movement” as they called themselves. Vice President Colfax pledged the support of the federal government.

Economic Changes
One major internal conflict the Godbeites helped push was with the economic independence of the people. Immediately, local businessmen refused to cooperate with Brigham Young and his push for economic independence and self sufficiency. The businessmen rejected the push towards a mercantile cooperation. Another program that leaders of the day were pushing in order to help build a self sufficient and economically independent culture was getting businesses to narrow the cost/sale gap to help make it easier for the poor pioneer’s to get ahead. Instead, under Godbe’s direction, businesses increased the cost/sale margins as an act of defiance.

Through their newspapers, Godbeites pushed the idea that Utah must compete nationally and needed to get away from bartering and merge completely into the debt system of the banks. They urged the need to put the territorial economy into the American mainstream.

Immigration to Change the Culture
The next move for the New Movement to change the culture was to increase the amount of people in Utah who were entrenched into the banking system. Working with the feds, the New Movement insured the railroad would come through Utah using mining as the catalyst.

A Warning Followed by Greed
Governor Brigham Young warned the people of Utah that a “great and secret” rebellion was underway that he predicted would “shake the entire church.”
Instead of heeding the warning, the people (based on the Godbeite writings promising riches by bringing in miners from the east) ignored Brigham because of the “saints” cherished hopes that the mines might be the means of making them rich.

Propaganda Arms
Prominent LDS and non LDS businessmen teamed up together to start newspapers to under-mine the culture. One newspaper they funded was called, Peep O’Day. It’s motto was “Truth, Art, Science and Immorality”. Another newspaper they founded was the Utah Magazine, which after several incarnations, became what is today the Salt Lake Tribune. Joseph Fielding Smith wrote that,

“The Nauvoo Expositor was holy writ compared to the Salt Lake Tribune. It had been justly said of this sheet that it was brought into the world to lie and was true to its mission” -Essentials in Church History page 447

But Godbeism Died Out…
Historians tell us that Godbeism “died out by the 1880s”. However, when looking at their goals and beliefs, the claim that they died out is like saying the Illuminati ceased to exist after ten years and Communism died in 1989. The principles espoused by Godbe and his followers follow exactly along with the goals of the conspiracy we outlined in our booklet, “Utah’s Secret Combinations”. These same conspirators continued to be promoted by the Liberal Party and the Utah Loyal League in the 1800’s and the Alta Club and Buckshot Caucus today.

Why it Matters Today
Since history repeats itself, understanding history is essential to learn from the mistakes of the past so we don’t repeat them. Or, we can learn from the successes of the past so that we can follow them again. What was evil trying to dissuade us from? What is evil trying to get us to do? Since the conspiracy is very clever with mixing truth and error to fool us into thinking we are doing good, understanding their goals will help us to reject their plans no matter how they are repackaged.

All the goals and principles of Godbe and his followers is another link from the international conspiracy directly to its implementation here in Utah. Since we face a Satanic conspiracy, we know that just because one actor in the program dies, does not mean that the pro-gram ends. Today, Governor Herbert and the legislature tout the “economic prosperity” of Utah through the debt system and bringing more people into Utah that do not understand the heritage and culture of liberty. That is EXACTLY what Godbe was promoting. Under-standing that will help us become inoculated against the siren call of prosperity over liberty and independence. Godbe was a socialist/communist promoting financial prosperity through the debt system. Ezra Taft Benson explained that,

“According to Marxist doctrine, a human being is primarily an economic creature. In other words, his material well-being is all important; his privacy and his freedom are strictly secondary.” Proper Role of Government

As we’ve said before, these are not just “political differences” that we can “compromise” on. These are the programs of the evil one meant to enslave us all. When we compromise on these issues, we allow the program laid out in the Communist Manifesto of “small means and measures” that “outstrip themselves” and “necessitate further inroads” against our liberty. The enemies of freedom do not come up with any new ideas. Understanding the history and their connections to today will help us to not be on the defensive, but will enable us to cut them off before they are able to make any additional significant inroads. We must not fall for this satanic teaching of putting our greed above our liberty.

To learn more about these networks, their plans and organizations, pick up our booklet “Utah’s Secret Combinations“.

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