Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1857-03-21

ses otherwise they shall hearken unto these thiags For
pehold, the Lord have the and heard the
mourning Of the of people in the land Of eru
sem yea and in all the lands Of my people, because the
ickedness and denominations of their husbands And will
hot suffer- saith the Lord of hosts the cries of the fair
daughters of this people, which have led out of the land of
jerusalem shall up unto against the of
e saith the Lord Of hosts for they shall not lead
captive the daughters of people, because of their tender
ess save shall visit thep with cuse even unto de-
truction for they shall not whoredoms like unto
hem Of old, saith the Lord of hosts."-Page 124.
All this would to be sufficiently explicit and
to be remembered that according their own theory
ormonism does not permit revelations to contra
let the old In the g Mormon of January 81, 1851
which p p Pratt, of the twelve apostles, contri
utesn short account of the faith of the Mormons
stated:
eve believe in the Bible the Book of Mormon. and in
living and continued revelation but believe that
hew revelation will contradict the DID,"
But years after the ormons had been suspected and
accused Of polygamy, and as it is fully known not
wrongfully, they met the charge with positive and
plump denial by publishing the following ordinance:
All legal contracts Of marriage before person is
bsped into this church should be held sacred and fulfilled
Inasmuh this Church of Christ has reproached with
the crime of fornicaton and poygamy declare that
believe that should have wife and
but one husband, except DEATH when either at
liberty to marry again
Out of their own mouths let them be condemned
Tried by their code the Lord of hosts vsit
them with sore curse even unto destruction
Notwithstanding the presentations collectively and in
dyiduay for no Mormon admits, when away from the
land OF Zlon that he has than wife, is now
declared openly that the plurality doctrine the Bless
ing Of Abraham Isaac and jacob was revealed to Jo
seph Smith, r, the prophet seer, and reveator, on
The 18th day of July A. D. lS43 It was arfuIly con-
ced though Joseph had it is now reported not less
sil56 forty wives, many of whom subsequently became
tn hepmates pf brother Brigham for supplying taber
n9cl6 10 those noble spirits that have been waiting
for thousands of years. and which He the Lord design
I'd should come forth through these my faithful servants
call attention to discourse by Elder Orson Pratt Au-
gust 49, 1852, and the first have found which ayows
the doctrine From this take single extract more as
follows:
the globe that believe in the wife system the other
fhs believe in the doctrine of plurality wives They
have had it handed down from time mmemoral
half narrow and contracted in their minds of the
nations of Europe and America who have done away with
the promises and deprived themselves the blessings
ham, Isaac, and jacob
In order that it may be seen how polygamy is
tempted to be hedged in and barrcaded by law in the
very citadel of the church, will give the chief sections
Of the act Incorporating the church from Territorial Laws
of Utah, page lO3:
Sec Be IL ordained By the General Assembly of the
State of Desere That all that portion of the inhabitants of
said State which hereafter NAV become residents
therein, and which known and istin guished as The
Church of Jesus Christ of LatteDay Saints hereby in
coporaed constituted made and declared body corporate
with perpetual succeson under the original name and stye
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Day Saints as
organized with full power and authority and be
defend and be defended in all the law or equity in
this State to establish order and regulate worship and hold
and occupy real and personal estate and have use
seal, which they may alter at pleasure
&c., B. And be 1t further ordained That as said church
holds the constitutional and original right common with
civil and religious communities, to worship God accord
to the dictates of conscience reverence communion
eeably to the principles of TRUTH and soemnize
ge compatible with the revelations of Jesus Christ for the
security and full enjoyment of all blessings privileges
embodied in the religion of Jesus Christ free all
that said church does shall and enjoy
continually the power and authority in and ITSELF to orgi
nate make and establish rules regulations ordinances
laws CUSTOMS and crerons for the good order safety gov
ernment convenences comfort and church.
and for the punishment forgiveness of all oense relative
to fellowship according to church that the pur
suit OF bliss and the enjoyment of m every capacity
public association and domestic happiness temporal expan
questioned Provided, hoeru That each and every
practice established adopted law or easom shall
relate to solemnes sacramen ceremonies, eerations
endowments fittings, marriages fellowship. or igious
duties of man to his Maker; nasmuch the do prn-
clpies practices, performances support virtue
Constitution of the United States or Of - ID are
founded in the revelations of the Lord"
Sec And be urther ordoined Thatsaid church shall
keep every full organized branch stake registry
marriages, births and Deaths free for the inspection of all
members and for their benefit.
sec g. And Be it further ordained That the presidency
said church shall fill all vacancies of the assistant
necessary be filed until superseded by the conference
said church"
On these provisions hang all the law and prophets of
Territorial enactmens subject revision by Con-
grsss unless exercise the power reserved u.s. while
they remain the statutes of Utah we are parps
minis They have our tacit approval for they
main laws only so long as do not dsapprove of them
There is latent ambiguity in the phraseology of
poral expansion spiritual increase because it
vded that eyery act practice established by the
incorporated church) adopted for law CUSTOM -
which relates to marriages may not be legally ques
toned" The General Assembly of the Territory of Utah
has incorporated church, which presdes
with nsolen and algraspng power, with authority
to establish the practice of poygamy and not legally
questioned therefor Now, submit that we not only
have the power but it is eminenty proper that
else it by disappearing of and annulling this act
1t is to be noted that the Mormon faith as expounded
by Brigham Young, is, that God and Adam and
the same person. He says: /" When our father Adam
into the garden of Eden he into it with
lesal body, and brought Eve, of his wives, with
him.. Also that "Jesus elder brother, was begot-
in the flesh by the character that was in the
garden of Eden, and who is Father in Heaven. y
They also assert wide of Grant, August 1858
that Jesus Christ poygams the sisters of Lazarus
being his wives and that it for this he suffered
persecution This will help to explain the phraseology
| of the church charter.
From all these statutes from all the teachings forth
in the Mormon tabernacle from all the evidences within
reach is clear that ecclesiastical hierarchy
lists in Utah. with plenitude Of power greater than
that which to-day be exercised by the Pope of Rome
Its grasp is merciless and far selfish than
Plus TX would dare to attempt the miserable azza-
ron of Italy Whatever of similitude may exist in many
respects it would be beous upon Catholicism charge
that Catholics claim the prerogatives for their church
which claimed by the Latter Day Saints for the Nor
mon church-commencng with fittings, to be evad-
by the poorest daylaborer; continued by monopoly
of land, wood, and water privileges; sweed in its
rent by the waits esrays and escheats incident and
rved to the rights of property the whole wealth of
the Territory present and future threatening be final
ly and wholly absorbed by the church and its dgnita-