The National tribune., 1882-09-09
THE MORMONS DEFIANT,
An Address to the Latter.Day Saints from th
Elders

| H' w 1o Ahttct'DdS DbiHtS IrOm I1e
| Elders.
| Inc following is the substance Of the address
issued to the Latter-Day Saints by the Mormon
leaders, John Taylor, George Q. Cannon, and
Jos. F. Smith: "There have been many times
IN our past history when great e1isencies have
arisen, and it has been the imperative duty of
the frst presidency of the Church of Jesus
CHRIST OF Latter-Day Saints to give plain and
| pointed counsel to the people over whom in the
providence of God they have been called to
| preside. A condition of affairs exists at the
| present time which makes it eminently proper
that we, as the first presidency of the church,
| should address you this epistle The Edmunds
law, designed for the repression and destruction
OF portion Of your religion by disfranchising
all persons in the Territory or other places
over which the United States have exclusive
jurisdiction, who had adopted in obedience to
the requirements of their religion the princi-
pie OF celestial marriage became the law Of the
land on March p, 1882 AS the law required,
five commissioners, selected by the President
and confirmed by the Senate, were sent to this
Territory to enforce its provisions. As church,
we have repeatedly testified in the most sol
which the law:is aimed at has been revealed
to US by the Almighty, and that it is part of
our religion; that it is interviewer with our
dearest and holiest hopes connected with eter-
nifty, and that not from any lustful motives but
because we believe we should incur the eternal
displeasure of our Heavenly Father if we did
not comply with its requirements. We have
espoused this doctrine. 1t has been argued by
those who are ignorant of the true nature OF
this doctrine, and how inseparably connected
it is with all our hopes of eternal happiness in
that world beyond the tomb, that this is not a
part of our religion, that this system of mar
fiage Is not religion, that it Is an immoral and
odlous practice that is shocking to the religious
sense Of the nation and to the civilization of
our age, and that legislation framed for its re-
preston and e1tirpation should be enacted
The Federal Legislature has therefore passed
this act, and the Federal Executive has affixed
to 1t his signature. In regard to our religion
or our eternal covenants we have no compro-
misc to make nor principle to barter away.
They emanate from God, and are founded upon
the rock of eternal ages. They will live and
exist when empires, powers, and nations shall
crumble and decay, and with the help of the
Almighty we will guard sacredly our covenants
and maintain our interest, and be true to our
God while time exists or eternity endures. Let
rs guard we'll our franchise, and in one un-
broken phalanx maintain and sustain our po-
htical status, and as patriots and freemen ope-
rate together in defense of what few liberties
are left to us-in the defense of the Constitu-
ton and in the defense of the inalienable rights
OF man, which rights always exist and are above
and before all constitutions-and thus perpetu-
ate to postcrity the nestmable blessings of free
dom, including the right to live, the right to be
free, and the right to pursue happiness unmo-
leSted by any influence, power, or combination"
This illumination is said to have been caused
by the commissioners prescribing an oath for
those who are to testify, in which they are re-
quired to swear or affirm as follows |" / do
further solemnly swear Tor affirm that I am
not bigamist nor polygamist; that am not
aviolator of tt" laws of the United States pro-
hibiting oiga1ny or polygamy; that 1 do not
live or cohabit with more than one woman in
marriage relation, nor does any relation exist
between and any woman which has been
ltered into in violation Of or is a continuance
OF violation of said laws of the United States
prohibiting bigamy or polygamy, and (if a wo-
many that [ am not the wife of poygamist,
nor have I entered into relation with any
man in violation of the laws of the United
States concerning polygamy or bigamy."