Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-05-23
The MORMON Doctrine Of Polygsmy.


Beehive, = and says in part: The
doctrine, to be completely stndieu.
must be considered both from the
mans point ofEview and the woman s,
the two being for many reasons, not
identical But it is The woman's view
cf 1t, her belief and position in regard
TO it, which arc most rnisrcprcsented
and misunderstood by tire world. Ii
the truth were known, there would be-
few persons in whose minds wonltI be
any sentiment except profound pity for
the Mormon wonran--pi.y, moreover,
intensified by admiration. There has
never been n class or sect OF women
since the world began who have endur-
ed for religious sake 1.-THE OF what
has been, and is, and forever must be,
endured by the women of the Mormon
Church. lit has become customary to
hold them as disreputable women, light
and loose, unfit TO associate with tho
virtuous, undeserving of any esteem
Never was greater injustice commit
ted. NH. IL :.5s +. I ...'''
This has been partly due, however,
to q mistake many enthusiastic Nor
mon women have themselves commit
ted, in trying to uphold the plural
marriage system-perhaps even to for
tify their own powers of endurance Of
it--by declaring that they were happy
in il; by not admit,ing that it entailed
sutferiuga pathetic and bootless de-
ceit! The most Intelligent among them
now make no such pretense.
Said one of them to me: i implor-
sd my own daughters, aud do the
same to all young women over whom
have influence. do not marry into
polygsmy, unless YOU are sure that re-
iigion is more to you than all else in
this world. Nothing else will enable
woman to endure the torture OF it, or
TO live up to tho prccepts OF the
church,: ~ -
lone Of my daughters, especially,
wept and prayed over, to keep her
out Of it. feared that it was beyond
the power of grace to SO modify her
natural temperament as to make the
life cndurablett to her.
"'Of course, it is nothing but selfish
ness in us which makes this torture.
And If we were wholly Christians and
good Mormons, we should rise above
that selishncss, and never have any
jealousy Or pain; but it is born in all Of
us, and there is no getting free from
1t.
"'We know that we are committing
sin everytime we have mn unkind feel
ing toward anybody, ---how much more
toward our husbands other wives, who
ought to be just like sisters to usI We
are no good Mormons if we do not live
ON kind and friendly terms with them;
but anybody that says it isn't terri
BILE suffering doesn't know Mormon
wonen-nor human nature either, I
should think. There are very few who
are fit to live in polygamy!' -
1.-The two doctrines which most help
the Mormon woman to endure the SUI
fering of living in plural marriage
are the doctrines of pre-existence and
of the eternal continuance of the pa
triarchal order. The mere revelation
from Joseph Smith, to the effect that
polygamy was to be permitted and was
praiseworthy and desirable. would
never, alone, have brought the Mormon
women TO hearty acceptance Of the iu-
stitution.
4'yhey are taught, and unqucstion-
ingly believe, that the universe is
full of spirits waiting, and waiting inn
patiently. to be born ON this earth.
These spirits have already passed
through one stage OF discipline and
probatiotA and are to enter upon q
second Que here. The Rev. Edward
Beccher once published q book setting
forth q similar doctrine. The Mormon
doctrine goes farther than DR.. Beech
er's, inasmuch as it teaehesjthat these
spirits may select of their own. will
where and how they will be born into
their earthly probation, and that They
ARE, one and all. anxious to be born in
the Mormon church, Us the one srue
Zion, where alone are to be found safe.
ssy and salvation. They also believe
that the time is limited during which
these spirits can avail themselves
of this privilege of being born into
: Zion. They look for the, return Of
Jesus Christ to The earth before long,
and for the establishment then of the
millennial dispensation, after which no
more Of the spirits can be-, reborn and
reclaimed Hence the obligation rest.
ing upon every faithful Mormon woman
to bring into the world, In the course
Of her life. as many children tas posi-
BE. Not only does she contribute to
the building up and strengthening OF
the true church, but she rescues souls
already existing and IN danger Of eter-
nal death. 1t is easy to sneer at this
doctrine as uncomfortable rubbish; and,
in truth, it must be admitted that 1t is
hard to conceive Of an educated mind
receiving it; but it is no more absurd
or unprorable than hundreds Of
kindred speculations and notions
which have been devised, preached,
[ and passionately, believed in times
! past. Neither has the absurdity or
non-absurdity, falsity or truth Of the
belief, anything to do with our judg-
!. ment Of its believers s 2s III sg.E,
II How They EOuild Oil FL