The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-08-16
MORMON POLYGAMY.
Some Peculiar Views Ex-
pressed by a Non-Mormon.

Editors HeTGtd:
There has been much sad an
written first and last, about Utah
and the Mormons. When reading
these productions, 1 have frequently
felt ike writing something myself
1 was ..orn in Ohio In 1924. Forty
years Of my life was faithful az
herent of the Mormon religion For
the last twelve yeas it has been ny
misfortune THAI could not honestly
abide In my former faith, for tnls
time have not been member OF z
believer in their doctTiness but my
experience has given me the olpCf-
tunity to know all alb tut the people,
their religion snd their entire MS
tory. To my certain. knowledge
they have been, in many Respects
grossly misrepresentet and lieu
about. They are naturally a good
people. j.e., SO good as their religion
will let them be. They will COM
pare favorably with the balance OF
mankind. Their relig GUS tenets are
all strictly Bible doctrines; 10 IL
tellieent person will deny this.
Their claims to authority from God
may be 8 little more pronounced
than those OF some Of the Protestant
sects, but it is nothing more than
they all modestly mean to say that
they have authority from God. l am
perfectly willing that any person
NAV believe this that cantor me
I cannot do 1t, believe they are all
mistaken, honestly perhaps, but
still mistaken.
Iregard this warfare made upon
the Mormons as the result of relig-
lious jealousy, religious antipathy.
| In conversation with persons OPP
posed to the Mormons, have too
frequently aeked the question ssif
the Mormons will give up polyg
amy will that settle the hash? VIII
| the christian world then receive
them into their friendship ana fell
loWship % This has been invar.
Eiably answered in the negative. SO
| it seems there is something back Of
that; that is the eyesore or real
core of the controversy. The ncm'
Der of wives that a man has ano
provides for, or that provide fol
him, is not so much thu bone OF
) contention ss something back OF it,
But the great howl and Cry is polyg
anvil Well, L have had thrs'
wives my self, raised a family D.
each one, now mostly men ant
women, grown and respected a
good members of society. and seen
to be Is much attached to each othe
| as own brothers and sisters, and
have vet to gee that Natures law
have been so grieyously violated a
some pretend. I married thes
wives outside the limits of the Ter
rItory of the. United States. IL tn
wear 1S4S, fourteen years before th
passage of the law forbidding 1t
For this offense, without any hsar
ing, trialor conviction, myself an
WiVes, all citizens and taxpayers
have 6sen disfranchised. Whethe
we are yet to be fined and impilsone
or butchered, l cannot say; On
: thing can say, [ could not now %
sert and disown these faithft
wives and good children to accom-
! mediate public opinion or an act
d parliament. / must live and d.
with their affections and memo
rIes engraven on my hear
The Christian world can new
D make successful warfare again
d polygamy and the Moruaons, unit
D they first lay down aud discard tt
Bible as the word Of God. Tn
y perhaps would he too great a sacr
y Zee, but they should be consissen
they should not hold up the Bib
as the word Of God, and conden
those who rnesttine frely and strit
. ly adhere to and prectice its pii
q ciples. la
lam net an advocate of polygam
but would defend it against the
tacks of those who hold that t
Bible is a revelation from God. II
|, Mormons have tbs Bible On the
eide, most decidedly; besides. tn
y claim that plural marriage is an a
tidote against prostitution, mistre
n keeping and illegitimacy.
81 course Congress must be d2i
= something and 1t is AN easy mat
for them to declare any act GRIN
= but the real question is, whether
\. is sin against natures laws. TX
n-a is a serious violation ofnature's la
we we it will soon be sbaudoned and 20
ect demned ' every sensiDla man a
= woman. Take away the outs
*. pressure II m the Mormon Chur,
'~ leave il like bsrrei with the hoe
> knocked off, and everything wol
coon come right II is this per'
~y cution and outside pressure Il
7 keep it solid. = i.
Congress 1t, elf is msde the tool
the sectarian churches il iegisl
ng against The Mormons, and t
is regarded by them as pers ecuti'
. and defeats the objects desir
bring to b a al the combined v
: DOM and eff 1T OF the missions
power, all the education and mo
slssion that can be mustered.
dc leave peraecuuions, prisons, Pow
and lead out OF the controversy a
gether. Call away the commissi'
ers, give the moneS spent on tn
By 10 IngersoIl, Remsberg, Cheeny
OF Jamison and others, send them b
de- to talk t. the people and there =
per, be more accomplished in TIVE
Iseo months than could be in ten yt