The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-12-10
Divine Services on Sunday
Afternoon Last.
TWO INTERESTING DISCOURSES
By Elder Royal B Young ana DisnoP
o. F. Whitney - Strong
Testimonies


with the choir singing the hymn:
Arise, o glo ious Zion,
Thou JOY of latter days
Opening prayer offered by Elder
Henry P. Richards, and the choir sang
another hymn:
Twas on that dark, aud solemn night
when powers OF earth and nell arose.
The priesthood of the Twenty-frst
Ward attended to the administration
Of the Sacrament.
ELpER ROYAL B. You've addressed the
congregation and said. am pleased to
be able to give a reason for the hope
that IS within me, and to say why 1 am
a Latter-day Saint. There are no peo'
pie on the face Of this earth, Tho are
better able to give a reason for that IN
which they believe than are the Latter
day Saints. II my experience have
met with people OF numerous religious
faiths, and the majority of them 1 find
prefer 10 leave the why's and whtrefores
Of religious matters entirely to their
ministers. This is one reason why 1
could not be a Christian in the general
acceptance by the world of that name.
If I am asked to believe anything, or to
subscribe to a code of laws, 1 must have
an understanding of it, and reason
for myself for 50 doing. One reason
ahy am Latter-day Saint is that my
parents we're of the same faith. and 1
knew nothing else in my childhood
days. Ny mother was a polygamous
wife. and therefore, 1 am a child of
polygamv. 7 am thoroughly satisfied
with nay belief, realizing that what was
good enough for my parents is good
enough for me. OF course there is
possibility for the parents to be wrong
and persons mistaken, but on this ques.
ton Of my faith aud belief, have
knowledge beyond any doubt. Never
in the history of this church did
greater necessity exist than to-day for
every enc to have a reason for their !
hone and belief. Never was there such
a feeling of enmity against the Latter
day Saints. | have proven my mothers
teachings TO be true, and [ cannot per-
NIT any authority to stand between me
and my God, IN the matter Of my hope
in eternal salvation. | stand at the de-
fance of the world TO diSprove that
Joseph Smith was inspired of God, who
revealed unto him the truths in which
I believe. Those who believe in the
Bible cannot refute the evidence. Some
people may question my position to-
day, as / am under Indictment for the
practice of plural marriage, but l am
not ashamed of that IN which l believe
and know 20 be true. The Bible de-
cIares that Abraham was the friend of
God, and again, that no adulterers can
gain admission into heaven. Believe in
the Scriptures, "For in them We think
We have eternal life, but these are they
which testify Of me-" Abraham, it de-
clares vas a man after Gods own heart,
and he was unqueStiOnaoly "pOlyga-
mist" or one who practiced plural mar
rage. Who shall say that the Lord
God is inconsistent, or that that is a
crime which He has countenanced and
sanctioned. God everywhere has con-
demned adultery, and blessed and ac-
noWledged plural marriage when
practiced according to His laws. I can
not, therefore, endorse the idea OF mod
ern Christendom, that plural marriage
is adultery, for such an idea is incon-
sistent with the Holy Scriptures. Jacob,
who conversed with God face toj face
is a notable instance of plural
marriage" having had four
wives. What argument can prove,
after reading the Scriptures.
other than the inevitable conclusion
that at that time at least. ''polygamy"
was not a crime. And if it was not a
crime with Abraham, Jacob, Moses,
David and many others, it is not now,
nor never can be crime with God He
has declared Himself to be unchange-
able, the saIue to-day, yesterday and
forever. The prophet Moses, the great
leader of Israel, was undoubtedly an
exemplary man, and if we take the
Scriptures as a guide, he was unques-
tionably ''pluralist, and had several
wives. The Scriptures are undoubtedly
an authority, and the Lord God would
not have cOuntenanced Moses II lit had
been a crime. He had twelve sons by
his four wives. It does not seem, and
cannot be consistent, that Abraham.
Moses. Jacob, and David aud others,
could enter into and dwell in the pres
ence OF God, If their practice of plural
marriage had been a crime. We cannot
do otherwise than endorse "plurality, y
and believe in the Bible. IF know
anything at all, if have an existence.
then [ know this principle iS~of God. 1t
matters not what other people NAV
think. or how they may sneer. 1t makes
no difference to the truth. Mormon
ism" is all true, every principle, or it is
a1false, either one thing or the other.
and we know it to be true All faithful
Saints claim to haYe- a knowledge of its
truth. Thousands can bear this testi-
nOny. Those who falter in their faith.
- become a living lie to the testimony
they have borne. ThaSe are exceeding
ly serious times and given an emporium
lty for men to pace themselves a. re-
cord. They are trying times; and I
pray that God will continue to give US
strength, that as our day our strength
may be. Ny testimony is that I know
that this is the church and kingdom of
God, We are opposed py ffty-6ve mil
lions OF people, and il may be that they
will yet use force Of armies to endeayor
TO compel US to rehounce our faith
ba5taruiZe our children, and make ms
treSses of our wives. Our United States
Judge says it is not the relation of the
sexes. or living with more women than
one, but the insisting upon acknowledge
ing them as our wives that VIII bring
upon US the wrath OF the fifty-fYe nil
lions III we are wrong we shall SIl ffa5.