The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-09-19
BISHOP sHARP's CASE.

The question, What will Bishop
Sharp dot" that has been asked so
many times during the past four or FIVE
months. was answered by the gentle
man himself yesterday in the District
Court A full account of the proceed
ings appears in the local columns of
THE HERALD, together with the Bishops
statement that was read to the Judge.
Ever since Bishop Sharp was indicted
for unlawful cohabitation, much
interest has been manifested in
his case, to-h in and out
Of Utah. His prominence in
the church and his connection and
nigh standing with the railway interests
of the west, have caused him to be as
well known, perhaps, both at home and
abroad, as any living Mormon, hence
the attention that his case has attracted,
and the comment thatE will now excite.
The Bishop went into Court, entered
plea of guilty to the charge in
the indictment, and while assert
ing his belief in the divinity of
the plural wife system as accepted
and practiced by him. announced
that he had abandoned the relation,
and promised that hereafter, until a
larger. degree Of religious liberty is al
lowed. he will obey the law which de-
clares polygamy a crime. The Chief
Justice, following what has become pre-
cedent in his Court. imposed fine only
as punishment, foregoing the infiction
of Imprisonment as a part of the SEN
tence.
Various will be the opinions formed
and expressed regarding Bishop Sharp's
course. Some will look upon it as an
abandonment of a part of his
religious faith, and others will
commend it as wise and proper.
With religionists questions are ever arts
ing that each must decide ter himself,
and we must regard the matter that
presented itself to Bishop Sharp as one
of those questions. What he should do |
and promise, and what ne should not I
do and not promise, were entirely af- /
fairs OF his own; his heart and his con-
science were alone to be consulted; if |
he has satisfied them-as everybody
who knows Bishop Sharp will concede
he has-he has done his whole duty to
himself.
We repeat that this question of
what man under such cir
cumstanees should do, is a matter
that each individual will have to de-
termine for himself, no one being able
to mark Outa course for another and
satisfy the conscience of that other.
What would content Bishop Sharp, and
be approved by his intelligence, religious
convictions and the sentiments OF his
heart, might not be acceptable and sat
isfactory to others, Just as what others
have done was not approved by his con-
science.
THE HERALD deeply deplores the
condition of things which places Bishop
Sharp and so many OF his fellow-re-
ligionists in the unhappy position, of
having to declare themselves before
judge who hates their religion as much
as he delights in humiliating men who
are at least his equals in the matters of
virtue and morality; but this sad con-
dltion exists, and while it continues we
hope every man who is subjected to the
ordeal win come forth, as we believe !
Bishop Sharp has done, with clear
and satisfied conscience, consciousin his
own heart of having done his duty to |
himself and to his ideas of religious
consistency and propriety.