Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-22
How 1t Is Received.

following to say editorially concerning thu
course of Bishop Sharp in promising tt
obey the law. Perhaps it is needless t.
| say that the Herald is strongly ortho
dox Mormon paper, and its utterances OF
this special subject may he looked upor
as semi-official:
1.-THE unexpected pleading OF Guilty
OF unlawful cohabitation which Bishop
John Sharp entered before the Third Dis
trict Court in Salt Lake City on the 18th
instant has made something OF sensa
ton throughout Utah. Bishop
John Sharp has long been prominently
identified with the Mormon church
Through the favor OF the Almighty he
has been blessed with wonderful success
Riches, honors, and the universal respect
of all who knew him were the rewards
which he had won by noble career Of
industry, rectitude and devotion to his re-
ligion. But in the life of every conspic-
uous man there comes great decisive
crisis which either crowns him with
everlasting glory. or blights his life
sadly, according to the way in
which he meets the great issue be-
fore him. In our opinion Bishop John
Sharp has lost the grand opportunity OF
all his life time. 1t may perhaps be said
that he has done nothing worse than to
acknowledge the supremacy OF mans
laws over the laws of Omnipotence, and
his act in pleading guilty to the charge of
cohabitation with his wives. and his
promise to obey the Edmunds law in
the future and to abstain from advising
others to practice cardinal tenet of his
religion may be and truly is greatly pal
lated by circumstances. Nevertheless
he can in no wise be justified If we are
to accept the sacred dictates of the Bible,
which even all the Christian world pro-
fesses to believe, it cannot be denied that
God intended that His word should be
the law OF man and that all human legis-
lative enactments should be based
upon Holy Writ; or in other
words, that the world is to conform
to the Bible and not the Bible to the
world. Whoever, therefore, places the
law OF man above the revealed law of
God and yields passively to the enforce
ment OF human enactment which is in
direct conflict with the law of God, errs
grievously, although he may be consci-
entious in so doing. That Bishop Sharp
has thus erred seems clear; for by stating
that he will obey the Edmunds law "until
an overruling Providence shall decree
greater religious federation in the land"
he tacitly admits that the Edrnunds law
is unjust and in violation with the sacred
tenets OF his God-given religion. But in
extenuation OF the Bishops error in this
particular there is much to be said.
He is now venerable with the frost
OF years, and six months imprison-
ment in the Utah Penitentiary, consider
ing his present condition of ill-health.
would probably have dragged him speed
lily into premature grave. He has also
large business interests which would suf-
fer without his constant attention, and
many other circumstances doubtless
had much weight in influencing his
action. But all this does not Justify him.
Ii he had not wavered, his course would
have been proportionally the more Illus
trlous by reason of the very great weight
Of the cross which he would have been
compelled to bear for Christ's sake. God
mad blessed him with an abundance of
his worlds treasures and prospered him
beyond all ordinary measures. "To
whom much is given much is required |
But when the Almighty Ruler OF all |
luman destiny presented His draft John |
sharp failed to respond, albeit he never
ilshonored a draft OF any kind before un- !
il this was presented to him by the hand
II Persecution demanding imprisonment
md martyrdom on account OF the cause
VI God to whom he owed all things. AS
man Of ability and integrity we have
highly respected Bishop John Sharp per-
onally. His character, as we have un-
erstood it, has been above all reproach
nd study of his career has elected only
ur unqualified admiration, and we there
ore regret the more deeply that by one
questionable error he should now lose
n opportunity to round out and perfect
ls lie in undiminished splendor.
We do not see how any Mormon can
ford to place himself in Bishop John
harp's present position. His many yir-
les are worthy OF imitation, but the one
reat fault OF even an eminent man like
I'm should be a warning to all the faith
Il that they may avoid the rocky shoal +
here the strong and splendid craft is
randed when just about to enter the
arbor OF final safety after long and
rosperous voyage.