The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-10-08

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damnatiOn, Or that Congress would
enact law which would present the
alternative to religious believers of
being consigned to a penitentiary if
they should attempt to obey a law of
God which would deliver them from
damnatiOni Or that, under a plea of
maintaining q certain form of civiliZa-
ton, Gods authority to direct His
people how to escape from the abOmi-
nabIe corruptiOns and evils which are
eating out the VitalS of mans much
vaunted civilization, should be dis
puted and utterly rejected! What is
this Mormon" problem, SO-called,
and why should it disturb the people!
1t is an unpopular religion. But so
was that of the ancient Prophets.
Jesus told the Jews that they garnlShed
the tombs of the dead Prophets; but
Killed the living ones. They cruciied
Jesus and were almost as unanimous
IN their cry I'd cruelty Him, as the peO-
pie and rulers OF the United States are
to-day to destroy the Enormous. "
They killed all of His Apostles except
one, and he was banished to wclk as a
slave on the isle of PatmOS 1t is said
they cast him into a caldTOn of boiling
oil, but he was not killed; and if the
Scriptures are true, he still lives, for
ne was to tarTy till the coming of the
Savior. We receive Is the word Of
God, and so do millions of the human
family, the writings and testimony of
the Prophets who were killed. 1t is
published by the millions of copies
and sent to the various nations of the
earth, by the very people who would
now seek to destroy us. Jesus, who
was crucitied between two thieves, is
now WOrShiped by millions in Chris
tendon as the Son of God, the Re
deemer OF the world. The Twelve
Apostles, his disciples, who suffered
such lgnomlnlOuS cOntumely and death,
are now designated by the millions of
Christendom as ''The Apostles of the
Lamb OF God" and churches and
cathedralS are called after them, as St.
Peter, st. John, st. Mark, st. Luke,
etc. 1t was then the christian prob
lem;" it is now "the Mormon prob
lem''-the same problem though called
by a different name. Was Jesus the
enemy of the people in His day? Only
as He told them the truth. "What
evil hath He dOne?" asked Plate, the
Gentle Judge. No matter what evil
or what good, vOciferated the Jews;
4"Crucify him! cruelty him!" What
evil have the "MOrmOnS" done? is
asked, and the cry comes back: No
matter, no matter, let them b e de-
stroyed.
BY the circulation of endless ISLANDERS
and falsehOOds concerning US and our
marriages, wrath and indignation have
been aroused against US in our nation.
The ignorance of the people concern
ing US and our doctrines and system
nave been taken advantage of. Con-
-fo nj Of har-a hnnra onH cfi1I no
being made to induce the world to be-
iieve that our motive in eSpOusing
patriarchal marriage has been the
qualification of gross sensuality-that
our belief in and practice of the doc
trine had its origin IN RIGHTEOUSNESS,
and that the sanction Ofreligion is mere
~ invoked to furnish greater license for
the indulgence of base passions and
devouring lust. This, as you know, is
the exact antipodes Of the truth. But
the world generally do not know it.
Those of them Who know how utterly
false are these charges are either so
cOWed down by a fierce public opinion
that they dare not speak, or if they
have the courage to speak are almost
unheard amid the noisy clamor against
US. Thousands upon thousands of
honest people in this and other ma
lions, whose voices, did they know the
truth, would be raised in our favor,
are deceived by these lies and are ar
rayed against US. This persecution, if
it serve no other purpose, will do
good in this direction. 1t brings home
to the hearts of the people, as no pro-
teStatiOnS or arguments of ours ever
could do, that there is something more
in this doctrine and practice than they
have been led to believe. Rejecting
people will see that there must be
great principle involved in this, or men
and women would not be willing to
suffer fines, bonds and Imprisonment
as they do.
Is there any necessity for lustful
men and women in this age and nation
to suffer martyrdOm to crafty their
passions? Whoever heard of a people
preferring Imprisonment and all man
ner of cruel treatment for the indulg-
ence of appetites which they could
crafty to the fullest extent in popular
ways, especially when the judges upon
the bench, the prosecuting attorneys
at the bar, the jurieS who bring in
verdictS, point out the way in which
obligations can be discarded
and sensuality be gratified without
risk or without punishment? The
pLCo5 anu GCCNuIi1n PuAPALc dloO ZULU
the advice. The universal voice is:
Put away your wives, cease to support
them and their children; be as ne are,
and you need not be put under bonds,
oe fined or be incarcerated in prison"
Foul desire opens wide her arms and
invites ali to her lecherOuS embrace by
easier paths than honorable marriage
and the begetting of numerous chill
dren to be carefully trained and edU-
Gated and made respectable and use
full citizens.
VIII the world see this? Every man
who goes TO prison for his religion,
every woman who, for love of truth
and the husband to whom she is bound
for time and eternity, submits to bonds
and Imprisonment, bears q powerful
testimony to the world concerning the
falsity of the views they entertain res
pecting US and our religion. If such
noble and heroic sacrifices as men
and women are now called upon to
make for their religion by Federal
Courts do not teach the world the
truth concerning US, then woe to the
world, tor nothing but the wrath of
Almighty God will reach it.
We join with all Saints in invoking
blessings upon the noble men and
women who nave exhibited their in
tegrity to God and His cause, and their
devotion to principle by submitting TO
bonds and Imprisonment rather than
deny 4 heir faith ar brp9l- their pOva-