Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-03-20

provements on their houses and ground:
it would greatly aid matters.
Communicated
Let the Mormon Church Stand the
Judgment Of Time.
In the first issue of this paper dis
cussed this question: "Why Not Follow
the Example of President John Taylor ?'
I assumed that Mr.. Taylor could not, con-
sistently with the obligations of his high
office, oppose the practice of polygamy,
or even cease to sustain it as part OF the
religious creed of his church that the best
he could do was to set an example of
practical obedience to law, and this he de-
clared he had done. / now wish to add to
this the further belief that the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
ought to do as Mr. Taylor claims to have
done. While they believe in polygamy
let the creed stand, but the practice cease.
!. Any church is better than no church.
1t is the religious nature of man on which
the State builds its superstructure of or
der. Few men are restrained from evil
doing only by the fear of the penalties of
the law. They are held rather upon the
foundation of morals laid by religion.
Any religion founded in any degree upon
an imitation of the life OF Jesus Christ,
whether it approach close to that trans
cendent ideal or whether it merely walks
in His shadow is help to the State, and
no man who loves order founded upon
law can be its opponent and remain a
patriot.
Because believe in the faith, forms
and practice of the Baptist de-
nomination, must L regard every
other church or form of relig-
ious creed as injurious to the human
race? Personally / urge all men to be-
come Baptists, but they won't do it. Shall
l therefore say that because a man will
not accept the moral support found in the
belief of Baptist principles he shall find
moral support nowhere? Because | be-
heve he will find greater moral help in
my church than in any other, shall l deny
him the right to accept the less
support he finds in the other creed? /
do not think any man ought to be Nor
man; neither do l think he ought to be a
Catholic or a Universalist; but so long as
he can find any help to be better citi-
zen in either of these churches, or in any
other church, no matter how far removed
from a correct ideal, he and his church
ought to be encouraged and sustained.
Because one hundred and fifty thousand
men, women and children find moral
support in the Mormon Church, l say
that church ought to live till its votaries
deliberately choose ether faiths.
2. The Mormon Church cannot live
after polygamy is violently stricken from
its creed.
Every church has many articles of
faith; but with every church one article
becomes the representative idea, and
around that one idea the battle RACES.
The Mormon Church has many prin-
ciples in its creed of striking force, and
upon either of which it might have waged
successful battle. Unwisely its leaders
choose to risk all upon the doctrine of
celestial marriage. None of the prin-
ciples of the Mormon Church, vigorous as
they are, are well known to the world,
except the advocacy of polygamy. As
the Baptist is regarded as an Immersion
list, simply; as the Catholic is
known by his belief in penance and
merltorlous works; as the Episcopalian
is held to be chiefly ritualist; so the
Mormon is held to be first and foremost
a polygamist. The Baptist would have
many good principles left if he should
disown immersion, yet his church would
60 to pieces without it; the Presbyterian
would still be a Christian if he gave up
his presbytery and his ruling elders, but
his church would dissolve without these
the Methodist could be a Cody man
without his itinerating ministry, or his
ideas of falling from grace, but his church |
would have no excuse for separate life if |
Shorn of these features. So the Mormon |
church; if it now, under the influence of |
a special revelation or of priestly counsel |
should reject polygamy as an article of !
faith, it would speedily be lost to the
of man.
3. But the Mormon church, without the
slightest change in its professions, can
quietly obey the law. By following the
of President Taylor, peace can
De restored, and. the Mormon church
saved. That church ought to have a
better judgment before the world. 1t is
lnder the most decisive condemnation
# mankind because of polygamy without
he practice of polygamy it may take
lew place in the worlds thought, and be
judged without prejudice. Continuing
is defiance of law, its missionaries are
Helpless for good; abandoning its rebel
on, its representatives will find respect
III hearing. Giving open honor to the
whichunderlie free government.
will have the protection of the govern
lent, and with none to molest have access ,
} every heart and hearth in all the land:
remain guest or be sped upon its way
ccording as its doctrines may commend
themselves to the human conscience.
4. Continuing to defy the law and to
efuse to follow the example of Mr.. Tay- .
)r is fraud upon the converts to the
hurch. All over the world Mormon
are addressing the poor of
ne nations. To none of them do they re-
cal the facts as to the practice of polyg-
my in Utah. They represent that they
re to live in peace under the American
ag that they are to obtain all the rights
citizenship under the freest nation +
nown to the world that the enormous
thes exacted of them are used to pro- !
tote their spiritual interests; and that t
ley are welcome to the new world, and
} a share in its boundless prosperity.
nder the polygamous practice they are e
erpetual aliens to their adopted country; I
ley are in conflict with the Constitution
AIMED to protect them; and the tithes
re used to pay the costs of fruitless =
ontest against the government which
lelters them and offers them every help.
But they who follow President Taylor
to obedience to law, and openly pro-
aim their loyalty and conformity to the
ays of American citizens-rising above
gotry and narrow zealand leaving to \
e judgment of time the Mormon creed
it now stands, will be writ down in I
story as brave and manly fellows, who L