The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-02-23
SUNDAY SERVICES.
Apostle John w. Taylor at the
Tabernacle.
ELDER HERBERT j. FOULGER
know Ye, Therefore, that They
Which are of faith, the Same are
the Child en- of Abraham"

The usual services were held in the
Tabernacle on Sunday afternoon. The
choir sang the hymn:
Come we that love the Lord
And let our joys be known.
Elder Herbert ]. Foulger offered the
opening prayer, and the choir sang an
other hymn:
Behold the great Redeemer die,
A broken law TO satisfy.
The priesthood of the Eleventh Ward
attended to the administration of the
Sacrament.
APOSTLE JOHN w. TAYLOR addressed
the congregation, and said: We are sur
rounded to-day by circumstances that
are somewhat peculiar; an experience
to many that is entirely new. Many
obstacles exist to hinder the progress of
the Saints. A few PEG ,le, probably
from l5O, 900 to 100000 that live in these
mountains, called Mormons. are the
subjects of the United States Govern
ment, who have passed special laws o
restrict them, because they are said to
be blotch on the national escutcheon.
If this is the case, would like very
much to realize the fact, Tor | learned in
my early youth ito seize upon truth
wherever found, upon heather or on
Christian ground" Being young man,
| find myself associated with a people
that are unpopular. ! am a polys am
GUS son, my mother was not the first
wife of my Iather. These things, in view
of the present opposition, cause me to
ponder and think. By the world l am
classed as an illegitimate child, born
outside of the ordinary Christ an MAJ :
rage relation. Ever since have come
to the years of understanding, l have
anxiously sought fer testimony and
proof of the correctness of the principle
OF plurality of wives. l find that about
| two-thirds of the inhabitants of this
world practice this order of marriage.
But this does not give me any satIsfaC-
ZION, for l realize that mankind are
prone to evil and that frequently the
majority are in the wrong. Where, thenS
shall l look Tor testimony that will
assure me of NY position? find no
other way, than To rely upon the words
of the Holy Bible and seek unto God for
that knowledge and testimony The
Christian world processes to believe that
the Bible contains the word OF God, and
the Apostle James tells US to TASK a. d
it shall be given, knock and it shall be
opened unto YOU Grover Cleveland,
President of the United States, said i'll
his recent message, that the purity OF
the home and the strength and
perpetuity of the nation depends
upon the marriage relation, etc.,
i'd that such could not eman
ate from polygamic families. In
other words, that the.purity and perpet-
uity OF home could not proceed from
other than the monogamic marriage
relation. This is the opinion OF man.
Now turn to the 18th chapter of Gene
SIS and find that the Lord (not man)
lid unto Abraham, land I will make
of thee a great nation, etc., and I will
bless them that bless thee, and curse
hun that curseth thee, and in thee shall
all families of theearth be blessed" We
are told that the Lord Is the same to-
day, yesterday aud forever. Aud we
learn that He promised unto Abraham
the greatest blessings and that in his
S 9ed should all the nations Of the earth
be blessed. In view Of the fact that
Abraham was polygamist, it then
appears that the word of the Lord as
recorded in the Bible is contrary TO the
word OF mar. Now what are W. TO do;
believe the words OF man? The Bible
tells US that cursed is he that putteth
his trust in man ii the arm OF flesh. I
notice that the opinions of men con-
stantiy vary. ii the Lord acknowledged
Abraham OF old, approved Of his CON
duct, and promised INTO him the great
est and most abundant blessings, how
cln the Christian We rid consistently
condemn that which SOD has approved
Off But we are told that this is a day Of
higher civilization, Il day OF railroads
steamboats, and the telegraph But l
find that this sO-called niGEer Ciyiliza-
ton requires the blessing 0! God Just
as much as other ages. Jesus tells Us
that we must Judge tree by its fruits.
If the pc y ANGUS children OF Abraham
were not leg innate, If they err out
casts according to the higher ciSillza-
ton, Is it not strange that God ackuow-
lodged Issue as the son Of Abraham and
blessed Jacob the son OF Isaac? Why,
Jacob spoke with the Lord, face 20 face,
grestled with Him for a blessing. The
Lord commended Jacob for his great
faith, and repeated 10 nim all lhe prom
ises and blessings which He had given
u AOraDam, MS iOtetataeT. Jacob
practiced piuralty efwives he had four
who bore twelve sons. The Lord did
cot brand these twelve sons as illesiti-
mate, as bastards. No, be acknowl-
edged them and honored them, and
am led to have confidence
to believe that some good can come out
Of the purity of plural marriage. ii
we come down 10 tbe birth OF Jesus
Christ, upon this world. He was very
popular man among few people, but
very notorious among the multitude.
President Cleveland says the strength
and perpetuitv OF the nation depends
upon the purity of the home. and that
such cannot proceed from polygamic
marriage. In the first chapter OF st.
Matthew, we are given the record of the
family through which the Savior Jesus
Christ was born. In the twenty second
chapter of st. John. we are again
told that Jesus Christ was the offspring
of the house of David, and descendent
OF the families of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. Through their seed was all the
world to be blessed. 1t was fulfilled in
the birth of Jesus, the Redeemer of the