The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-12

ing this principle, ana That IL was not 10r |
seGsual indulgence, because If sensual in |
diligence had been the object, we could
have obtained it without such sacrifices as |
were involved in obedience to this law
without going to prison, without sustain
ing wives and children. without the Ohio
guy that has been heaped upon US because |
Of this action OF ours. If licentious mo- |
tives had prompted US, we could have Sc
cured the results in a cheaper way and in a
way more in consonance with universal
custom throughout our own land and all
Christendom. But the sacrifices that we
have made in this respect bear testimony
to the heavens and to the earth that we
have been sincere and conscientious in all
that we have done, and that we have not
been prompted by q desire to use women
for lnstful purposes, but to save them, to
make them honorable, and to leave no
margin of women in our society to become
prey to lust, so that every women in our
land should have the opportunity of becom-
ing virtuous wife and an honored mother,
loved and respected by all her offspring
and by all her associates.
II no other result has attended what may
be termed our obstinacy, these results are,
at least, upon record, and they never can
be blotted out. The Imprisonment of these
men, the sufferings--the untold, the IN
written, yea, the uncomfortable, it may be
said, sufferings-of wives and children,
they are recorded in heaven and are known
to men upon the earth, and they form
chapter that will never be blotted out.
Latter day Saints, there has been moth
ing lost in the five years that have Just
passed. We have lost no credit. There
has been no honor sacrificed. We can look
God in the face-that is, if wewere permit
ted to do so; so far as this is concerned, we
can; we can look the holy angels in the
face; we can look mankind in the face
without blush, or without feeling that we
have done anything unworthy of our man
hood or of our professions and the faith
that god has given unto US. This all of US
can do; and if no other result has followed
what may be called our obstinacy, than
these which now describe, they are grand
enough to pay US for all that we have gone
| through.
But the time has come when, in the
providence Of God, it seemed necessary
that something should be done to meet the
requirements of the country, to meet the
demands that have been made upon Us, and
| to save the people. President Woodruff
and others of US have been appealed to
hundreds of times might say;-1 can say
for myself that l have been appealed to
many scores of times to get out something
and to announce something. Some of our
leading brethren have said "Inasmuch as
we have ceased to give permission for
plural marriages to be solemnized, why
cannot we have the benefit of that2 Why
cannot we tell the world it so as to have
the benefit of it, Our enemies are alleging
constantly that we still practice this in Sc
cret, and that we are dishonest and guilty
of evasion. Now, if we have really put a
stop TO granting permiSsions TO men 10 TAX g
more wives than one, why should not the
world know it and we have the advantage
of it!" These remarks have been made 10
US repeatedly. But at no time has the
spirit seemed to indicate that this should
be done. We have waited for the Lord to
move in the matter; and on the oath Of
September President Woodruff made up
his mind he would write something, and
abont it and had besought God re
peatedly to show him what to do. At
that time the spirit came upon him,
and the document that has been real
in your hearing was the reuult | knew
that 1t was right, much as it has gone
against the grain with me in many re-
spects, because many of you know the con-
test we have had upon this point. But
when God speaks, and when God makes
known His mind and WILL / hope that and
all Latter-day Saints will bow in submis
sion to it. When that document was pre-
pared it was submitted. But, as is said ia
this motion that has been made, President
Woodruff is the only man upon the earth
who holds the keys of the sealing power.
These apostles all around me have all the
same authority that he has. We are al
ordained with the same ordination. We all
have had the same keys aud the same
!, powers bestowed upon US. But there is
an order in the Church of Goa, and thai
order is that there is only one man at G
time on the earth that holds the keys Of
sealing, and that man is the president Of
the Church, now MILFORD Woodruff There
fore, he signed that document himself
Some have wondered and said, why
didn' others sign.n Well, 1 give you the
reason-because he is the only man on the
earth that has this right, and he exercised
it, and he did this With the approval of all
of US to whom the matter was submitted,
after he had madeup his mind, and we sus-
tanned it; for we had made it subject Of
} prayer also, that God would direct us.
There never was time in the church
when | believe the leading men of this
church have endeavored to live nearer to
God, because they have been the path il
which we walked enviroued with difficult
ties. beset with all manner OF snares. an(
we have had the responsibility resting
upou Us OF OF your salvation, to q certain
, extent. God has chosen US, not we our
selves, to be the shepherds of his flock
We have not sought this responsibility
, believe that he would seek such an offic,
as he now fills. trust you know the res
of US sufficiently TO believe the same con
, corning US. | have shrunk from the apos
tleship. have shrunk from being mem
, Der Of the First Presidency. 1 have fell
that II l could get my salvation in any
other way, | prayed God that He weult
, give it to me, He revealed to me that
would be an apostle, when / was compari
, lively child; and have had that feeling
/ ever since. These apostles, all of them
, felt the responsibility which rests upol
} them as leaders of the people, God having
made US, in his providence, your shep
herds. We feel that the flock is in GU
7 charge, and If any harm befall this fiocl
through US, we win have to answer TO-
it in the day OF the Lord Jesus; we shall
have to stand and render an account of tina
which has been entrusted to US; and if WI
/ are faithless, and careless, and do not liv,
so as to nave the word of God contin
ually with US ana know His mind and will
then our condemnation will be sure an,
certain, and we cannot escape it. But yo,
are OR witnesses whether God is with u
or not, as well as the Holy Ghost. Yol
: have received, and it is your privilege Z
> receive, the testimony of Jesus Christ a
to whether these men who stand at YOU
| head are the servants Of God, whom Co
: has chosen, and through whom God give
/ instructions to His people. You know il
: because the testimony Of the Spirit is witt
you, and the Spirit of God burns in you
, bosoms when you hear the word of Go,
declared by these servants, and there is
testimony living in your hearts concern
, ing il.
u Now, realizing the full responsibility o