Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-11-03

ever been made or action taken, and
prohably never will be. There u no
reeson 10 believe that any earthly
power eau oxtort nom The Church any
such declaration.
al may be- truthfully said trN the
Church has determined that " poly
gamy il TO be uprooted the govern.
mont must perform the task, ~ " will
never do on lie part any act that VIII
MITIGATE an abandonment OF poly
gsmy."
NV opinion was based upon the
course Of the Mormon people In the
past. | do not think there anything
In their history up to the date Of the
report which would have Justified any
one In saying they had abandoned
practice which they declared 70 be q
vital part Of their religion In the iol-
lowing emphatic langusgei
1Among too principles Of our rcll'
gion IL that Of immediate Tevoiaii on
from God; one OF the doctrines 20 ro-
vunled Is celestial or plural MARRIAGE,
FOR which ostenaibly we are stigmstizod
and hated. This isa vital part Of our
religion, the dcclsion Of courts 10 the
contrary Notwithstanding"
4 accepted this ne being correct
statement Of their position. IL was only
corroborative Of the opinion which II
seems to mo every man would have
formed sho had studied their history.
I believed they wero sincere In sup
porting polygamy, and would remain
20, and said 30.
on September %, 1890, sixteen days
after nled my report, tho President
OF the Church issued tho following pro-
cismatlon or manifesto;
"To whom II may concern;
Prsps dispatches having been sent fof
political purposes from Salt Lake City,
which have been widely published, 20
the effect that the Utah Commission,
In their recent report 70 the Secretary
Of the Interior, allsgc that plural
marriages arc s.ill being solcmnizod,
and that forty or more such marriages
have been Contracted In Utah since
isst June or during last year; also,
that In public discoursns the leaders OF
tho Church have taught, encouraged
aud urged the continuance Of the prac'
ticc Of poiygamy.
1, therefore, NJ President OF the
Church OF Jesus Christ of isatter'day
Saints. do hereby, In the most solemn
manner, declare that these charges are
fAls~. We arc not teaching polysamy,
or plural marriage, nor permitting Any
person 10 enter into Its practice, aud |
deny that either forty or any number
OF plural marriages have during that
pefiOd been solemnlkod In bur temples
or In any other place In tho Territory.
One case has been reported, In
which the parties alleged that tn,
marriage was performed In the Eu.
dowmsnt House, In bnlt Lake City
In the spring Of 1889, but | have mol
been able 70 learn who performed thu
ceremony; whatever was done In the
matter was without my knowledge. IL
consequence Of this alleged occurrence
the Endowmsnt House was, by my
Instructions, taken down Without de
lay.
by Congress forbidding plural mar
rlages, which laws have boon pro.
nounced constitutional by the court Of
last resort, hersby declare my inten'
ton 10 submit 10 those laws, and v
use my Influence with tnp membsrs Of
the Church over which preside u
hive thom do likewise.
There IL nothing In my teachings I,
the Church or In those OF my as-ocl
Rtes, during the time specified, whiol
can DO reasonably construed TO In
ruloato or encourage polygAmy, an,
when any Elder Of the Church bai
used language which appeared 10 con
vey any such teaching, he has been
promptly rsprovei. And | now pub
licly declarv that my advice b In,
l.atter-day Saints Is 10 refrain frsm
contracting any marriage forbidden b,
me laws Of the land.
wILroRp WOODBURY.,
President Of the Church Of Jesu
Christ Of LAtter-day saints"
On October Goth, 1890, twanty.sever
days after, at tho General Conisrenol
OF tho Church, on motion Of LoronE
action Of the President was endorsed
aud the manifesto accepted by tn
people In the following language:
al move that, recognizing Wiliof'
Woodruff A. the PrvAldsnl OF tn
Church Of Jcsus Christ Of Laller.da,
F.Aints, and the only man on the sarti
ut the present time who holds the key
OF tho sealing ordinances, We conslde
position TO Issue tho manifesto whlcl
has been read In our hearing, an
which 10 dated Sept. 2ith, 1890, an
that az a Church In General Confer
enco assembled, We accept his declAfl
ton concerning plural marriage q
authoritative and binding"
The unexpected had happened, an
the President and people had TAX.
action In the most authoritative way
This was an event which cannot fail /
vitality affect the future Of the Terri
tory. Tho addresses made 10 ia
people At the tins the proclamatio
was ratified should be rosd In connoc
ton with tho proclamation In order /,
understand the forco OF this action Ii
prescribing u rule Of conduct 10 tn
Mormon people. II Ii generally know
that the doctrine Of polygamy reste'
on supPossd revelation I
Joseph Smith, the founder {
the sect, and 40 long as thl
unsuspended, 10 the orthodox MoEmo
conflict with ils scop. aud meaning
md while no might submit to the fore
ofa conflicting law, he never coul
give II more than passive obedience
This proclamation, In the proceec
Jugs Of the Conference, Ia not called
revelation, and, perhaps, Is not col
sidored as strictly such, but II In di
tinctiy asserted It Is Put forth by pei
mission OF the Lord, granted Ia answ,
topray on tho subject, and by III
only man on earth who holds the key
OF the sealing power. Whether 1t
- .. A. A q
or only pormissive, l have no doul
that. as thew have leen led To beli.N