Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-10-20

nels-irom higher Power
A.-No, sir.
.Q.-ls not the principle OF plural
marriage still tenet Of the faith Of
your Church,
A. Yes, | believe the Church be.
lleves In the principle.
Q.-WOuld " nOt'have 10 be changed
by the snme power aud authority from
which the principle was derived?
A.--Yos; but will remark that n
principle may be believed In by the
Churn--a true principle - aud still
no, be uracilced.
Q.-You do not understand, then,
that the people Of your Church indicat.
ed by accepting your declaration that
their Views or belief upon the ptin.
ciple involved were at all changed,
hut only that they were willing 10 fol-
low your advice Ia submitting 10 the
conditions that confronted them?
A.--Ycs, sir, view that ~ being
about the ground Of IL.
Q.-Dld you state more, or Intend 20
convey more, iu this declaration than
the fact that you yourself Intended TO
submit 10 Che law referred to, aud 10
use your influence with the nYrmbcrs
Of your church 10 have them do Ike
wist2
A.-Well, after that declaration, Of
course, expected 10 obey the laws u
the land, and requested the Laticr.day
Eaints ~ DO the same, and 10 carry out
that principle whether II was stated OF
not. That was the point.
Q.-Doc-. this declaration anywhere
indicate 10 Your people tina, the failure
10 follow your advice would become a
subject " Church discipline?
A.-Well, u would become 20,
whether 10 stated or not.
Q.--But does II 40 state?
Al do not know that can say u
docs.
Mr. Richards-That Is hardly fair
question.
Mt. Dickson-Tho answer speaks for
Itself
Mt. VarlRn.--I am no iool,gentlemen;
know what am asking! To the Wit
messy Dld you Intend to coniinu your
advice tGtho ClsIrch solely 10 the form.
lug OF new rules, by entering into new
marriage, without reference 10 those
already existing?
A.-rhs intention OF the procllma.
tlon was obedience TO the law 81 the
land connected with that subject my.
self, aud expected all the members Of
the Church 10 10 the same.
q You meant 10 Include the laws,
then, fofhidding association In plural
marriage o. we'll as the forming Of
plural marriagts2
Whatever there Ia In the law
Of the land with regard 10 IL.
Q.-Inthe concluding portion OF your
declaBtiOn, or statement, you says 81
now publicly declare that my advice to
the Lattrr.dAy Saints IL 10 refrain from
contracting any marriage forbidden by
tue law Of the land.n Do you under
stand that that language was to DO gx-
pandcd, and include the further state.
menl " living or associaung In plural
marriage ~ those already. In the
status
Al intended the proclamation TO
cover the whole gfOund-tO obey tho
laws Of tho land entirely.
Q.-Wa. the sole reason Of this dec.
laration bccsuse u these laws that you
t1ieak VI Ia H.
A.-Wcll, n l might mako an ex.
plauation Of this matter would say
this. ThtTe was no law against this
principle - against polygamy, the
patriarchal order Of marriage practlcei
10y the Latter.day Saints until 1859.
The members Of this Church did mot
believe that law was Institutional, aud
| myself thought there would be very
few outside the Church, Judges, Jurisis,
and lawyers, who were vefsed In the
law aud constitution OF the country,
who believed themselves that that was
n constitutional law. Il remained on
the statute book dead letter
for many years. Ono OF cur own
people, nm Elder In tho Church.
Brother Rcynolds-cAmc forward aud
furnished testimony himself, as test
case. lie believed that lac would be
dealt with lonicntly, anu until II was
proved, or represented, 10 be- n con.
stitutional law there was nothing
against the practice, aud after that
probably dozen or more leading men
OF the Church went 10 prison rather
than expose theiTfnmilies, aud TO prove
their faith aud feeling with regard 10
tho position they occupied. This was
the position We were la; a very small
per centage-pT0bably i've per cent
OF tho pvople would have covered tho
whole ground who had entered Into
polygamy, aud here was ninety-fiyo
per cent. Of community who AZ.
pRrently would all suffer. The senii-
mont Of the whole nation as
well IA the laws, apparently, were
against II; and viii ray Tor myself
that | became thoroughly convinced
that this practice would have 10 10
changed. When | was appointed
President Of the Church 1 looked this
question over, and for good white
became satisfied In my own mind that
plural marriage must stop In this
Church. IL was not We who had
practlced IL only who were suffering,
but large proportion Of people who
had not entered into II. After be-
came President Of the Church | did
not advocate tho practice OF this
principle among our people, for that
was what saw before me, and II was
upon that ground that issued the
msnifcsto--I will sny by inspiration.
1 believe II was my DUTY and the duty
OF our people 10 obey the law ard
leave events IN the hands Of God.
Now, II the gentleman chn understand
my Views upon 1t that Is where
stand.
To MIR. Varian.-'rhe manifesto was
intended 10 apply tO the Church OF
Jesus Christ OF Latier.dAyssaintse every
where In every nation aud country.
We are giving no liberty Ia enter into
pOlypamOus relations anywhere.
Mir. Would II not, Of noocs.
slty, require n revelation from as high
source an that from which the original
came 10 revoke that law governing
plural marriage?
Ayes, | suppose II would. d
Q.-Atc you willing 10 say, Mr.
Woodruff, that you now consider by
reason UI this act Of yOufs unl yotlr