The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-30
POLYGAMY.
1t Is Still Practiced in Utah, and Nor
mons Tell Untruths About 1t.

To tie Editor of tFS indianapolis Journal:
L see from copy OF the Journal of the
18th inst. that our Mormon friends from
Utah. some of them from this city, are
holding conference in Indianapolis. This
is their right and privilege, guaranteed by
the Constitution of the general and state
governments. 1t is to be regretted how
ever. that when they visit the Eastern
States they do not present their doctrines
as they are taught and practiced in Utah
They present their articles of faith that
sound much like the belief of Bible Chris
tians, but when they explain those articles
in Utah they are found to be widely differ
ent from their apparently simple state
ments. To illustrate this point: They teach
here in Utah that Adam is our God-the
only oelng to whom we may look for sal
Vauon Their definition of God is this:
e Wnat l am now God once was; what He
Is now shall be- That is. Adam was
once man, he is now God: l am a man.
l snail be God Hence. they are poly
theists. They believe there are MANY Gods
G ;s Wh3m Joe smith is one. Brigham Young
is rs anotner; and every good Mormon who
nVes IN polygamy and becomes the head of
numerous posterity is to be a God.
re 6eig nal Young ;n the prophet seer and
April 8. 1852: When our Father. Adam
came into the Garden of Eden he came into
one of his wives withdhbnl.e He helped to
make and organize this world. He is
Michael the ArchangeI, Ancient of Days
and about whom holy men have written
and spoken He is our Father and our God
to do"
How does that sort of blasphemv har-
monize with that first article of their creed
We believe in God. the Eternal Father
ana In his Son. Jesus Christ, and in the
Holy Ghost?" They teach here in Utah
that Jesus Christ was a. polygamst mar
rled to Martha and Mary, and probably to
those other women who sorrowed at His
crucit1xion. Here is the teaching of their
catechism
Question What kind of a being is God?
Answer-He is in the form of man
Question elias God a body, then?
!. Answer-Yes, like unto, mans body in
figure.
Chapter iv. Question 1--Are there more
Gods than one? r.,ts .-
AnSwer--Yes: many
They teach also that Christ died to save
us from original sin, and that men must
save themselves from personal transgres-
sion. They teach also that we can be bap-
tized for the dead who have died in i'm
penitence. and by that means save them
tinuous revelations. Hence, Joe Smith got
his revelation authorizing and commanding
plural marriages. or pOlygamy. That reve-
lation threatens with damnation those who
do not receive and abide in this new cove
rant. This is the language of that bogus
revelation: Behold! / reveal unto you
rev and everlasting coNenant; and if We
abide not in that covenant then are We
damned" This covenant was concerning
polygamy. Hence the Mormon Church has
not given up belief in the doctrine and duty
of polygamy In the Journal of the 14th
inst. the Mormon elders are reported as
saying "Polygamy was abandoned by the
against it," Here are two falsehoQds. First.
the courts ruled against polygamy at least
four years before the church pretended to
abandon polygamy. In May. 1896 Governor
West visited the polygamists in the peni-
tertiary for the crime of poygamy under
the ruling of the court and offered his
services to secure their pardon if they
would pledge themselves to abide by the
law. They Indignantly refused to cease
practicing polygamy, and affirmed that they
would never give it up. But in 1890. when
the Mormons concluded that they could get
statehood Ga Mormon State, when they
would be free from United States law
President Woodruff the prophet seer and
revelator' of the church, advised them to
cease the practice of polygamy for the pres
ing in unlawful relations with plural wives
in all the outlying towns, and in every
county in the State. The sheriff of Cache
county from which one of your mission
aries in the Indianapolis conference came,
is raising a family by a polygamous wife,
though an officer bound to obey and execute
the law. This fact was recently stated pub
licly in the Methodist conference in this
city. The sheriff did not deny the soft i'm
parchment; he only expressed surprise that
he should be singled out.
The Richfield Advocate published the fol-
lowing statement from the town of Gun
nison few weeks ago. which no Mormon
has ventured to dsprove or even deny:
Right here in Gunnson We see enough
to convince a stranger even that the Adj
vocates recent assertions are true TO the
letter. c. p. Hansen known as Flying
Hansen, lives with two wives and has three
children under six years OF age. A woman
reputed to be the second. wife of John Met
calf the hotel man of Mant and whose
children bear his name. gave birth about
ten days ago to another Metcalf was here
during her illness and remained Tor about
ten days. He officiates in the ceremonies
of the temple at Manti. ]. A. Newreen.
shoemaker here. lives openly with his sec
ond wife His first wife lives at Scofield.
This summer she visited the pair, staying
with them in the same house. Minnie
Christensen. supposedly unmarried wom-
an, gave birth some time ago to child
who has since been blessed and given the
name of Taylor. 1t was commonly report
ed that Minnie was the wife OF Apostle
Taylor even before the babe 5 birth and
it's christening has confirmed the report 1t
has still further been verified by Taylor $
visits to her, the last being week ago,
when he put up with her at her rather $
home. and it was generally remarked here
that the old people and her sisters did more
visiting with the neighbors than ever be-
fore. These cases are public property in
Gunnison. If an apostle cannot curb his
common, everyday peoples?
With such facts as the above. notorious
i'm every county and community in the
State, the Mormon missionaries go to In
dianapolis and other Eastern cities and de-
clare that polygamy is a thing of the past
lis now abandoned. We have 10 unkind
feeling toward the Mormon people. We go
among them and do our missionary work
among them. But the system is so abhor-
rent 10 all scripture teachings that we must
Steak the truth concerning it. ,s
Salt Lake City. Utah. Nov. %.