The evening times., 1898-09-16

Salt Lake, Utah. Sept. 16-Lorenzc
Snow, who succeeds the late Wilford
Woodruff. as president or the Mormon
| Church, makes a statement concerning
| his views upon the religion OF that organ
ization. He says:
Il believe in the revelation given to Jo-
| seph Smith, the prophet on celestial
marriage-that is, marriage for eterni-
ty-and that under certain conditions
LatterDay Saints would be doing no
moral or religious wrong in practicing
plural marriage under divine sanction
and religious regulations. But 1 do not
think it would be right to break the
laws of the land against ,hat practice.
Polygamy-that is, marrying plural wives
ceased among the Latter-Day Saints
on the issuance of President Woodruff 5
manifesto. October G. 1850. and his inhi-
bition will not be changed by me-"
"A revelation given March 2S, 1885, clear
ly defines the relationship the Twelve
Apostles bear to the First Presidency.
When vacancy occurred in the pre-
siding council, such as has occurred by
the death of President Woodruff, the
Twelve Apostles become the presiding
rule for the president of that body, if he
be the senior apostle by ordina tion, to
succeed to the presidency when the Coun-
Gil of Apostles decides that the First
Presidency should be reorganiZed. He,
with two councillors that he may select,
are then presented 10 the body of
churches in general conference. If ac-
cepted by the churches they become the
First Presidency thereof. In this manner
ha.r I -s-l -
churches
The mission of the Latter-Day Saints
is TO preach the Gospel IF Jesus Christ
as made known by divine revelation TO
all worlds, to gather the saints and to
prepare for the advent of our Saviour
who will then become King of Kings
and Lord of Lords. They will become
great and powerful body of religious
worshipers. They will sustain the Con-
stitution and laws and institutions Of the
United States and be the champions OF
liberty and of that Constitution when
its integrity shall ne threatened. Their
future will comprehend the fIl'iIlment of
the predictions of the prophets of God
concerning the readoption of the earth
and its inhabitants.
"Polygamy does not exist in Utah.
either secretly or openly. 1t is forbidden
by the Church. There have been TO po-
lySamouS marriages TO my EnOWieOSc
since the issuance of the manifesto
against them. There are men who mar
ried plural wives previous to that time
who now care for tfem and regard them
sacredly as their wives for all eternity.
being married to then. with that con-
tract.
They have respect for the law, yet
consider il their duty TO provide for
them and for their children. But polyg-
amy, which has a definite signiflcation in
law, has ceased entirely in this State, so
far as Latter-Day Saints are concerned.
II will not be expected by any reasonable
persons that the plural family relations
existing when polygamous marriages ceas-
ed by action of law and the inhibition of
the church would be at once abolished
The understanding among all parties
was that the rigid enforcement of pro-
ceedings against such parties would be
discontinued, and that men in the con-
dition described should not be molested
in the proper protection of their families
or in providing for their needs
The stories that circulated concerning
social conditions in that State are either
entirely untrue or grossly exaggerated
1t must be clear TO rejecting minds that
polygamous marriages being no longer SOL
emniZed the conditions growing out of
those contracted in the past must soon
come 10 an end