The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-31

brought Heath and destruction to the
| whole htnan family or the murder OF
can, imRach the divinity of the mono
| gaInic ssFJem of marriage.
| The tventy-iifth chapter of Deuteron-
| ony recGds general law as in1iscrIm-
mating il its scope and effect so far as
! It's application 70 polygamic or monogram
/ &c Alliances Is concerned, as could pos
| sloly be famed. Ii reads: If brethren
dwell tegshef and enc Of them die and
! have no cllid, the wife of the dead shall
not marry without unto a stranger; her
husbands brother shall go in unto her
and take her TO him TO wife and perform
the cuty Of husbands brother unto
ner- This law is without limitation in
us operation, applying TO monogamists
ana poiygaInists, as well as to the unmar-
1 ried afnengst brethren dwelling to-
gether.' 1t is mandatory in its character,
arising to the dignity of divine COM
mand, and hence obligatory upon all the
inhabitants OF the community of breth-
rem dwelling together Nowhere in the
subsequent history of the Hebrew nation
recorded in the Bible can there be found
any abrosation of this law. DIR. Paden's
arrangement of polygamy is a species of
special pleading, and he therefore be-
longs 10 that school that accepts so much
OF God law contained in the Scriptures
as is compatible with his religious educa-
ton.
A perusal of the lives and characters of
the ancient patriarchs who found special
favor in the eyes of the Almighty dis
closes unquestionably the establishment
OF poiysamy as divinely recognized in
stltution OF marriage. In the sixteenth
chaDter OF Genesis it is recorded: And
Sarah, Abrams wife, took Hagar.~ her
handmaid, the Egyptian, after Abram
had dwelt ten years in the land OF
Caanan, and gave her to her husband,
Abram, to be his wife" This polygainous
alliance was crowned with the birth of
lsnmael Then again Abram took a
wife and her name was keturah (Geh.
NV
So, then. from these passages of Scrip
t ture, and they might be indefinitely null
iipiiea, II is clear that Abraham, that dis
thsulshed patriot and vieegerent of God,
TO whom it was promised that ne was to
become a great and mighty nation and
IN whom all the nations of the earth were
70 De blessed (Gen. XVIII, and whom
the Lord had blessed in all things" Gen.
XxiV), even in his plural marriage rela-
gons was actually guilty of that in
defensible monstrosity that Christian
women and Christian men are accusing
the modern Abraham of the Mormons of
who' II Is claimed, remarkable as it may
wives, no more nor no less. than his il
IustrlouS polygamic prototype married,
maintained and supported.
Jacob. the founder of many nations and
who occupied the foremost rank among
the very elite of Gods children. married
iYed with eohabflsd and maintained four
qliferent women, without a word of repro
baton from the Almighty. and what
seems TO be the most astounding thing of
all, the names of his twelve sons, the off
spring Of these polygamOus unions. are
-
able lustre of the pearly gates of the
New Jerusalem, the very gates through
which ministers of the divine word are
teacnlnS we must enter, II We would re-
ceiVe fullness OF glory in the heavenly
dispensations. The celestial city of God
would not contain such concentrations as
the distinguished names of these poly
samous children if the institution of
polygamy did not have some favor with
the Almighty.
l have no doubt but that these same
Christian a
so frightfully wrought up over B. H.
Roberts matrimonial experiences, when
they arrive in the New Jerusalem, if they
snail possess the good fortune to secure
admission within the sacred walls of the
holy city, Will inaugurate vigorous cam
paign to unseat both Abraham and Jacob
from the congress of heavenly dignitaries,
take from them their ecclesiastical robes
and have the polygamOus names that en-
Delllsn the gates of the holy city erased,
and those of monagamistS substituted
therefor. Such a reformation of the holy
order of things would be entirely in keep
ing with their attitude now assumed in
the crusade against polygamy-
1t is submitted so long as Christian
churches hold forth the holy scriptures
as constituting the foundation of thair re-
spective beliefs, they can neither BE- logi-
cal or consistent in attacking polygamy.
Before they can justly aSSail this order of
marriage they must brand Abraham and
ne patriarchs as criminals and violatOrs
OF God law, and brush the Bible from
their pulpits. otherwise the matrimonial
experiences of these ancient men, sane
toned and commended of God, will ever
stand as reproach TO all their anti
polygamic, and hence anti-scriptuTal ut
teranceS and demonstrations. They must
strike from the ancient constellation of
God representatives its most brilliant
luminarles. that have during all the ages, /
shed so much joy and sunshine in on the
human soul. and lightened the burdens
of the human heart. if they would be
consistent in their opposition TO polygamy,
or else hold their peace forever.
Aside from the religious aspect of the
question polygamy is equally sustainable [
upon natural principles, but il is aDDre-
hended that it would not enjoy. even If
openly tolerated, Z very luxurious exist !
ence, for it is manifest to all who have 1
had any considerable acquaintance with /
the temperament of the gentler sex. that !
as a general rule il is violently at var |
lance with female sentiment, so that the |
portion of the community would |
need entertain no uneaSineSS lest the fe- /
males would be mOnOpOliZed in these I
affiliations, so that some /
might be compelled to walk life's 'thOrny 4
with no wife at all.
If the good ladies of our land who seem I
to be actuated with such tender solicitude I
for the sanctity of the American home, [
and so much exercised over the conduct of /
the muchly married B. III. Roberts. who /
stepped into Abraham's shoes. would di- /
rect their energies toward the reformation /
of the unfortunate fallen of their sex |
who fill the great cities, whose lives of /
sin and Wretchedness is a standing re-
proach to Christianity, stamping il with /
the indictment of shame and inhumanity; /
il they would direct their attention to the /
and exposure of the profuse i'm
moralities of Washington society, the
very fountain source from which our laws
low. and where there is more promiscuity.
practical polygamy and matrimonial in
fidelity practiced in one night than in
these valleys of the mountains in a whole
decade; if they will go into the great
cities of New York of Chicago, of Phil
of Boston. of st. Louis, of New
Orleans and San Francisco and organize
themselves into societies for the aDDre-
hension. exposure and punishment of
men and women for their
infidelities and the regeneration
IF the social atmosphere of those cities.
instead of endeavoring TO degrade and
iisgrace UtahS representative-elect by
him to act the role of an in
human monster in discarding and divorc-
ng women. whom he married in good |
'aith and with whom he has lived in the I
sanctified capacity of husband and wife
hey will then be accomplishing a noble
md useful mission for humanity and do /
much toward establishing Christs king
lom in righteousness in the earth.
ELIJAH FAIR.