Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-15
DEsERET EVENING NEWS. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1894

truth has received fresh illustration
within the last few days. In view Of
the recent agitation over the Roberts
case, the ever.ready and always re-
mafkable DR.. Talmage saw III TO
preach a sermon on the subject this
sermon inspired sundry reflections in
the mind Of gentleman who read 1t
and analysed II by the ordinary process
SEES OF logic; and these reflections are
embodied in a letter to a local news
paper, over the signature Of G, NJ,
Bailey. Mr. Bailey reasons, by a
series OF steps which are as obvious as
the multiplication table, that. suppos-
ing DR.. Talmage's position 10 be sound,
that reverend gentleman Is confronted
with a most distressing problem. He
says:
u. Polygamy il an abhorrent thing,
and Roberts should be hung.
-. Dr. Talmage's sermon published
last Monday was the most eloquent
arraignment OF polygamy the country
has ever seen.
%. DR.. Talmage has charmed the
people In years gone by with the
thought that the good viii meet their
loved ones on the other shore.
q. Hence In the next world, the elect
viii know the bliss of family reunions.
IS. This is blessed thought for the
pure In heart who travel through this
vale OF tears.
&c. II this Is true. the program on
earth Is necessarily different from that
in heaven.
-. Roberts is said TO have three
wives, two too many for earth, at one
time.
IS DR.. Talmage win cross the divide,
having lived IN consecutive manner
with four earthly wives.
-. This Is lawful. and 1t Is clyiliza
ton on earth
10 But there must be reunions in
heaven
II. Dr. Talmage may have the same
trouble in the next world that Roberts
has In this"
What the next step in this chain Of
deduction may be II is a little difficult
to say. II Dr. Talmage can be brought
70 reflect seriously on the question pre-
sented for his solution. II may give him
a broader human sympathy with Mr..
Roberts, or IL may drive him insane.
There seems 20 be nothing that he can
do In the matter, from a practical point
OF view. He cannot unmarry himself,
nor can he refuse support to earthly
wives who are dead. II is barely possi-
BILE that he may admit having made
a slight mistake In his calculations,
but that, in the light OF his past
career. Is a little more unlikely than
the other two things.
II there Is one subject on which DE-.
Talmage has always been especially
fluent, even more so than on his travels
In the Holy Land. II is the conditions
which will obtain in heaven. He could
not have known more about II II he had
been a special correspondent Of yellow
Journal, commissioned TO write a feat
ure story" about the New Jerusalem.
He has described the climate top0gfa-
ply, politics, social customs, language.
amusements.and architecture OF heaven
50 exclusively that one could almost
find ones way about in theN light from
his minute descriptions. He has de-
scribed the way In which the city is
laid out, how the saints are given
homes according TO their occupations
some In Apostle Square, some In Mis-,
slonary Street, some In Martyrs Row
and how the heavenly musicians sitting
at long and well-laden tables, pause
now and then In their feastlng 90 wipe
their mouths and give a melodlous blast
on a sublimated horn. 10 express their
utter content and Joy. This may seem
irreyerent to the devout reader. but II
is what Dr. Talmage says. He has APP
parently pictured heaven as a glorined
realization OF the kind Of city in which
he would like to live on earth with
the people sorted out according to their
different degrees OF plety. and all the
gliding real gold. and good things 70
eat scattered about promiscuously.
II seems a little strange that in all
this information there Is no description
OF DR.. Talmage's own home, where he
will sit. surrounded by those who have
shared his lot on earth, and present ex-
aclly the same tableau now presented
by Mr. Roberts. Following out this az.
sument TO lts conclusion, we find that
other inhabitants OF the heavenly city
win be found signing bulky petitions 60
have Or. Talmage consigned TO outer
darkness. And that would be sad, bu.
interesting,