The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1900-01-19
TErlpLE AND TABERNACLE.


Polygamy snd Unlawful Capitalization.
From the reading OF the various cdi.
toriais and articles Of the public press
IL is evident that there is much mis-.
construction and Misunderstanding as
to the present attitude OF our church
respecting the subject Of polygamy
and unlawful rehabilitation; and. be-.
lieving that many good and conscicn.
uous people have been mislcd and
much adverse criticism occ,sioncd
thereby, feel 1, but Just to both
Mormons and non-Mormons 20 state
that, IN accordance with the manifesto
OF the late President wilford Woodruff
dated September %, 1880, which was
presented to aud unanimously accepted
by our general conference on the 9th
OF October, 1890 the church has posi-.
lively abandoned the practice Of poly.
gamy, or the solemDization Of plural
marriages, in this and every other
state, aud that no member or officer
thereof has any authority whatever TO
perform uplural marriage or enter into
such relation. Nor does the church
advise or encourage unlawful cohnbi.
tation ON the part ofany Of its mcm.
bers. II. therefore. any member dis.
o6eys the law, either rs to polygamy
or unlawful cohabi,atiou, he must bear
his own burden or In other words. be
answcrable to the tribunals OF the
land for his own action pertaining
thereto.
With sincere desire that the posi-.
tion OF our church ar to polygamy aud
unlawful cohabitation may be better
understood. and with best wishes for
the welfare and happiness OF all. this
statement Is made, aud Is respectfully
commended 10 the careful considera
ton Of the public generally.
LoRENzo SNOW,
President Of the Church OF Jesus Christ
Of Lattcr.day Saints.
salt Lake City, January s, 1900.
Extensive Improvements In the way
OF oruamentation are being planned
for the Temple block grounds during
the coming spring and summer. The
new extension to the greenhouses
have made them much more desirable
than heretofore. rs more room Is now
had for the termination aud cultivation
OF the plants which viii blossom npon
the grounds during the warmer months.
The greenhouses have been fitted with
hot water pipes and new furnace
sdded, Foreman Stanley estimates
that he has at least 1000 plants, large
ADD small, In the greenhouses. out on
the grounds considerable work Is also
beihg done. The trees have grown 30
fast as to interfere with the growth Of
each other, and many OF them have
been removed to give the others
chance 20 cxpand, and also that more
nnnIight may reach the lawna. The
and Templc grounds, al.
ways pleasing la the past, promise to \
become much more beautiful In the 4
future.
At the stake conference Of the l..
NJ. /. A., held In the Tabernacle last
week, President Joseph +. Smith de-
liyered the principal address lie said;
"rhOu shalt not commit adultery.
The crime OF adultery under the an-
cient law of GOD la Israel was punish. I
able By death, the same as the crime
of murder. OF course, some people say
that the Luttcr.dny Saints are proyerb-
ial In the world for adultery, but men
have been and are today so ignorant
that they cannot perceive or under
stand that there lisa difference between
that which God sanctions aud approves
and that which he dcnounces aud con.
dennis. They claim that even Abraham
and David aud the ancient prophets OF
God, to whom God gave wives, were as
much udultcrcrs as those who practice
promiscuous polygan and adultery,
having wives and children at home.
There IL n vast difference between
these, and want to say II to the world,
that there is not u people on the face
OF Gods earth who abhor the crime of
adultery Ms do the Latter-day Saints,
Notwithstanding their plural wives and
marriages In the past
81 can point out TO you men whom l
have known from my childhood, and
with whom have been as intimate as
my brother, and l viii affirm TO you
that these men have never in their
lives transgressed the law of chastity
rs tod Almighty revealed II, and yet
they have had more than one wife.
And want To tell you that the man
that stands before the world and says
that he never wronged woman, Is a
man after Gods own heart, in relation
TO that thing, at least. lie Is pure and
he Is moral In the sight OF God, because
he has done no other thing except that
which lac believes In ais soul and in his
heart, according 10 the intelligence
that he possesses, that God has sane
toned and approved. And a. 10 his
intelligence, II will compare with the
brightest intellects In the world. AS
to their moral conception OF character,
IL will compare fayorably with that OF
any living preacher. They are not
ignoramuses. They understand the
laws, the piecepts and the power Of
God, and they know that whomsoever
God hath joined together, nen cannot
put asunder Neither can time, nor