The San Francisco call., 1904-03-06
UNITED STATES SENATORS
WHO ARE ON SMOOT IN
CURRY COMMITTEE.

still living and that the great majority
of them are of advanced age"
Worthington asked regarding
Smiths SON. Hiram Smith, and
was told that he is 80 years of age and
polygamist. He is one of the twelve
apostles. The first counselor now is
John r. Winder. He and his fellow
counselors and other apostles have
been appointed since Smith be-
say whether these men are cohabit-
ling with more than one wife, but
Nthey are reouted to be the husbands
of more than one wife"
In regard to John Henry Smith,
cousin. Smith said that their fam
lies are intimate and Il am strongly
inclined to believe that he is coha Bit
ing with plural wives"
SERMON OF WOODRUFF.
Referring to Senator Baileys ques-
tions yesterday in regard to the mani
festo, Worthington read from a sermon
of President Woodruff, delivered year
after the manifesto against plural mar
! riage. in which President Woodruff de-
Z
Latter Day Saints were moved, by the
spirit of God to abandon the practice
of plural marriage.
Senator Bailey contended that il was
obedience to the demands of the law
or fear of the consequences of the law
that brought the revelation. Continuing
/ he said:
For my part 1 don't have much faith
| in doctrine that does not get a reve-
| lation commanding the change of con-
duct until there is a statute compelling
! It,"
"All that of course, is a matter of
/ opinion said Senator Foraker.
I Il don't think 1t is a matter of opin-
ion, either" said Senator Bailey. Il
myself have been compelled to submit
to certain rules because it was the law,
and vicious law at that. Just how far
would have submitted If 1 had received
a revelation from God to do something
else 1 am not prepared to say. think
the whole thing was more matter of
law than of revelation"
when the laws were passed which
were not in harmony with the teach
Iugs of our church., said Smith, I'VE
held that they were Unconstitutional
OF course, our own rules commanded
that we obey the constitution and the
laws, but we fought the validity of the
new laws from the lowest to the high
est court, and when 1t was settled by
the Supreme Court of the United States
that plural marriages could no longer
be INDUCED in, of course we were in
clned TO obey.
.sRr1f revelation IN o11r ouu
statute books in regard to plural mar
riages. and it was necessary to obey
that in order to obtain certain blessings
that could not be received without
obeying 1t. Whether we should obey
the law of the land or continue to prac-
tice the law of the church was a serious
question.
DOCTRINE OF REVELATION.
we hold that the president of the
church is entitled to receive revela-
tions inspired by the Almighty God.
President Woodruff sought guidance
in the Lord and the Lord made it
manifest to him that it was his duty
10 stop plural marriages. He pro-
claimed that revelation and it was
submitted to the entire church and ac-
cepted by the entire church and thus
became binding and from that day to
this the law of the land has been kept
so far as plural marriages are con-
cerned.
But there is a great difference be-
tween taking n plural wife contrary
to law and in taking care of the wives
taken before it was a violation of the
law. ! would not desert my wives.