The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-03
HEAR THE TENETS
OF MORMON FAITH.
Continued from First Page.

form: May the members of the
church say to you. We deny that God
has told you to tell us that, and we
will not receive your revelation could
that occur in the church,"
1T could" was the reply.
Freedom of MOrmOns.
Mr.. Smith then made this statement:
THE members of the Mormon
Church are among the freest, most
independent people of all the Christian
denominations. They have freedom of
speech, freedom of thought. They are
not all united on every principle of
the church. They are not expected to
be. So long as one accepts God and
his opinion is not in conflict with the
accepted standards of the church, he
enjoys fellowship in the church. He
who denies God, he who commits adul
terry, or steals, or lies, or bears false
witness against his neighbor in any
way, or goes contrary to the cardinal
principles of our Christian religion is
compelled to withdraw. But one who
is honest, virtuous, believes in God
and has a little faith in our religion
is nurtured, though he may not be-
lieve in the church in all that it
teaches. In that book (Mr. Smith
elation on plural marriages. Not more
than or 4 per cent. of the entire
membership of the church have enter
ed that state. All the rest have alb
stained from plural marriages and
many thousands have rejected the
principle entirely"
Senator Dubois said:
Il notice you say that many thou
sands rejected the doctrines of plural
marriages. Do you mean that they
never practiced plural marriages, or
that they declared against the doc
trine?"
Mr.. Smith answered again that many
thousands in the church had declared
against the principle of plural mar
riages as given to the church in rev.
elation from Joseph Smith, Jr. To
bring out the effect of refusing to sub
scribe to the teachings of the church,
Mr.. Hoar asked a number of questions,
and Mr. Smith said:
Comes by Inspiration.
THE principle of revelation is the
fundamental principle of the church"
Have you ever received such
revelation direct from God?" asked
Mr.. Tayler
Il never said I had received a reve-
lation except that God has shown me
that Mormonism is Gods divine
truth" said Mr.. Smith.
How has God shown you that?'
asked Mr.. Burrows.
BY inspiration
Mr.. Smith described the accepted
theory of the revelation of the prln-
ciple of polygamy to Joseph Smith,
Jr., saying that an angel in black had
appeared unto him. Revelations had
not come to him in that form, but he
had received direct revelations from
God by inspiration.
At this point Mr.. Tayler said that
he assumed that all of the testimony
being brought out in regard to the re-
lgion of the Mormon church had
some sound relation to the influence
the church had in civil affairs, and
that unless he was assured of that he
should object
Mr.. Tayler answered that the prose-
cution would attempt to show that the
church directed affairs of state and
politics. No further objection was
made.
At the afternoon session Mr.. Tayler
asked in regard to the manifesto of
President woodruff in 1890, command
ing a suspension of the requirement
that polygamy be practiced in the
church, and also the practices for
amnesty in 1891. The questions We're
to ascertain whether the members OF
the church considered these declara-
habitation of those previously married.
Mr. Smith said it was regarded that
they did affect such persons. Mr.
Tayler asked:
DO you so regard it?"
THE command did not change my
view on the question of plural mar
riages," he answered.
Believes POIygamy Right.
Being pressed for his personal belief,
Mr.. Smith said:
Il believe plural marriages to be
right"
Mr.. Tayler then asked If it is true
that the revelation declaring plural
marriages remains in the books of
authority as a part of the teachings
of the church.
Mr.. Smith said that it was true. He
also said that the subsequent mani
festo declaring the principle not IN
operation was fully understood.
Mr.. Burrows directed number of
questions to Mr.. Smith bearing upon
the consistency of Mr.. Smiths an
swers relating to his belief in and !
acceptance of the divine revelations. |
He said: 81 understand you to- say
you believe in the revelation to Jo-
seph Smith, Jr., in regard to polygamy
and still think it is right?'
Yes"
And the manifesto Of President |
Woodruff declaring a suspension of the !
polygamy principle was revelation, |
was 1t not?"
Yes"
How can that be?" pressed Mr..
Burrows.
"One declares in favor of polygamy |
and the other stops IT,"
Practices Ms Wen ms breaches.
Il adhere 10 both in my belief" said |
Mr.. Smith. Il believe polygamy was
right, or I should never have married |
more than one wife"
AS / understand f." Mr.. Hoar in |
terrupted, "the last revelation does not I
Tohibit polygamy, but merely sus- /
pends the former principle comnand- I
Ing H. IL may stu be believed that 4
the practice is innocent and proper, 4
but as the divine command 70 con-
llnue n ~ stopped the members Of /
he church submit 10 the civil law 1
on the question Of plural marriages..
That r. right" subacri0ed Mr. /
Smith.
Protest was MADE by br. Van Colt /
Mf Smiths attorney against quet-
Tons relating 20 religious beliefs
AZ. TayIef said the president % TIE