The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-04-02

something of the belief by the Saints
in the ''I.syirate" marriage law Of the
ancient Jews.
Miss Lillian Hamlin, professor
in the Bringham Young university,
was first married to David Cannon.
He died, leaving no children. His
brother, Apostle Abraham IL. Cannon,
became convinced that IL was his duty |
TO espouse the widow that be might !
raise up children to David. The
apostle already had several wives,
aud six years had elapsed since the
Woodruff manifesto. But the we'd
ding was performed, just the same.
! ID occurred on "a steamer, bound from
San Pedro, Cal, to Catalina island.
/ 1t had been asserted that the utficiat-
ing priest was Joseph F. Smith, then
AN apostle, now president of the
/ Mormon church.
In five room cottage in Salt Lake
! City lived Samuel ). Newton, a
Mormon elder, before subpoena from
Washington made it convenient for
him to absent himself for a while.
With him lived his two wives, nine
children and a male boarder, the
second wife taken within the last
three years.
In much less crsmped quarters are
the eight wives and innumerable
children Of Apostle Mariner W.
Merrill This Father IN Israel"
lives much after the fashion OF the
patriarchs OF old. In Cache valley
are the several families of the apostle,
each provided with an abundance OF
land, and each visited in turn by
the high priest Of Mormondom. II
requires about two weeks for Merrill
to make the rounds OF his eight
homes. His children and grand
children are scattered throughout the
valley. Two Of the apostles sons
have embraced polygamy, in one in,
stance since the manifesto, the apostle
himself performing the ceremony
which united one Of his boys" to a
! plural wife.
1t was Joseph Smith, the prophet
and founder Of the Mormon faith,
/ who planted the seed Of po'ygamy on
American soil and originated the
) strange marriage system Of the
> Saints. Having secretly taken
, several wives, the prophet" quietly
A informed a chosen few that he had
Z received revelation" from God
' concerning the marriage covenant,
t and that a plurality Of wives was
) sanctioned by divine grace. This was
not given out publicly at the time,
{ but resulted in a large number Of
> apostates from the Mormon faith, who
. were not slow to inform the world Of
their reasons for losing confidence In
. the man who claimed 10 DO inspired
| The resultant agitation led 10 the
g killing OF Joseph Smith and his
brother Hyrum and the sxpelling OF
q the Saints from Illinois.
Brigham Young, successor Of the
9 prophet, who led the Mormon people
into the valley Of the Great Salt
? Lake, where he designed to found an
empire Independent Of the United
States, first gave public utterance 10
the doctrine Of polygamy. This WAS
. in 1852, when the power of Brigham
r Young was at its height Many of
5 the people revolted at this doctrine,
80 at variance with their innate
d ideals, but the mastsrfnl Brigham
3 succeeded In forcing his will upon
3 them in this "a In all other things
Although 1t is matter Of somew hat
ancient history, it may be- recalled
, here that Brigham Young was the
husband Of 80 wives.
; Although in Utah the taking Of
> plural wives openly and avowsdly has
been forced to diminish little by
little, in response to the steady
pressure Of the law and Of public
! opinion, the doctrine has fourished
untrsmmeled in the Mormon colonies
of Mexico. 10 the states Of Chihuahua
and Sonora are large colonies Of
MormOns, who have established them
selves solidly with the favor Of the
Mexican government. There poly.
Ramy is openly taught and openly
practiced, and thither have gone many
polygamists from Utah and other
western American states.
Strange and complicated Ia the
marriage system N the Lattsrday
Saints, and weird and mysterious ara
the rites that constitute the various
ceremonies. According to Mormon
theology, the more one Is married in
this world the greater il ones OK.
altation in the world 10 come. For
woman, marriage to Some good
man" Is absolutely essential To
salvation. For tho male member of
the sect plurality Of wives greatly
enhances his heavenly status and
multiplicity Of children adds i'm.