The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-03-11
POLYCAMY
IN PUBLIC SPEECH
President Smith Of the Mormon
Church Makes Admission
to Committee.
BUT MAKES EXPLANATION
He Says He Was Merely Setting the
Matter Right as a Matter of His
tory, Not Teaching the Plu-
raj Marriage Idea.

Washington, March president
Smith of the Mormon church today tes-
titled before the senate committee in
v~estigating the protests against Senator
Smoot, that women are regarded as
equal to men in all matters of voting,
but in holding "priestly authority
women are not regarded as on the same
plane.
Reading from the Deseret News re-
garding a speech by Smith at the Web
er state reunion, Mr.. Taylor asked
Smith If he vas correctly reported in
saying the doctrine of plural mar
riages was a revelation by God to Jo-
seph Smith, jr., and to reject that would
be equivalent to the rejection of God
himself.
Smith said he believed he was cor
rectly reported, and when the list of
names of those present, including Sem
ator Slnoot. was read, Smith said the
list was correct.
Senator Hoar called attention to the
fact that the speech was teaching
polygamy in private to an important
and influential gathering at the re-
union.
Setting History Right.
Smith said his statement was mere
~ to set right the matter in history,
IN regard to the president who naugu-
-NN>~ SHN ~ VI iolS lliSil Is
and was a matter of history and not Of
teaching. He had voide teaching
polygamy but the manifesto had not in
any manner changed his convictions on
the questions of plural marriages.
Chairman Burrows: You have said
today that you We're obeying the laws
In not teaching polygamy since the
manifesto. Do you think you were
obeying the law in having eleven chill
dren from different mothers since that
time?"
II obey the law so far as teaching is
concerned. l have not said I obey the
law In my practice. AS I hav said
with the law rather than to abandon
my plural family. Polygamy has not
been taught in the church by any of
it's officials. The hurch has obeyed the
laws even If I have not" said Smith.
Those Conflicting Revelations"
Mr.. Smith explained that the reve-
lation commanding plural marriages
was made to Joseph Smith, jr., at
Nauvoo, in 1876, but was not publicly
proclaimed on account Of a disturbance
against Smith which had made him a
martyr. The doctrine had been taught
by Joseph Smith to Brigham Young
and his associates and preserved By
Young. 1t was taken to the Salt Lake
valley in 1S47, and in 1852 was pro-
illllC Wy 1olllS IN oCCSIlcu us Il
revelation.
From the Book of Doctrine and Gov
enantS Smith read a part of, the reve-
lation which he said had been accept
ed as in the nature of a permission to
take plural wives, and was not man
datory upon members of the church.
Other passages from the same revela-
ton We're read, particularly the por-
ton which prescribe the ann of
taking more than one wife.
1t was set forth that if one wanted
to espouse a second virgin he could
do so by obtaining the consent Of the
first, but that If the consent of the first
was withheld he was at liberty to
proceed without it. 1t also set forth
that if the first refuses her consent to
share her husband with another wom-
an, she would be destroyer by the
Lord; but he was not Informed Just
what the Lord would do about It,"
ut does not mean the husband could
destroy the Wife, he said.
Smith did not know whether any one
of the six p~olygamist apostles had dis
obeyed the law In regard to polyga-
nous cohabitation since the manifesto.
In quoting from the New Testament,
Senator HoaT said:
DO you regard 1t as a divine COM
mand that bishops shall have one wife
or more?"
II believe the practice of polygamy
was SeIeIdl a1lOllS lIe Jews at the
time the Scriptures We're written"
said Smith. Il believe it was COM
manded that the bishop should be a
married man, because his duties made
it necessary that he should be an ex-
perienced man."
Here the chairman had to rap loudly
to restore order in the committee room.
Smith declared the apostles Of the
church lac never taught polygamy.
what would you do if the principle
Of plural marriages was publicly at
tacked?' McComas asked.
w would defend it," said Smith.
Missionaries Teach ~PoIyeamy.
In the afternoon Mr.. Taylor began an
inquiry concerning instructions given
polygamy. Mr.. Smith said the book
called Ready References is used by
missionaries. This book, he said, con-
tains a chapter on polygamy, declaring
that practice to be divine. He said the
book was an old one, and that he had
no knowledge of recent publications.
The marginal note on the chapter on
polygamy was given as "Polygamy
Right in the Sight Of God" Mr.. Smith
added, however, that the use Of his
book is almost entirely abandoned by
the Mormon elders doing missionary
work. The standard works of the
church, he said, were the books taken
In reply to questions from Chairman
Burrows, Mr.. Smith said he did not
know whether or not the missionaries
take with them copies of the manifesto
Of 1890 suspending polygamy as an or
der of the church.
Mr.. Taylor asked concerning Brig
ham H. Roberts position as first pres
ident Of THE Seventy" and asked If
Roberts was not elected to that high
position after he was elected to con-
gress. Mr.. Smith could not remem-
Der.
In answer to questions by Senator
Dubois, the fact was brought out that
objection had not been made by THE
Seventy to Mr.. Roberts continuing in
office after it had been proved he was
q polygamist.
Obligation to the Church.
Inquiry having been made by several
members of the committee as to wha
Mr.. Taylor expected to prove by GER
tain Questioning, he said he expected
to show that Mr.. Smoot would be
bound to follow the direction Of the
church, not only in spiritual affairs
but also in temporal things, because
under the definitions of the church it is
Impossible to distinguish between the
two. He would ave to obey or resign
his apostleship.
When Mr.. Smith was asked concern