The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-20
The Deadly Parallel

Smith-was sincere In deposHs
Apostles Taylor md Cowley TOT po's
amous offenses, Is the JuS'1nta.'', m,,ta aarlv M
Mormon history Will ct least an0ra
some light. and help each reader TO DE.
termine for hinlself the question oi
sincerity
In adding more wives to his already
plural number, did Apostle John W.
Taylor do anything blamcable. mea-
sured by the attitude OF his church?
And had he the very highest MOT
mon authority and example for his con-
duct? IL what he has done Is wrong
ia it as reprehensible as other things
that have been done TO Introduce, los-
ter. and maintain polySamy as prac.
tice by his fellow-apostles In time past
We Shall not cover the entire range
of investigation: that would require
great many issues of The Tribune, ana,
besides. the answer-for there is put
one to the three interrogator1es-can De
! completely found In the facts OF his
tory as developed in the life of that
distinguished and cultured exemplar OF
Mormon doctrine and practice, the late
John Taylor. president at his death OF
the Mormon church. and father of the
present John w. Taylor, whose ordina-
tion to the apostleShlp very early In
life Is said to have been because OF tho
son should one day occupy his fathers
station AS president prophet. seer, and
reyelator 10 his people.
1t were but natural that the younger
Taylor should carefully scrutiniZe the
life OF his father, so that he might lie
moro surely attain his fathers exalted
and coveted position by doing over
again the deeds OF his lllustrious sire,
paralleling his fathers ecclesiastical
career as faithfully as might be with
his fathers goal as the ultimate goal
OF himself
II 1t can be shown that John w did
exactly what his father Gid before him,
and which secured his father the presi
dency OF the church, 1t VIII at once
prove both John w. Taylor's sincerity
and Joseph F. Smiths insincerity.
Well. then, let us see. In 1857 the
Mormon" church. by Orson Pratt,
published a volume containing. besides
series OF tracts by Orson Pratt, a re-
port OF "a discussion held In France
between Elder John Taylor, one of the
twelve apostles, and three reverend
gentlemen OF different orders" which
volume rests on the table as 1 write
these lines. and from which | excerpt
the following words OF John Taylor, TO
wit.
we arc accused hero OF poysamy. and
aCllOns the most lndellcatc, obscene and dis
gushing such that mono but n corrupt and
depraved heart could havo contrved. Those
lhings are too outrageous 70 admit Of belief.
therefore, shall content myself by reading
our Views OF chastity and marriage from q
work published BY US containing some Of the
articles OF our faith doctrine and covenants.
page $50: According TO tho custom OF all
civilized nationS, marriage is regulated by
laws and ceremonies; therefore believe
Christ OF Latter-Day Saints should bo SOL
emnlSe1 In o public meeting. or feast. pre-
should bo celebrated with prayer nnd thanks
giving and MT tho solcmnlzation, the per
sons TO b" married standing together the man
on tho right. the woman on tho left, shall
be addressed by tho party officiating MS he
shall be directed by tho Holy Spirit. and II
there be no legal OBJECTIONS no shall raw
calling each by their names You both nu-
tua!y agree 10 be each others companion.
husband and wife. observing the legal rights
belonging TO this condition: that ia Keeping
yourselves wholly for each other and from nn
others during your -lhSs. Inas-
much as this Church OF Jesus Christ has
been reProochcd With the crime of fornication
and poygamy, We declare that we believe
that ono man should have one wife. and one
woman but one husband, except in case of
death when either is at liberty to mar,
Mr., Taylor was content (as very well
he might be) to leave the subject at
this point He did not venture to add
another word, but went on TO discuss
the theme of the restored gospel, etc.
! etc.
Turning now TO another volume
which likewise lies on the table at this
moment, the Life of John Taylor,
Third President OF the Church Of Jesus
Christ OF Latter-Da Saints. by B. II
Roberts, ! read on the title page these
ominous words. The great man Is he
who chooses the right with invincible
resolution" Bound In the back OF this
volume | find an appendix. giving the
family OF John Taylor. From II learn
that John Taylor was married to his
first Wife In 1893. to his second In lSl3.
TO his third in 1874. TO his fourth In lS46
to his fifth and sixth I'm 1s47. So that
at the time OF this celebrated discus
sion In France. John Taylor. the father
of John w. Taylor had six living and
undivorccd wives In Salt Lake City;
the first OF these wives 10 die being the
sixth, who died July 16 1882. which was
thlrty-two years, within five days
after the memorable debate took place
Hon. B. H. Roberts. the author of
this biography, In his preface to the
book, says. The journals OF President
Taylor were very incomplete
but the chief events Of his life We're so
closely interviewer with the history of
the church that his movements and la
oors could be followed In the church
publications" The author also proves
the authoritative character of the book
by the statement that committee ap-
pointed by the first presidency OF the
church had read the manuscript and
passed "upon 1t critically In respect TO
It's doctrinal and historical correct
ness The book is. therefore an au-
thoritetive work OF the church. Thus
two great facts are incontrovertlbly es-
teblished-one. that polygfmy was de-
MED as the marriage system of the
church; two. that at the very time of
the denial poygamy was the marriage
system of the church
on John Taylor were bestowed the
sobriquet of Champion OF Truth" and
the presidency OF the church, which IN
cludes the Office OF exclusive prophet.
seer and revelator to the world!
The deadly parallel between father
and son is Immediately obvious. The
church again denies the existence of
plural marriage. and declares that
there shall be no marriages performed
contrary TO the law of the land That
Is exactly what the marriage para
graphs read by John Taylor In France