The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-06-12

It will be seen by the foregoing that
not only do the first presidency and
twelve apostles encourage pOlygamy by
precept and teaching, but that major
tty of the members of that body Of rul-
ers Of the Mormon people give the prac-
tee of polygamy still further and great
er encouragement by living the lives OF
pOIygamlStS, and thus openly and in the
sight Of all their followers in the Nor
mon church. It can not be doubted that
this method of encouraging pOlygamy IS
much more efficaciOus that the teach
ing OF that crime by means of the writ
1ngs and publications Of the leaders OF
the church, and this upon the familiar
principle that actions speak louder than
words"
And not only do the president and a
majority of the twelve apostles of the
Mormon church practice pOlygamy. but
IN the case OF each and every one guilty
OF this crime who testified before the
committee, the determination was eX-
pressed openly and defiantly to continue
the commission of this crime without re-
gard to the mandates of the law or the
prohibition contained in the manifesto.
And il is in evidence that the said first
president addressing a large COnCOurSe
of the members of the Mormon church at
the tabernacle in Salt Lake city in the
month Of June 1904, declared that If he
were to discontinue the polygamoUs re
latiOn with his plural wives he should be
I forever damned. and forever deprived of
the COmpa niOnshiD of God and those
most dear to him throughout eternity.
/ Thus II appears that the prophet. seer,
and TeVelatOT' of the Mormon church
prOnOunCeS a decree of eternal COnden-
nation throughout all eternity upon all
members Of the Mormon church who.
having taken plural wives, fail to con-
tinUe the pOlygamOUS relation. So that
I the testimony upon that subject taken as
/ a whole. can leave no doubt upon any
reasonable mind that the allegations in
the protest are true, and that those who
are in authority in the Mormon church.
of whom Mr.. SmOOt is one. are encOur-
L n
the members of that church. and that
pOlygamy is being pracuced to such an
extent as to call for the severest con-
demnatiOn in all legitimate ways.
The Manifesto Deception.
Against these facts the authorities Of
/ the Mormon church urge that in the
year 1890 what is generally termed
manifesto was issued by the first presi-
dency Of that church, suspending the
practice of polygamy among the mem
berS Of that church. It may be said in
the first place that this manifesto mis-
states the facts in regard to the sOIem-
nizatiOn of plural marriages within h
short period preceding the issuing OF the
manifesto It now appears that In num-
Der OF instances plural marriages had
been sOlemnized in the Mormon church,
and, in the case of those high in author
ity I'm that church. within very few
months preceding the issuing Of the man
ifesto.
1t is also observable that this mani
festO in nc way declares the principle Of
pOlySamy to be wrong or abTOgateS 1t as
a doctrine of the Mormon church, but
simply sUSpends the practice Of pOlyg-
amy TO be resumed at some more con-
venient season either with or without
another revelation 1t is now claimed by
the first president and other prominent
officials of the Mormon church that the
manifesto was not a revelation. but was.
at the most. an inspired document. de-
signed ''tO meet the hard conditions con-
/ fronting those who were Dracticing
pOlygamy and pOlygamOus cohabitatiOn-
leaving what the Mormon leaders are
pleased to term the principle of plural
marriage as much a tenet Of their faith
and rule Of practice when possible, as il
was before the manifesto was issued
Upon that subject Joseph F Smith tes-
titled as follows
Mr. Taylor-The revelation which VII
ford Woodruff received in consequence OF
which the command to take plural wives
was suspended did not. as you under
stand. change the divine view of plural
marriage. did II?
Mr.. Smith-It did not change our belief
at all
Mr., Taylor-It did not change your be
/ lief at all2
Mr. Smith-Not at all. sir.
Mr.. TaylOT-YOu continued to believe
that plural marriages were rght2
Mr.. Smith-We did. ! did, at least. I
do not answer for anybody else. 7 con-
tinue to believe as / did before. Vol I.
p. 107D
And one Of the twelve apostles has de
ClaTed the fact to be that the mani
festo is only q trick TO beat the devil at
his own game" Further than this IL IS
conceded by all that the manifesto was
intended to prohibit polygamous Cohabi-
tation as strongly as il prohibited the
sOlemuizatiOn Of plural marriages. In the
case of pOlygamOus COhabitatiOn. the
manifesto has been wholly diSTegaTded
by the members Of the Mormon church.
It IS hardly reasonable to expect that the
members of that church would have any
greater regard for the prohibition OF
plural marriage.