The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-07
Quick to Start Slow to Stop

To Editor Tribune Your editorial
agitation on the question of Mormon
Polygamy" has done a great deal of
good In not only calling the attention
or the country at large to this peculiar
social feature OF the Mormon" church.
but what must In the long run be OF
greater moment, In causing Young
Utah-at least In the leading cltles-to
read up on the doctrine rs found In sec
ton 1872 in the Book OF Doctrine and
Covenants. The fact is q really feel
ashamed to confess IT., 1T is only within
the past few months that | have taken
the trouble to read the so-called reyela-
tion. During all my life | have simply
taken the revelation to be true and the
doctrine and practice Of plural mar
riaSe as matter OF course, like, | sup
pose, they do In Turkey or among the
barbarous black races OF Africa. But
recently | read 1t, and l am simply as
founded TO find 1t contains so much that
It profoundly Objectionable.
First L find the Lord" is made 10
Justify his servants, Abraham, Isaac.
Jacob, Moses. David and Solomon. In
their having many wives and concu-
bines." Now. Abraham took Hagar to
help Sarah 10 steady the ark" and the
Lord repudiated Hagar as a wife by
sending her back TO be subject to her
mistress. and her observation-disclosures
was cursed by having his hand raised
against every man and every mans
hand against ynm,
Isaac was not a polygamist at all
what an egregrious blunder for the
Lord to make, Jacob was polyeamist
by deceit of his father in-law In giving
him the sore-eyed Leah. There is no
historical data to Justify the assertion
that Moses was polygamiSt-the rec
ord In fact is against IT. All, but how
about David and Solomon, Surely they
had many wives and concubines. OF
course they had But read. gentle
reader what the Lord says to the Me-
phltes about that, as recorded by the
prophet Jacob. Book of Mormon, page
1872 strangely and fatally concident. the
same figures as the plural marriage sec
tion In the Doctrine and Covenants):
Behold. David and Solomon truly
had many wives and concuDines, which
thing was abominable before me" And
yet the Lord I'm the modern reveIa-
tion. makes this thing" which was
abominable to him then. the highest
virtue now and a necessary concomitant
to celestial glory, Wouldn't that Jar
you? Then there follows a lot OF ver
bosity about covenants, contracts,
bonds, obligations, etc, ad infinitum,
and a tremendous lot of bombast about
princlpalities and powers and thrones;
Il
Is not a contract at all unless II is ac
cording to this revelation, even though
1t be for eternity as well a9 time. But
II you abide this law then you come
forth In the first resurrection and be-
come gods, even though In this life you
may have committed any sin or trans
gresslon whatever, and all manner Of
blasphemies, except you commit murder
wherein you shed innocent blood (and
O. 10 Ic nt
cent?! Then, | notice the Lord" Is onto
Joseph, who evidently had taken many
wives before he received this revelation.
for the Lord" commands Emma TO
receive all those that have been given
unto Joseph" (Here the Lord" exhib-
It's some delicacy, for he does not say
he gave them, but speaks in the past
tense as II with some reluctance which,
nevertheless, must be overcome). 1t
also appears that some of those" were
pure and some not pure, and the latter
have 10 be destroyed So Joseph must
have got himself into mess by mixing
up with the Impure Then the Lord"
commands Emma to forgive Joseph
his trespasses that must have been
the impure ones. Then, while this
spasm OF purity and chastity is on him,
the Lord" makes 1t imperative that 1t
Is ten wives man must have. and they
must all be virgins. (What a mess our
friends. Joseph F. Smith, Charles w
Penrose and Brigham H. Roberts who
have all married divorced women for
plurals, must be In, TO be sureD The
first virgin has to give her consent to
the others or God VIII destroy her Here
Is the conspicuous example OF being
damned If you do and damned IL you
don't; In the first event, the devil will
destroy peace Of mind and love of
heart and in the second event the
Lord" destroys; and, what is worse.
the husband Is at liberty TO receive all
things"
The finish has been entirely over
looked. so far as i have observed, in
hearing and reading arguments In
support of this revelation: "And now,
as pertaining to this law. verify, verify
/ say unto you, l Will reveal more unto
you hereafter, therefore let this suffice
for the present. Behold / am Alpha and
Omega Amen" And he has only
spoken once since on this subject: this
time through his servant. Wllford
Woodruff, and that word was to stop
this practice. He was the Alpha (be-
and the Omega (endD of it-so
let II be But they haven't and they
won't, unless Uncle Sam makes them
The records show that Brigham and
Heber and John and the rest OF the
Lords" servants hurried to fulfill "the
law; but, oh. my how they are taking
their time to comply with the Omega
Of IT,
This Is good theme for conference
discussion-the opportunity and time
should not be lost. APROPOS.
April 6, 1906.