Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-04-05
MISSION OF
H0RNON|SM


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Continued from page one)
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trial. by patience. resistance only by
| lawful means TO real or fancied
wrongs, and by final submission 10 the
| laws Of tho land, though Involving dis
tress and sorroov, and In Iime of war,
/ By Willingness to fight .thc battles OF
tho nation--then. Internationally, are
the Mormon people patriotic and
loyal
/ Tire Problem OF Pofyganls.
The only conduct seemingly incon :
! slstent with our professions as loyal
| cltlzens- Is that involved in olr attl-
tude during the controversies that
have arisen respecting plural mar
rlage- This principle was Introduced
by the Prophet Joseph Smith. at Natl
veo. Illinois, The practise was con-
tinued In Utah, and published TO the
world, as a Doctrine OF the Church,
IN lSb2- In the face of these facts
Brigham Young, whose position In the
matter was Well known, was twice APP
pointed with the consent or the sem
ate. aTst by President Fillmore. and
afterwards by President Pierce, 10 be
| the governor of the territory IL Was
not until 1S69 that Con gress enacted
law fOrbidding plura marriage, This
tlOusly dtsregarded. In their observance
of a principle sanctioned by their re-
ligiOn Moreover they believed tine
enactment to be violatve OF the Con-
stitutI3n. which provides that Com
rress shall make no law prohibiting
the free exercise OF religion. Not
understanding this attitude and conduct
on the part of our people, no decision
of the supreme court upon this queS~
lion was secured until 1878. more tnaH
80 years after the settlement OF Ltahy
nor We're determined efforts made TO
enforce the law until a further period
OF i've or six years had elapsed. sure
Sy3tthls t6lfrnasn1tss Undee which th@
practise OF plural marriage became
| firmly esta bli she'd binds the United
| States and iss people. Y indeed they
1 are not bound by considerati OF
mercy and wisdom To- she exercise or
patience and charity In dealing With
! this question.
II it be charged by those who find
extenuaton for offences committed
prior TO the decision of 1878, that our
subsequent duty as good citizens was
clear ana Misunderstanding, We reply that
the situation, rs viewed by SOME or our
mem bers, developed conflict between
duty to God and duty TO tho govern
rnent Moreover. it was thought pos
sible that the decision OF the supreme
court might be reversed II wnai was
regarded as a constitutional right We're
not too easily surrendered What our
people did in disregard OF the law and
Of the decisions of the supreme court
affecting plural marriages was in tine
Spirit OF maintaining religious rights
under constitutional guarantees, ana
not In amy spirit Of defiance or dis
Loyalty TO the government
Respectful Submission
The Mormon people have bowed in re-
spectful submission to the laws enacted
against plural marriage While IL Is
true that for many years they contested
the constltutioualty OF the law of Con-
gress. and during that time acted Ia
harmony with their religious convtc-
tiona ia unfolding by pFaetise, as Wen
as by spoken and written word prln-
ciple committed to them from God, stu.
when every means OF CONS titutlonal de-
tense had been exhausted, the Church
abandoned she controversy and aIl-
houncea its intention to be obedient TO
the laws OF the land subsequently, when
statehood for Utah became a posstbili-
ty. on the condition that her Constitu-
ton provide by ordinance irrevocable
without the consent of the United
States, that plural marriages should be
forever prohib ted the Mormon people
accepted the condition by voting for the
adoption OF the Constitution From
been true to Its pledge respecting the
abandonment of the practise of plural
MARRIAGE IL II be urged that there
have been instances OF the violation OF
the Gnti-pplygamy laws. and that some
persons within the Church have sought
20 cyade the rule adopted BY her. pro-
hlbitsng plural marriages, the plain an
sweV Is that In every state and nation
there are individuals who violate law
ln spite OF all the vigilance that can
be e1ercised but II does not follow that
the Integrity OF a community or stale
Is destroyed because Of such individual
trans gressions. "A II we ask Is that the
Same common sense Judgment be es-
ercied in relation to our community
thar is accorded TO other communities,
When all the elreuIns 0Ilces are
weighed the wonder is, nOt that there
have been sporadic cases of plural mar
Tiage but thar such cases have been
so few II should be remembered Iha.
q religious conviction existed among the
people holding this order OF marriage TO
be diNnely sanctioned IiItIe wonder
then tina there should appear In
community as large as ours and as
sincere, % few 0Ycr-zealouF individuals
who refused 20 submit even TO the ac-
ton OF the Church In such a matter or
that these Few should find theirs who
sympAlhised With their views. the NUM-
beT, however, Is small
Those WHO refer to Mormon poIyga-
my as menace TO the American
horne. on as serious factor In Amerf-
cam problems, make themselves rIdicn.
lons, So iar AK plural marriage Is cone
cerned, the question In settled. The
problem ~ polyg mrus living among
our people 10 RAPIDLY solving itself, 1t
ls matter or record that In 1850, when
the manifesto was issued, thcre were
aibl plural families In nine years this
number had been reduced 10 / ,5i9. Four
years later The number WAS Ss1. and
many " these have since passed away.
IA answeT to the charge OF disloyalty,
founded upon alleged secret chilgS.
lions against our government. We de-
clare to an men ihat there Is nuthng
treasonnble or dsloyal In amy ordin.
auce ceremony or ritual of the Church
Church and State.
The overthrow oI earthly govern
nentsl the union Of church and state,
domination Of the state by this church;
ecclesiastical Interference With Tie pos
itical freedom and rights OF the clil-
xen-all such things are contrary 10 the
principles and POLICY OF the Church, and
directly ai yariraee with ihe OF rupeat-
ed declarations OF Its chief presiding