The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-15
THE SCANDALOUS HYPOCRISY.

Speaking of the hicrarchical practice
! of reputation, it may be Of interest TO
! students OF Mormon peculiaritics To 90
TO history. and to consult the record
! for confirmation Of the truth Of The
! Tribune S presentations upon this score.
Joseph +. Smith, the reigning prophet of
! the Mormon church, has thrown the lie
into the teeth Of his own
departed father, merely for the
purpose of self justification. Be
fore the whole world he has defended
his own lawlessness, and that of his
polygamous coadiutors, at the expense
of the first patriarch of the Mormon
church, whose son he is. Here is the
Smith testimony at Washington.
MIR Tayler-When did the practice OF
taking plural wives begin, as a matter
Joseph r. Smith-There were few who
received the doctrine under the direct
teaching OF Joseph Smith and entered
into 1t at that time, before his death
The supposed revelation commanding
the practice Of plural marriage was
given TO Joseph Smith, Jr., the first
prophet of the Mormon church, on July
l2, ls43, according to the Doctrine and
Covenants. That was just a little more
than year previous to the death of
himself and his brother, Hyrum, the
first patriarch of the church. and father
of the present king The present proph-
ct is firm in his claim that polygamy
was practiccd by his uncle the first
prophet and founder of the church.
Since he assembled TO the Mormon throne
Joseph f. Smith sought to make his
contention binding upon the Saints in
a reunion held in Ogden on June 10.
1908, At this gathering the present
seer said, among other things upon this
subject
Aunt Bathsheba. widow Of George A.
Smith. who is with us today. Is the last
living witness, so far as | know. who re-
ceived her endowments while Joseph
Smith was living. Here is Aunt Bath
sheha. who received her endowments in
Nauvoo as they are now given I'm the
temples. She is a living witness, and, II
necessary. she will tell us that she re-
ceivcd her endowments In Nauyoo as they
are now given In the temples. She is a
living witness. and. II necessary. she Will
tell us that she received these privileges
under the direction OF Joseph Smith.
Opponents say that Brigham Young cs-
tablIshed the endowments and also plural
ma rriage, but here is n witness who
knows better.
The particular anxiety of Joseph f.
Smith, and his repeated reference TO
the Giving Witness was 10 give to
his own personal practices the highest
authorization that is recognized by the
Mormon people-tbe word and practice
of the founder of their church But
while he was brawlingly iustifying his
own immortality, let us see what a
ghoulish trick he turned:
Nauvoo. March l5 1874
To the Brethren of the Church Of Jesus
Christ OF Latter-day Saints living on
China Creek, In Hancock County.
Whereas Brother Richard Hewitt, has
called on me today 10 know my views |
concerning some doctrines that are !
preached in Your place, and stated TO me |
that some of your elders say that a man |
having n certain priesthood may have as |
many wives as he pleases. aud that that |
that that man teaches false doctrine. |
FOR THERE Is NO SUCH DOCTRINE |
TAUGHT HERE; NEITHER is THERE \
ANY SUCH THING PRACTICED HERE. /
OR PUBLICLY any such |
doctrine is culpahle and viii stand a
chance to be brought before the high !
council and lose his license and member
ship also: therefore he had better be
aware of what he is about.
HYRUM SMITH.
That letter was written a very short
time before the death of the professed
prophet md patriarch, which occurred
on June 27, 1914, and the time interven-
ing between the two events seems to
have been so full Of other strenuosities
that there could have been little oppor-
JunitY to take on new wives during that
short period. So the two eirorts-the
former Smith letter to disprove, and
he present Smith statements to prove,
he one proposition-are presented for
what they are worth
But the point is merely to show what
manner of dependence there is to be
placed upon the prophetic word. In or
Ter to get at the real object of any of
he divine utterances, one must first dis
,over the end sought to be achieved
md then one Will know whether it is to
'e ratification, reputation evasion or
Interpretation This is palpablv
rue; If it be charged against the lead
'rs of the Mormon church. in the old
lays, that they brought upon themselves
md their people, by opposing the law
md civilized sentiment, the sufferings
nd drivings which they endured in H.
inoIs and elsewhere; If it be said that
he practice Of polygamy was the scat
f the trouble which the Saints expert
need in the early days of the Middle |
Vest; then every hierarch in Mormon |
ON will jump stiff-egged in his anxiety
o deny. But if it be said that polvg.
my was n practice instituted subse-
uept to the death of Joseph Smith. Jr.;